The Hierophant
Song Pairing
“Hierophant” by King Woman. This sludgy, sensual dirge pulses with longing, devotion, and power dynamics turned spiritual. The lyrics blur the line between lust and reverence, craving and worship, redefining what’s holy.
Astrology
Ruled by Taurus, the Hierophant reflects grounded spirituality, devotion to values, and the desire for structure and meaning. Taurus brings patience, loyalty, and a deep reverence for tradition, but also asks: what do you truly find worth holding sacred?
Historic Interest
Also known at The Pope, in early decks. In the Golden Dawn system, this card was titled “The Magus of the Eternal Gods” and placed on the Tree of Life path between Chokmah (Wisdom) and Chesed (Mercy), tying it to divine law and moral order. Its roots are in institutionalized knowledge, but it also carries the weight of who’s allowed to teach, and who gets silenced. Over time, the Hierophant became a stand-in for the Church, patriarchy, or any “official” voice of truth. Reclaiming this card means reclaiming who gets to speak for the sacred.
The Hierophant tarot card explores spiritual tradition, belief systems, and the structure of organized religion. But in a modern reading, it becomes a call to define your own spiritual truth. Whether you’re seeking guidance, community, or clarity around your values, this card invites you to reflect on what you’ve inherited, and what you’re ready to change.
Vibe
Empowered, reflective, spiritually curious
Affirmation
“I honor the sacred in my own way and trust myself to define what that means.”
Card Pairing
The Hierophant + The High Priestess. Personal wisdom meets shared truth. This combo says: What you sense inwardly is meant to be expressed outwardly. Let your spiritual insight ripple beyond the self.
Kindred Spirit
Five of Cups. The Five of Cups is grief personified, haunted by what’s been lost or broken. The Hierophant is questioning old beliefs, while the Five of Cups is already deep in the emotional fallout of what didn’t work. They feel a connection, but together they aren’t stuck in disillusionment. The Hierophant offers a guiding hand forward, a reminder that meaning can still be made. This is a relationship rooted in emotional honesty and spiritual growth, where healing isn’t rushed. They sit beside each other and whisper, “Yeah, me too,” then slowly start working on the future.
Esoteric Connection
Amethyst. A stone of spiritual insight and gentle clarity, amethyst supports the soul’s longing to understand without clinging to dogma. It helps soothe the mind while deepening intuition, making it ideal for anyone unlearning rigid beliefs or carving out a more authentic, heart-centered path.
Element
Earth. The Hierophant draws power from Earth’s steady, grounding energy. This isn’t a random spiritual awakening; it’s rooted, embodied knowing. Earth reminds us that belief systems aren’t just thoughts in our heads; they shape the way we move through the world. The Hierophant asks you to plant your beliefs in something nourishing, stable, and real.
Misconception
This card isn’t about religion. It’s about belief. It doesn’t demand conformity, but invites you to engage with structure on your own terms.
Full Interpretation
“Are your beliefs actually yours or just what you’ve been socially or culturally conditioned to accept as true?”
One of the most common questions about The Hierophant is, “What is a hierophant?” It’s not exactly a word that comes up in any context today beyond tarot. Unless, of course, you like to hang out in witchy shops and esoteric bookstores. (Who doesn’t!) Traditionally, a hierophant was a high priest in ancient Greece who revealed sacred mysteries to initiates. In tarot, the Hierophant is typically a pope-like figure, a spiritual authority seated in front of two followers. He represents organized religion, spiritual tradition, and sacred knowledge that’s passed down through institutions. Okay fine.
But not a lot of us plan to be ordained in a temple or seek sacred spiritual wisdom from a holy sage. We’re just trying to figure out what the hell we believe in and experience our own spiritual awakenings. My challenge in illustrating this card was to make it meaningful and something that would resonate with modern people.
Behold, my modern Hierophant! She’s not sitting on a throne above anyone. She’s on the ground, legs crossed, just like my Empress and Emperor. A yoga instructor? Maybe. A modern spiritual guide, someone who channels wisdom without gatekeeping it. She holds a scepter topped with a tri-bar cross, an Eastern Orthodox symbol seen in traditional tarot imagery. Here, it feels more like a tool for alignment of body, mind, and spirit.
She wears a necklace with two keys, another nod to the original Hierophant. In the Rider-Waite-Smith deck, those keys are often said to represent heaven and earth, or the unlocking of spiritual truths. I like that symbolism but brought it closer to the chest, literally. Her wisdom is personal: not just inherited or taught, but lived.
I gave her a sunflower tattoo on her forearm mostly because I like the symbolism of sunflowers. They track the light and turn toward the sun with an intuitive trust in the direction of growth. She has a spiritual compass that leads her toward her own truth.
This card is historically male, but in many ways, I see the Hierophant and the High Priestess as counterparts. The High Priestess is inner knowing and intuitive truth, while the Hierophant is how we share it, teach it, and internalize spirituality. They’re part of the same current. Making her female felt like an obvious evolution of this card. Spiritual authority doesn’t have to look like a guy in a robe with a beard. Many of us have discovered our spirituality from peers and equals, giving us the freedom to explore however we choose. I like to think of the Hierophant as a very empowering figure. Indeed, this is one of the most spiritual cards in the deck.
