Virtual Tarot
The Hierophant
Virtual Tarot / Tarot Card Meanings for The Hierophant:
This card shows a religious figure holding up one hand in blessing and in the other bearing a staff of office.
In some decks he is called The Pope and he functions in the role of mediator between higher and lower realms.
The two figures knelt before him confirm his position of spiritual authority.
The Hierophant may indicate a wedding, the coming together of two people romantically or a strong commitment to a relationship.
Note the two pillars, which can represent the need to make a decision or choice, with The Hierophant cautioning us to choose wisely and to be practical about the matter.
For this is a card of Taurus.
This virtual tarot card also offers stability and the synthesis of different and potentially opposing forces. On a mundane level this could simply be the resolution of an argument.
In some respects he represents the orthodox approach to religious, philosophical and spiritual matters, but there is a deeper side to this card.
The role that he occupies is as a mouthpiece for spiritual truth and guidance.
This card may in fact indicate a significant spiritual presence in our lives or a need to reconnect ourselves to those values and traditions that are important to us.
He demands that we pause and consider carefully what we are wrestling with and perhaps even running away from.
In a sense we are put on notice that we must answer to our responsibilities and to a higher authority for our actions or inactions.
The two figures in the foreground, which appear to be monks, bear closer inspection. They are dressed very similarly, but the one on the left wears red while the one on the right wears blue.
These colors are often said to represent the principles of Severity and Mercy; an excess of either principle will lead to imbalance and influence the choices made.
The virtual tarot, Hierophant reminds us of the need to see things as they are and to not be afraid to ask for guidance.
But, having received that guidance, we must then act upon it in good conscience.
If this card appears in a reading, it may be a gentle hint that we are not living up to our full potential and being the person we are capable of becoming.
The crossed keys are symbols in orthodox religion.
In the tarot they can also be an indication of secrets and of the need to find the key to unlock a problem or a situation so that it can be fully understood.
But remember that adage about storming the doors of heaven only to find you have entered the gates of hell.
In other words, how and when you approach a situation may have a profound impact on the outcome.
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