The High Priestess and The Hierophant

The High Priestess is one of the most recognizable and well-liked cards in the tarot deck. The attractive image of a mysterious woman, gazing at us compassionately is appealing.

The High Priestess asks us to pause and listen to our own souls before we proceed on our journey. She has found her right path and knows we can, too. She is silent and doesn't try to impose her answers on us, because her ego doesn't require that she be a respected authority. As a guide, she is receptive to our needs rather than being authoritative.

The Rider-Waite deck places her between two pillars symbolic of hierarchical, organized religion. In contrast, the Gaian Tarot frees her from man-made structures and places her in Nature. The somatic experience of being outdoors and feeling Nature's rhythms helps us connect to our intuition and our souls. The Priestess knows that we can become our own best guides.

Another religious figure in the tarot is The Hierophant, who is also seated between two pillars. The personality of this guide is very different than that of the High Priestess. In the Robin Wood Tarot, he is a tall, corpulent man gazing down sternly at two young children. He is an authority figure in a negative sense of the word. Maintaining the hierarchy has become his paramount concern and he is unwilling to engage, in a meaningful way, those who turn to him for guidance. His arrogance has stunted his own spiritual growth and he doesn't expect to be held to the same standards of behavior that he imposes on others.

In the Gaian Tarot, Joanna Powell Colbert changed the name of this card from "The Hierophant" to "The Teacher." Joanna's teacher sits on the ground, inviting us to join him. (Or is it her?) A teacher cannot teach without understanding his or her students, without trying to be at their "level." The Gaian Tarot's Teacher wants to help, but does not believe that she is superior to her students.

At his best, The Hierophant may indicate the wisdom of tradition, the experience of previous generations, or practices that will help us grow. How can we know which teachers to trust with the profound, spiritual moments of our lives? Too often, we hear of narcissistic, religious leaders behaving in self-serving and unethical ways.

Each card in the deck signifies a range of qualities from negative to positive. The Hierophant card can represent anything from reliable guidance to spiritual tyranny. The High Priestess card can indicate the search for spiritual truths or aimless superficiality.

We may turn to traditional teachings or communities to avoid the self-reflection and inner work that the High Priestess asks of us. However, The Hierophant also reminds us that self-discipline and effort are part of the spiritual journey. When we are attracted to the less rigid forms of spirituality that the High Priestess implies, we may also abandon clear thinking and hard work as we pursue passing attractions to superficial fads.

When either of these cards appears in a reading, you are facing a transformative spiritual lesson. Be sure you are following your own path and attending to it diligently.