The Hierophant
Artwork: Maxwell Miller, Universal Tarot
The mission of the hierophant is to act as a bridge to help us connect to the divine. Other than the priestess, whose task it is to transmit secrets and mysteries only to be accessed by a mind and heart in tune with their essence, the hierophant teaches and transmits esoteric, ritual and ceremonial knowledge and know-how. His specialisms are less associated with the flux and flow of the moon, and more with the left-hand analytical rational side of the brain. Besides a priest he is often seen as a teacher, an expert. He may have knowledge of a wide range of music, cultures, languages, literature, symbolism, history and systems of divination, all of which he uses to highlight and convey his spiritual teachings. As a learned authority figure he may preside over marriages and all commitments sanctioned by a higher body. His emphasis on knowledge may occasionally make him seem dogmatic, but that is mainly due to the linear nature of his expertise. Call on the hierophant when you need to supplement and strengthen your heightened intuition with in-depth knowledge.