Major Arcana
The Hierophant

Card Description(s):

• This card has also been referred to as the High Priest, Spiritual Father, The Pope, and The Abbot. (Its correspondence, The High Priestess, was also referred to as the Abbess or Mother of the Convent). Both are arbitrary names.

• The insignia of the figures are papal, and in such case the High Priestess is, and can be, only the Church, to whom Pope and priests are married by the spiritual rite of ordination.

• In its primitive form, it is doubtful if this card represented the Roman Pontiff.

Inner Symbolism(s):

• The Hierophant wears the triple crown and is seated between two pillars, but they are not those of the Temple which is guarded by The High Priestess.
• In his left hand he holds a sceptre terminating in the triple cross, and with his right hand he gives the well-known ecclesiastical sign which is called that of esotericism, distinguishing between the manifest and concealed part of doctrine. (It is noticeable in this connection that the High Priestess makes no sign).
• At his feet are the crossed keys, and two priestly ministers in albs kneel before him.
• He has been usually called the Pope, which is a particular application of the more general office that he symbolizes.
• He is the ruling power of external religion, as The High Priestess is the prevailing genius of the esoteric, withdrawn power.
• The proper meanings of this card have suffered woeful admixture from nearly all hands. Grand Orient says truly that The Hierophant is the power of the keys, exoteric orthodox doctrine, and the outer side of the life which leads to the doctrine; but he is not the prince of occult doctrine.

• He is rather the Summa Totius Theologiæ, (Summary of the Whole of Theology), when it has passed into the utmost rigidity of expression.
• He symbolizes also all things that are righteous and sacred on the manifest side.
• He is the leader of salvation for the human race at large.
• He is the order and the head of the recognized hierarchy, which is the reflection of another and greater hierarchic order. It may so happen that the pontiff forgets the significance of this, his symbolic state, and acts as if he contained within his proper measures all that his sign signifies or his symbol seeks to show forth.
• He is not, as it has been thought, philosophy. Except on the theological side.
• He is not inspiration.
• He is not religion, although he is a mode of its expression.

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