The hierophant tarot card is the 5th major arcana card. Typically representative of a high up person in religion, or a person in your life that you look up to. A person that is sought out for answers and guidance.
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Definition of The Hierophant Tarot
Simple Upright Meaning
Spiritual crossroads, teachers, wisdom of others
A Full Explanation
The Hierophant tarot card is one that represents religion. And spirituality. This is a card of wisdom and looking for answers from religion or nature.
Contrasting to the high priestess, this is a more masculine version of religion. It’s also about looking for the answers externally, rather than within. Looking for guidance from what you hold sacred, whether that is a person, book, religious belief, or even nature. This is where you will find the answer to your question.
Or perhaps you already have sought advice from one of these people or texts recently. But did not think much about it at the time. Think back to what you learned, and how it can be applied to your current dilemma.
When you find this tarot card in a reading, look externally for advice. Take the advice you are given, think about what feels right for you, keep that advice, and release the rest.
In the Rider Waite Tarot deck, there are 2 pillars in the image. This image can also mean you are at a spiritual crossroads, or questioning what you’ve previously learned.
That’s why it’s important to think about what you’ve learned in the past, but to make your own decisions and not take these learnings as the utmost rules.
My Design
Typically the Hierophant tarot card is depicted as a priest or a figure of a religious field. This card also represents a masculine figure that is in religion.
In this I’ve taken a different approach. In the card depicted above, the primary element is an elephant. Elephants are very smart animals, some of the brightest animals. They are also a very sacred animal in some religions (you can read more about those here), so it is fitting.
Another aspect that is typically on tarot cards (like the Rider WaiteRider Waite cards) are the crossed keys, or the Keys of Saint Peter. Which I have kept true to the original card. They are a fairly Christian image, but it can also be the idea that the way to find peace is through knowledge and learning.
Other Thoughts
This card originally had the idea for the elephant with how hierophant is spelled similarly, but turned into so much more. Elephants are wise, just like the religions this typically depicts. As many people do not conform to one religion, having something else, like the elephant and books representing wisdom made the most sense to me.
One of my tarot decks (Triple Goddess) does not call this card the Hierophant, but rather “The Teacher,” symbolizing that it’s not necessarily a religious person, just someone with a lot of wisdom.
Are you new to tarot and looking at practicing? Try your hand by picking one card a day, or try one of these tarot spreads! If you’re still having a really difficult time connecting with this card, leave it by your bedside or under your pillow to further connect.