Major Arcana 5 Tarot Hierophant (High Priest)

Description: The monk sits between two columns. His head is crowned with a high crown, in his left hand he holds a thin scepter. At his feet are two crossed keys. And a little further from the monk, two men are sitting, looking at him.

The main meanings of the card in the upright position:

1. Connection of wisdom and mercy;
2. Spiritual leader;
3. Search for deep meaning, true calling, «super task»;
4. Tests for morality, test of strength;
5. Growth of trust and attraction of partners to each other;
6. Intention to marry (get married);
7. People's wisdom;
8. Professional advice;
9. Religious service, wedding;
10. Conservatism, conventional wisdom;
11. Wise mentor;
12. Tradition, traditional approach;
13. Teaching;
14. This card gives you the choice to explore your own soul's needs or to adjust your self to the demands of others.

The main meanings of the card in the inverted position:

1. Openness to new ideas;
2. Courage;
3. An unconventional approach;
4. Bad advice;
5. Limited thinking;
6. Stubbornness;
7. Materialism;
8. Vindictiveness;
9. Denial of traditions;
10. Putting on a mask;
11. Disorganization;
12. Fanaticism;
13. Dogmatism;
14. Not the best time to get married.

High Priest, also Priest or High Priest, Pope or Hierophant (Greek «high priest»). In the Egyptian Tarot — Lord of the Arcana.

A man in the vestments of a priest sits on a throne. His gaze is soft and kind. His power is not the power of brute force, but the power of faith: his kingdom is not of this world. Unlike the Master, he demands submission not to himself, but to another, higher power. His hands are outstretched in a blessing gesture: he reunites opposites and personifies the sacrament of marriage. The images of red roses and white lilies remind us of the Magician card, where they were living flowers: if the Magician operates things, intuitively feeling their course, then the High Priest operates with symbols of things, penetrating their cause and exploring possible options for their development.

Other names of the arcana: High Priest; Hierophant; Highest Priest; Magician of Eternity.

SPIRITUAL EXPLANATION: The Hierophant embodies a stable connection between wisdom and mercy. The inspiration of Spirit manifests in the Hierophant as an archetypal expression of enlightened intuition. In theory, Divine Authority owes its inspiration to the Tree of Life. However, over time, earthly religious traditions degenerate into dogma and convention. The Hierophant card reminds us that this need not be the case, and that true spiritual insight transcends earthly authority.

TARO MEANING: Since the Hierophant is a spiritual leader in the material world, he approaches things in the ordinary and traditional way.

REVERSED MEANING: You are open to new ideas and are not afraid to take risks. You are unorthodox in your beliefs. However, be careful not to choose superstition as an alternative spiritual option.

SELF-DEVELOPMENT LESSON: We need to choose spiritual truths and teachings that are consistent with our sacred inner knowledge, connected to our intuitive understanding and inspired by a higher spiritual source. Do not be afraid to be unconventional if your spiritual inclinations lead you in a completely new direction.

WORK: This card means that we are concerned with the question of the meaning of all our activities as a whole, starting from the very subject of our studies and ending with questions of life support, success, reward and recognition. The Priest is a search for deep meaning, a «super task», a true calling. Along with this, the card can also denote specific situations in which our moral character, our ethics, which until now did not allow us to participate in any dark machinations, are subjected to all sorts of tests.

CONSCIOUSNESS: The search for the meaning of life, a «strength test» of our spiritual principles and our value system. In this case, the objective side of life is of little interest to us. On the contrary, the Priest personifies our purely subjective experience, our own symbol of faith, which cannot be verified in any way «objectively», and yet it does not lose its value for us at all. In addition, this card symbolizes a significant increase in our ability to moral judgment, the very one that allows us to distinguish good from evil, as well as any deep experiences, including religious ones, that have a great influence on the rest of our lives.

PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS: A period of constantly increasing trust and attraction between partners, when the ideal of a partner becomes increasingly elevated, and the partnership itself changes for the better under the influence of the system of moral values ​​and personal virtues of each. At the event level, this card can mean the intention or desire to get married.

Names in other languages: Papa, Le Pape, The Pope, Die Eingeburn.

