The Hierophant tarot card is sometimes considered the male version of the high priestess (and vice versa) but the tarot card meaning is quite different. What is important for the hierophant in tarot is the trappings and decorum that can be seen in the scene and the way the Querent reacts to such institutions in their life.
Upright keywords: Scholarship, wisdom, authority, knowledge, mysticism, doctrine
Reversed keywords: Arrogance, elitism, intentional ignorance, hypocrisy, charlatan
Astrologically, the Hierophant is associated with the planet Venus and the sign of Taurus or the planet Jupiter and the sign of Sagittarius.
The Hierophant is usually standing between two pillars, like the High Priestess, but these are not the pillars of the temple of Solomon. He wears the traditional garb and symbols of a religious figure, not unlike a Christian pope. He holds a cross in one hand and uses the other to make a traditional blessing gesture.
You can often see a pair of keys crossed at his feet, as well as some devout priests or faithful disciples kneeling before him.
Where the Emperor represented authority in its most basic and primal form, the Hierophant card represents the authority vested in a religious or spiritual order, and by extension the influence of any organization with a strict and codified set of beliefs, demands, and requirements.
This can also represent a formal and codified commitment affecting the Querent. Marriage, for instance, could be one of the various elements falling within the Hierophant’s purview. Like most major arcana cards, there are several layers to be found in understanding the Hierophant meaning, and context and card associations are important.
The number 05 card of the Major Arcana, the Hierophant, represents time spent in serious study and scholarly learning, and the gathering of knowledge on any and all subjects. What have you read about romance from people who write about and think about the subject professionally? Who do you consider wise in the ways of love? This card challenges you to think about love and romance as a subject written and thought about in philosophy, poetry, fiction, and non-fiction. It is not just an emotional experience but a collection of all the experiences of everyone.
If you are single, this card will ask you to “study” singleness as a subject and then work to better understand your singleness. Have you chosen to be single? Did someone else choose for you to be single again by ending a relationship with you? Do you want to be single for an extended period of time, or are you actively looking to find a new relationship? And if so, what kind of relationship are you looking for? Something casual and short-term or something long-term?
If you are in a relationship, this card encourages you to think about all you have learned about the relationship up to this point and what you feel like you still need to learn. If people around you want to ask you for advice about relationships, where, in your experiences, do you feel you have become an expert? Where have you been awakened about relating and loving another person or other people? Consider a simple exercise: write down your top 5 or 10 “aha” moments in your story/stories of love and romance; what wisdom have you attained?
Career includes school and education if that is your current stage, necessary work not on your career path, and your actual career path. Regardless of your stage, the Hierophant represents your accumulated knowledge and awareness about your study or work journey.
If you are a student, think about your educational journey. Ensure you are advancing successfully to attain the degree and expertise you seek. The Hierophant represents what your teachers and professors should provide as you work towards professional knowledge to help society function and evolve.
On the other hand, if you are working but not in a career, ask yourself if you are satisfied with your work or need to improve your skills. Consider your options for advancement, skill enhancement, or elevating your expertise. If you are happy with your work life, keep enjoying it. However, if you want something more or different, now is the time to start making the change.
Finally, if you are on a career path, this card can push you to advance to a more knowledgeable and expert position. Depending on your level of expertise, it might be an ideal time to strike out on your own and become your own boss. Additionally, you may have powerful insights about your career and company that need to be presented to those above you to increase your value and power within your career.
Read more about the Hierophant Tarot…
In a reversed position, the Hierophant card represents deliberate weakness from being too kind and trusting, regardless of signs or warnings.
In a more positive outlook, combined with a positive card, a reversed Hierophant card focuses on the social aspect of this major arcana. It signifies a large gathering of people for one reason or another, without any religious or dogmatic undertone.
Reversed, this card shows your lack of knowledge about some aspect of a relationship that you would do well to learn more about, mainly through study or as a student to someone with relationship expertise, like a relationship coach or counselor. It could also show up to let you know that someone you have a relationship with is being willfully ignorant or arrogant about the relationship. Regardless, you need to put more effort into understanding and learning about your relationship or “relationship” in general and theoretically.
When this card appears reversed in a work or career question, you need to upgrade your skills or risk becoming obsolete. It might indicate working with someone less knowledgeable, arrogant due to insecurity, or conning you and the company.
If there’s a problem like “cooking the books” or significant issues from lack of knowledge, take steps to overcome it. Increase your authority through professional development and new training.
With the initial lessons of experience and structure well learnt, the Fool recognizes the blank slate of their own knowledge and need for instruction. This is where the Fool learns their place in a bigger, larger world as part of a group and community.
This step of the journey is essential, as the hierophant tarot card starts opening the Fool to the outside world. Due to the religious trappings usually depicted on the card, this is also where the Fool discovers various belief systems that try to make sense of life’s many mysteries.
In many modern packs, the Hierophant raises his right hand in blessing, with two fingers pointing skyward and two pointing downward. This gesture forms a bridge between Heaven and Earth, similar to the Hanged Man‘s pose. The Hierophant acts as a true “pontiff,” building a connection between deity and humanity. He holds a triple cross in his left hand. Typically male, even in feminist decks like the Motherpeace Tarot, the Hierophant is also known as “The Teacher of Wisdom.”
Religion, administration, and formal organizations fall under the influence of the Hierophant card. The goal is to learn and grow through shared beliefs and structured dogma passed down through generations, not through personal experience.
The Hierophant also represents the Querent’s set of beliefs and inner values built over the years. As you become your own Hierophant, you rely on past experiences to form default reactions in any situation. Remember that no matter how solid your beliefs seem, you need to challenge them daily. Be ready to change if you truly want to grow on your spiritual path. Faith and deeply held beliefs offer structure and safety, but beware of blind faith, which can hinder spiritual advancement.
The Mythic Tarot (1986)
The Haindl Tarot (1990)
Osho Zen Tarot (1995)
Law of Attraction Tarot (2011)
Spellcaster Tarot (2016)
Ostara Tarot (2017)
If you find similarities between the High Priestess and the Hierophant for meditation, the main difference is the specific focus. Unlike other major arcana, this path isn’t introspective but follows a well-defined, well-trodden route. It uses dogma or ritual to channel a spiritual path that’s less personal but recognized and used for centuries.
To avoid being blinded by your own beliefs, use the Hierophant tarot card to explore other philosophies or faiths through meditation. Learning what others believe and experiencing it firsthand can help you understand your own beliefs better and sometimes even strengthen them.
