Learning from the Hierophant

The Hierophant V

I have nothing clever to say today. :p

I have been a very very busy Tarot lady the past few weeks. My vulgar yet wonderful, Quentin Tarantino calendar is brightly decorated with pink circles signifying my Tarot appointments. My weekends are booking up quick and evenings during the week as well. I could not be happier. It stands true, if you put the work in you get the reward. I have had the pleasure over the past few weeks to meet many new people and see some returning clients as well. It's an awesome feeling when you get to see someone you have read for before and they tell you how things you said came true, or to have them recommend you to others. 

My life would not be complete without a little scandal as well. I learned over the past few weeks not to do private readings for people one on one in their homes. It is important for anyone who is thinking about doing Tarot to always put their own safety first. I am no longer going to travel to anyone's home unless it is for a party. It would be nice someday to have a room somewhere in the city which is used exclusively for reading in a public setting. Until I win big on those lottery tickets, I don't buy, the private readings will be coming to me. This little tangent rings true with the card that we are going to explore today, the Hierophant or as some call him , the High Priest or Pope. 

This card often comes up when you need a little more conformity in your life. Sometimes it will indicate someone who longs for the traditions of their past or is looking to start new traditions in their future. The card features a Pope sitting high above two priests kneeled before him. He is adorned in a red robe and wears a golden triple crown (not to be confused with glorious triple crown vodka). His arm is outstretched giving a blessing. Social approval, marriage and public education are all ruled by this card. Side thought- Maybe if marriage was ruled by the saucy Lovers or even the lustful Devil the divorce rate would be a tad lower... 

This card can also represent someone or yourself who is a non-conformist. Someone who goes against the grain. Depending on where the card sits in the spread and the other cards around it, it can mean that you may find yourself in a non-traditional mindset or having unconventional ways of going about things. I find that it can mean a little need of structure or perhaps for you provide structure for others. Do you see yourself as the Pope sitting and giving orders? If you do, maybe you will be promoted to a leadership position. Do you see yourself as one of the priests? Maybe you are destined to continue to follow orders and might be better off to not push the boundaries on traditions. As much as it pains me to say it and prepare your eyes for some rolling because I am going to say it: Authority is there for a reason and sometimes its not worth the constant fight against it. Urggh I officially feel like a droid for "the man". It does apply true in some situations though, whether we wish to acknowledge that or not. 

Symbolically his raised right hand represents spiritual blessings and the keys between the two priests are all about unlocking the doors to your next step. Your big change. The triple cross on his staff is a Roman Catholic symbol used to represent someone who embodies the Holy Trinity- Father, Son, Holy Spirit. The Hierophant is the fifth card in the Major Arcana. The number five is a turning point number. It symbolizes changes. Its that halfway point or that point where you are about to give up but keep going. In relation to this card you could ask yourself questions about your religion, your workplace, your parents, your marriage etc. basically any institution in which you belong to or are apart of. 

I always found it interesting that the Hierophant is related to the High Priestess. The High Priestess as we learned, is all about esoteric mystery where the High Priest is all about knowledge of traditions and authority. They are very different but also very much alike. 

Meditating on The Hierophant

Spend some time thinking about the many different traditions in your life. Are you a traditional person? Think about a tradition from your childhood. Was it a Christmas memory such as putting the star on the tree? Or maybe something you did for your birthday? It could even be a tradition you hold now like meeting your friends for coffee or going on a date night. Whatever it is, think about this: Why do you keep it going? What value does it bring to your life? What would happen if you stopped or when it did stop? Think about all the feelings this event or events give you. Write down your reactions and feelings. 

Now lets think about the future. Is there is any tradition that you would like to start? It could be anything from keeping a Book of Shadows or journal. It could be to practice more meditation or ritual in your life or something more mundane. Make goals for yourself and see how bringing change in your life will change things, hopefully for the better. 

Now lets do another separate exercise keeping this card in mind. (I know I am totally not doing our usual wordy meditation, but I thought I would mix it up a little today). Have you ever found yourself standing in line for what feels like eternity, like you are pretty sure you have aged while waiting? How many of us fantasize about pushing everyone out of the way to get to the front, but how many of us would actually do it? This is how the Hierophant is represented in our modern day society. Waiting in line not causing a scene and just accepting our fate is in a way conforming to society. How does conforming help our day to day lives? (It saves us from killing each other at the grocery store for starters...)  

How many of us have had a pointless argument with our parents or spouse (when we know they are right but we still want to be a stubborn dick)? I think we would all have our little blogger hands raised to that question. Does questioning authority- like fighting with our parents/spouse really get you anywhere? How does authority make you feel? Does it make sense to constantly question? I am always on the fence with this. I think that we do need to question things, actually I think we absolutely should question, but do we need to question everything? What happens when we decide to go against the grain? What happens if we go with it? 

So many things to ponder dear readers. Keep the Hierophant in mind this week when you are waiting in line or thinking of traditions past or new ones you want to start. 