Astrological correspondences: Capricorn and Saturn. Venus/Jupiter as an expression of great love.

Kabbalistic meaning of the Arcana: calm (desire for calm).

Occult meaning of the Arcana: breathing.

Physical meaning of the Arcana: religion.

Places: temple, monastery and other places of official religious cults; house with an ancient tradition; «noble nest».

Upright

Key words and phrases: The High Priest archetype. Folk wisdom. Formal ceremony. Established order. Moral demands. Spiritual growth. Religious ceremonies. Attending a wedding or religious service such as communion or bar mitzvah*. Wise advice. Professional advice. Prayer. Spiritual authority. Divine law. Higher authority. Storehouse of ancient teachings. Improving moral qualities. Seriousness. Justice or peace. Celibacy. Platonic relationships. Learning. Learning new things. Seeking advice. Preference for tradition. Conformism. Conservatism. Generally accepted rules of conduct or generally accepted beliefs. External authority. According to Jung, the process of “self-identification,” getting used to a social mask. The search for spiritual truth. The search for the meaning of human life. Religious services and rituals. Theological doctrine. Schools. Places of worship. Structured environments. Traditional organizations. Institutions. “The System.” The Ivy League. Heavenly Father. Searching for meaning. Rituals that serve as symbolic threads connecting the individual to the traditions of society. A mighty fortress is our Lord. Simon says… The Church teaches. As the proverb goes…

Situation and Advice: The Hierophant may represent a spiritual search for meaning, a focus on improving moral character. A wise mentor or official teacher may come your way to assist you in your spiritual quest. You may participate in a traditional rite or ceremony. You may attend a place of worship or be invited to a wedding. Now is the time to turn to folk wisdom. The Hierophant may also represent an experienced consultant or qualified professional who can provide sound advice. Someone higher up may be able to help resolve an issue in your favor. If you asked a question about love, the Hierophant suggests traditional or platonic relationships.

People: Dad. Priest. One who performs ceremonies. Guru. Educators. Teachers. Students. Advisors. A wise person who is willing to help. Mentors. Professionals. Doctors. Marriage counselors. Arbitrators. Lawyers. Consultants. Academics and scientists. Spiritual leaders. Figureheads. Someone who passes on their knowledge and understanding to the younger generation. Spiritual mentor. Someone who means business. Conformists. Conservatives. Traditionalists.

Reversed

Key words and phrases: Unconventional. New Age. Bad advice. Narrow-minded. Dogmatism. Stubbornness. A scandal involving the clergy. Materialism. Extremism. Vindictiveness. Secrecy. Strict orthodoxy or excessive nonconformity. Denial of tradition. Putting on a mask. Creating a false image of oneself. Propaganda. Information that is misleading. Excessive adherence to conventions. Disorganization. Religious extremism. Fanaticism. Inquisition. The fallacy of conventional wisdom. The need for original methods and unconventional solutions. If God wanted us to fly, he would have made us with wings. People meet by their clothes. All that glitters is not gold. Up the social ladder.

Situation and advice: The positive meaning of the Hierophant in the inverted position is that it indicates the need to take an unconventional approach to solving current problems. Folk wisdom can be your most trusted mentor now. Perhaps, to get out of an unpleasant situation, you need to break the usual way of life. Decide to change and become different. To achieve success, you need to start thinking in a new way. Take off the mask and allow yourself and others to see your true attitude to the problem.

Negative meaning of the Hierophant in the inverted position: the card may indicate that you are too fanatical in your thoughts and too dogmatic about what is happening. Perhaps you have all the characteristics of the Hierophant, but in reverse? Perhaps you act obsessively (compulsively) or passively (aggressively)? Perhaps you have put on a mask to hide your feelings, but it hides you not only from others, but also from yourself? Excessive non-conformism may hinder you. Traditional or generally accepted methods may not have produced the desired result. The advice you recently received may be useless or even worsen the situation. Perhaps the planned wedding or religious ceremony will be cancelled. If your question was about love relationships, then getting married now would not be your best move.

