by estellew | Aug 7, 2015 | Major Arcana, Tarot
Known also as the Magus of the Eternal and ruled by Taurus, the Hierophant represents seeking, meaning and self-realisation. The Hierophant represnts the logical, left brained and masculine thinking. It is the path of conformity which one must learn before being to forget the rules and start to live life on one's own terms. And so the Hierophant denotes a gateway - to your inner world, or to milestones in the outer world. He often represents institutions, such as churches or government that rule over our rights of passage. Christenings, marriages, gaining accreditations, yes, even death, anything which must be marked by ritual and ceremony. The Hierophant represents convention, what is safe and tried and true. He is the acceptance of a young person into society once that person has demonstrated that they understand the laws, requirements and rules, and the need for routines, security and continuity. As a person, The Hierophant may appear to you as a wise woman or man, a mentor or teacher. Someone who has found the way through the difficult passages of life and who can act as a guide and encouragement to you. It can represent a time where you need to find meaning in your life through conventional avenues and traditional values, by finding what is morally right for you although often it dictates following the wellworn path of conformity for the sake of fitting in and finding comfort in community and fellowship. It is time to discover and allot meaning to your experiences and find a deeper purpose and illumination in an inner realisation of what your life means to you. There...
by estellew | Aug 7, 2015 | Major Arcana, Tarot
Known also as the Magus of the Eternal and ruled by Taurus, the Hierophant is aligned with the number 5 and as such, represents instability and the rising of power over a previously stable situation. The Hierophant is called The Pope in some decks - he represents a bridge of power between the earthly and the divine, and so represents a pinnacle of authority. On a mundane level, this refers to tension between the needs of the flesh and the needs of the spirit. This card is one of many of the Major Arcana that is portrayed with two pillars - these always represent a gateway and a passage from one state to another, often its opposite. In the card od The Hierophant it can represent a gateway from being the student or novice to the professional or adept. It can refer to an institution and the authority bestowed by that institution. It can also refer to the blessing and attention of a mentor who prepares you for the next stage or maturity and integration into society. Such a person will come into your life for a short period of time but will have a profound effect on your entire future - it is like having a penny drop in your mind that sets you on the path of stability and responsibility. This is normally a very conventional card, and so the instability referred to above is representing resistance and even rebellion to societal structures - government, church, educational institutions for example. It requires some surrender to the structures in life that provide support and stability. A great time...
by estellew | Aug 7, 2015 | Major Arcana, Tarot
The card of The Hierophant is ruled by Taurus and is also referred to as the Magus of the Eternal Gods. Taurus represents tangible materialism and the beauty and longevity of material things. This is the card of shared ethics and beliefs, institutions that transcend the individual and preserve society and are built with permanence and multitudes of generations in mind. It is representative of rituals and rites of passage that humanity take as part of belonging to a society and that bestow comfort by emphasising the sameness and continuity of experience. It can represent a spiritual mentor who comes into your life to encourage the deeper questions and a journey along the path of personal growth and enlightenment. He can help you to shine the light of consciousness on inner sacred experiences and give meaning to the deeper parts of our psyche that we are normally unaware of. By participating in the student's enlightenment, the master also experiences enlightenment. The darker side of The Hierophant is control and hoarding of power, as well as exerting power indiscriminately and loving power for its own sake, but more generally it is personified in a spiritual and respected teacher, someone who is held in high esteem in your community and acts as a teacher or guide to help you navigate the waters of faith and spirit. It can refer, not to a person, but to institutions such as universities, hospitals or large organisations - often when you are required to follow the guidelines and rules of these institutions in order to get ahead. Depending on your character, this will be easy...
by estellew | Aug 7, 2015 | Major Arcana, Tarot
Known as the Children of the Voice and Oracle of the Mighty Gods, The Lovers is ruled by Gemini and represents divine union, consequences of choice and reconciliation of opposites. The Lovers is one of those cards in the tarot that many hope to see as they believe it signifies the arrival of true love. But Love is not so simple as that - it is the beginning of the discovery of our other nature, the realisation of the qualities that we believe we are missing and the sacred union that reconciles the divided whole. It is no wonder that love is so fraught with despair and simultaneously imbued with delight when you consider what is at stake. The Lovers represents a choice that must be made, often between the satisfaction of what the heart desires and the head demands. The Heart does not regard commonsense and practicalities in pursuit of happiness, where the Head will always throw up hurdles and reasons to take a sensible stance and delay the realisation of bliss. And so this is a recipe for conflict, which is also embodied in the sign of Gemini. This is the journey of the Twins, appearing in myth and fairytale in such characters as the mortal Castor & the immortal Pollux; Hansel & Gretel; the Prince & the Pauper; and the Navajo Monster Slayer & his brother Born of Water. The twins are opposites and yet inseparable, and speaks to the journey to wholeness we all must take. This yearning for wholeness is most often realised through union with our 'better half'. But the underlying differences between...
by estellew | Aug 7, 2015 | Major Arcana, Tarot
The Lovers is also known as Children of the Voice and Oracle of the Mighty Gods. It is ruled by Gemini and represents choice, desire and consequences. Gemini is the sign of the Twins, representing the potential for harmony and the threat of discord in opposites. It is the missing half that is the lover and the foe. It is separate and inseparable at the same time. It brings to consciousness the deeper workings of the heart and mind, There are important decisions that you need to make in your relationships, and it should be noted that the decisions you arrive at now have very serious and far-reaching consequences. What appears to be the obvious choice on the surface is often not what is best for you in the long run - it is time to take a longer view, be completely honest with yourself and truthfully decide what it is you will do. You must be prepared to take full responsibility for your choice, and not blame the other person or other people involved if it turns out to not turn out as you planned. This card reminds us that there are many types of love in this world and that we will experience many aspects of llove in our lifetime - love for our partner, love for our family of origin, love for our children, love for our friends, and love for Spirit, or Universal love. All of these types of love have a place in life and the heart is not restricted in the amount of love that it can hold. Indeed it is said that the love...