But spirituality transcends religion. It’s about values and belief systems that can exist with or without a god. Rituals can give your life meaning. This card invites you to examine what you’ve been taught, what you’ve rejected, and what you’re choosing now. Sometimes it shows up when you’re craving structure around your spiritual life. Other times, it’s asking you to question old beliefs and indoctrination that might no longer serve you.
In a mostly secular culture, The Hierophant is still relevant, especially when we look at her through the lens of modern spirituality. We’re all navigating inherited systems and expectations, whether that’s religion, education, family values, or cultural norms. This card asks: What are you subscribing to, consciously or not? Are your beliefs actually yours or just what you’ve been socially or culturally conditioned to accept as true? Can you be both the teacher and the student?
In a tarot reading, the Hierophant can suggest mentorship, spiritual community, or learning from a trusted guide. It may also be a nudge to share your own wisdom. Have you been sitting on something you’re meant to pass along? If your kneejerk reaction is to say no, dig deeper. Your life story is uniquely beautiful; it might be the map someone else needs.
This card can also show up when you need to ground yourself with a bit more spiritual structure, whatever that means to you. The key is to understand that whatever structure you want to put in place is okay and valid. Just as valid as any religious ritual that people have been blindly observing for centuries. Maybe your ritual involves lighting a candle, maybe it’s reading philosophy, maybe it’s praying to a deity. Doesn’t matter what it looks like as long as it aligns with what feels sacred to you.
This card can be surprisingly significant in romantic contexts. The Hierophant asks if you and your partner share the same core spiritual values. Beyond chemistry, what do you believe about love, commitment, family, or even your higher purpose? It’s a card that supports long-term partnership through aligned beliefs. And if you're single, it might be nudging you to clarify your own ideals so you can attract someone who truly resonates with them.
All this isn’t to discount this card’s significance to pointing to institutions or tradition. Maybe you’re dealing with an old-school system, religion, or a rigid set of rules. Maybe you’re feeling pressure to conform. The Hierophant says: You don’t have to throw everything out, but you are free to choose how you engage. Are you replicating someone else’s ideas of truth, or crafting your own?
Ultimately, The Hierophant is a bridge between the seen and unseen. She’s not here to preach or prescribe, but to remind you that your spiritual path is yours to shape. Maybe that means honoring religious traditions that ground you and reframing those that don’t. Maybe it means making up your own. This card asks you to step into your own spiritual authority and autonomy. You don’t have to be certain about any of it: just be sincere in your quest.
“The Hierophant is a bridge between the seen and unseen.”
Reversed Interpretation
When The Hierophant shows up reversed, the sacred script gets flipped. This isn’t about rejecting spirituality altogether, but questioning the version you were handed. (As I’m writing this, I keep singing “Losing My Religion” by REM!) This card can show up when you're feeling stifled by tradition, smothered under inherited beliefs, or craving a more personal, less institutional connection to the sacred. You are questioning.
Sometimes the reversal points to a distrust of systems or authority figures who claim to hold moral or spiritual power. Maybe you’ve felt burned by organized religion. Maybe you're recovering from dogma that told you what to believe, how to act, and who to be. At its darkest, it might be speaking to deeply rooted religious trauma. This card honors that process. It says: You're allowed to unlearn. You’re allowed to reimagine and recover.
It can also show up when you're afraid to claim your own wisdom. You might feel like you’re not “qualified” to be a teacher, a guide, or even just someone who holds space for others. The reversed Hierophant nudges you to consider: what if the experience you’ve lived through is your credential?
In relationships, this reversal might point to a clash of core values or a feeling that tradition is being used to control instead of connect. Are there unspoken rules at play? Outdated expectations you’ve inherited from culture, religion, or family? You don’t have to follow someone else’s template for love.
On the flip side, you might be resisting helpful structure. Spirituality doesn’t need to be rigid, but it also doesn’t need to be a total free-for-all. Have you abandoned all rituals because they remind you of the past? The reversed Hierophant can be an invitation to reclaim them on your terms. Invent your own rituals.
Ultimately, The Hierophant reversed invites a sacred rebellion. Not destruction for its own sake, but the thoughtful, slow-burning work of redefining what’s meaningful. You don’t have to be initiated into a system to be spiritual. You get to initiate yourself.
Pause and Reflect
What spiritual beliefs have you inherited, and which ones have you outgrown? Are there any rituals, practices, or traditions you want to reclaim or redefine? What kind of spiritual authority (if any) feels nourishing and not intimidating to you? Do you feel most connected to something greater than yourself, and how can you lean into that more intentionally?
Take Action
Break a Rule (Safely) Think of one “should” that you’ve inherited…from religion, family, or society…that no longer feels true. Break it in a tiny but deliberate way. Skip a step. Say no. Do it differently. Feel what it’s like to decide for yourself. Some examples of sacred rebellion:
🕊️ Attend a spiritual or cultural event outside your tradition. Step into a space that wasn’t part of your upbringing, like a drumming circle, a Catholic mass, a Satanic Temple event, a Unitarian service, or a solstice celebration. Let curiosity be your guide.
🚫 Stop calling yourself something (agnostic, atheist, spiritual-but-not-religious) just because it’s what you always said. You’re allowed to update the label or ditch it entirely.
🧺 Mix sacred and mundane. Light incense while folding laundry. Recite affirmations in the bathroom mirror. Bless your cappuccino lol. It’s all a way to say: spirit doesn’t have to look a certain way.