Next up we will get into the favourite card of many, The Lovers, but is everything what is seems? Ohh the mystery!

Taking Control with the Emperor

The Emperor IV

Check it out bloggees, an actual decent photo taken by yours truly!

As I write this I can see bright blue sky peeking through the gnarly old branches of my flowering crab tree; which makes me want to believe Spring might actually be upon us. I don't know if it was a dream but I am 99.9% positive I seen a chickadee today.  That little birdie has to be a good omen, right? Right??? Right!!!! This Winter has been so brutal over here on the East Coast that I find myself desperate for a little bit of warmer weather and for this snow to finally melt. I know deep inside the Earth's stirring, but maybe it could stir just a little faster? Can we possibly change the recipe from a slow stir to a fast whip into blooming flowers and warm sunny days? Even grim creatures of the night, such as myself, need some Vitamin D every now and then...

In other non-seasonal actual Tarot news, I have been a very, very busy Tarot lady. My weekends are booking up fast and I don't think I could be happier. I have met some interesting and wonderful people over the past little while. I also learned a valuable lesson which is going to be a post all of its own. I sometimes don't know who has more fun, me or the people getting the reading. Being a Tarot Reader you get to wear many hats. Sometimes I am a guidance counsellor, therapist or wise woman. I can be a healer who listens to someones' needs or deepest desires other times I have to provide structured advice, much like the Emperor card. 

When I first started learning Tarot (even a little bit now) I had a hard time getting my head wrapped around this card. I sometimes feel like I am often at odds with the Emperor. Aside from the whole "giving structured advice" bit, the Emperor and I have very little in common. This card is all about structure, authority and control. I always liken this card to a father figure or someone who is older and is well respected or on the other foot- demands such respect. When this card shows up in a reading it can be a sign for a need for structure. To gain back control of ones own life. The card could also signify a strong masculine energy that is surrounding the person getting the reading. The Emperor sitting on his throne decorated in the skulls of rams is a sign of a stubborn person who will not give up. This card falls under the sign of Aries and holds many of the same attributes as Aries people do. There is no wasting time or lallygagging as my grandma would say. If you say you are going to do something you are going to do it. This is what this card embodies. It can be a good sign that you are finally going to do what you need to do, to get where you want to go. Another important aspect of this card is the number four. There are four seasons, four elements, four cardinal points. He is the beginning, action, completion and the result. All of these things are engrained in our society and have never been changed since their creation. This is the way of the Emperor. 

Keys you want to remember when you see this card are: authority, masculinity, father, respect, stubbornness, control. 

Structured Thinking with the Emperor

Put on your stretchy pants, put your feet up and lets think on the Emperor. 

See this card through the eyes of the Fool. What comes to mind when you look upon this stern man sitting on this throne crowned in skulls. Do you approach him? Do you avoid eye contact admiring him from a distance? Allow yourself time to inspect this man. His stern face framed by a long white beard. On top of his head there is a golden crown and in his hand is a golden apple, which he stretches towards you. He beckons you to come closer. As you approach his throne many thoughts fill your head. You push them away focusing. You stand before the Emperor. You look into his eyes, who does he look like? He makes eye contact with you, what colour are his eyes? You feel yourself standing up a little straighter. You smooth the wrinkles in your clothing. You want to impress him. 

Time passes before he speaks. You feel like he can read your thoughts and see into your soul. He hands you the golden apple. Hesitating you reach for it. His eyes smile. Underneath the sternness of his demeanour you know you can trust this man. The apple is large and heavy. Sweet smells of autumn fill your nostrils. The apple smells so good you want to bite into its golden skin. You hold it in your hands anticipating that first bite, but you wait. You know that you must not break the rules. You know you must listen and behave. He makes you feel like a child, awaiting instruction. He speaks to you and tells you that you can bite the apple and when you taste it your mind will open. You will know what you need to do. You will know your purpose. He warns you that this does not come freely. If you decide to taste the apple you must complete your life's purpose no matter how difficult and you may never forget the mysteries once you have seen them.

Will you bite the apple and gain the knowledge? Or will you pass him back the apple unsure if it is the right thing to do. 

Take some time and think on this. Would you want to know the answers to the mysteries but could you handle the weight of this truth? He is patient and gives you time to think as he knows that the right answers often take time to come about. 

Write down this experience. What happened when you decided to try the apple? What happened if you decided to give it back? 

Note: It seems that this meditation has turned into a "Tarot Choose Your Own Adventure", remember those?

Dammit, now I really have a craving for applies. Perhaps apples of the pie or crumble form... 

Like with the Empress, I think we should end our mediation by sending some positive energy to those wonderful males in our lives. Whether its your father, uncle, grandpa, brother, nephew, sexy man lover or your best friends. Make sure to send some good vibes their way. Be thankful to have these men and their energy in your life. Take some time to call them (do people actually call anyone these days?) or go spend some time in their awesome presence. Appreciate the men in your life today. I believe you will be happy you did.