People:Someone who is into New Age ideas, religion. Rebels. Eccentric personalities. Innovators. People who are prejudiced. Those who judge by appearances. Intolerant or dogmatic people. People with an obsessive-compulsive manner of acting. Passive-aggressive personalities. The bride who ran away from the altar. A unique person, inclined to experiment and innovation.

The High Priest Card Meaning

First of all, find yourself on it. Often, in addition to the High Priest, this card depicts two kneeling monk-disciples. If you feel like one of these monks, it means that you are looking for a teacher who would show you the path to truth, and are ready to accept his help. If you perceive yourself as the central figure, it means that you yourself are able to teach others what you have learned yourself, to help them. But still ask yourself: was it vanity that put you on the throne, is your knowledge really great?

In practical layouts, the High Priest points out mainly two things: the process of learning, teaching, and marriage. He gives a positive answer to the question about the possibility or necessity of studying or teaching («Will my son go to college? — Yes, he will», — «Should I speak at a conference?» — «Yes, I should»), and also foretells the conclusion of a marriage, official or mystical. Mystical marriage is understood as the union of a person not only with another person, but also a person with some higher power — with God, as was the case with Moses («the old union», i.e. the Old Testament) and Jesus (New Testament), or with one or another art, when a person devotes himself, for example, to music, poetry or astrology, not without reason the latter was managed by a special muse among the Greeks.

Inverted it means that the person has no opportunity to learn now, that the marriage will not take place, including the mystical one (the teacher will turn out to be a false teacher, the teaching will be a false teaching, or the person himself is simply not ready); or at this time the person will not be able to devote himself to art.

There is no advice for businessmen. If the High Priest was pulled out by a businessman, then the question arises: why did he get involved in this business at all?

This card represents a person who has the power to advance or destroy you. You must decide whether further advancement is worth the veneration of this person. You may be seeking to decide vital matters for others in order to increase your own power over people. You risk trading real authority for the belief in your own infallibility.

Whatever your supreme deity, it is obvious that he does not descend from the heavens often enough to speak to his people. Most religions have individuals whose job it is to convey the divine will to the faithful. The more organized the religion, the greater the authority of its Priest.

The Tarot Hierophant can also symbolize any organized philosophical or educational organization, religious or secular, that has similar power over the minds of its followers. In all such organized philosophies there is a person or group of persons who claim that they alone know the truth, and you will either obey their word or be damned.

Here you must make a decision. It is at this stage of your spiritual development that you are given the opportunity to learn the final mystery — to know the Will of God for you. Once again, the Hierophant is the Guardian of the Gate; to pass through it, you must become one. Will you decide for yourself what your path to salvation is, or will you allow another authority — even the authority of the Tarot — to think for you? What you decide now will affect the rest of your spiritual development.

Note that the Hierophant Tarot is not always a favorable card. Unlike the Nun (Priestess, Pope), who uses her wisdom and understanding to enable others to find the true path, the Hierophant uses her power to increase her own influence over others. This card gives you the choice to explore the needs of your own soul or to adjust your self to the demands of others.

Type of person in the upright position: moral authority; revered spiritual person; priest «from God», a person of pure convictions.

Type of person in the inverted position:false prophet; guru; leader of a sect; a clergyman without a calling, a hysterical woman.

Psychological meaning of the High Priest Arcana: First, try to identify yourself with someone depicted on the card. If one of the monks turns out to be close to you, then look for a teacher and spiritual mentor — you have matured to the beginning of the path of spiritual development, so you need someone who will show you the way to the truth. When you yourself are not able to solve your problems, do not be afraid to turn to people whom you respect and consider authorities for yourself, asking for help. If you identify yourself with the central figure of the card, this means that you can teach other people yourself and solve not only your own problems. But think about whether it is in vain that you rise so high. Remember also that by embarking on this path, you take on a huge responsibility. Try to avoid the influence of «crazy gurus» and try not to become one of them yourself.

The Priest represents the world of faith and deepest trust, based on the steadfastness of the chosen values. In ancient times, he was considered one of the three guardian angels in the Tarot, ensuring a favorable outcome for any undertaking. This has a deep meaning, because trust in general and our trust in ourselves in particular serve as the basis for faith in life, in the future. In addition, this card symbolizes the path of ethics and virtue, that is, those moral principles that determine our life plans.

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