Tree of Life: Chockma into Chesed – Path 16
Zodiac: Taurus – Fixed Earth
Number: 5
Hebrew Letter: “Vav” meaning Nail
Light: mastery of senses, still, grounded, serene, body
Shadow: stubborn, traditional, greedy, materially attached
Key Themes of The Hierophant Thoth Card
The Hierophant Thoth Card in the Tarot signifies the link between matter and spirit. It emphasizes communication, particularly expressing profound truths in understandable ways. After The Emperor establishes order, The Hierophant explores and discusses these structures.
The Fool's Lesson from The Hierophant
The Fool finds himself face-to-face with a powerful spiritual master, The Hierophant.
The Hierophant explains that he holds the wisdom of connecting with a higher spiritual power, and a deep sense of knowing, as all secret knowledge was revealed to him. He calls The Fool over and asks him if he is ready to be given this sacred knowledge and be changed forever.
They walk together until reaching an opening in the forest. The Hierophant then explains to The Fool this hidden knowledge. He says that by combining the feminine and masculine principles learned in the two previous cards, by perceiving and also acting, he will gain this same sense of deep knowing and wisdom. The Hierophant then initiates The Fool to walk his own path, his own manifestations, and to follow his inner calling. The Fool now makes his own decisions, and actively commits to his destiny.
Joe’s Divine Guidance: The Hierophant in a Tarot Reading
Upright
This card encourages you to seek guidance from a mentor or spiritual leader, or to become one yourself. It’s about connecting with your higher self and the divine, and sharing that connection with others.
Reversed
The Hierophant can indicate a break from tradition, unconventional beliefs, or feeling restricted by established norms. It may suggest that you or someone else is feeling confined by societal expectations or traditional institutions. Alternatively, it could mean a need to question your beliefs and explore new spiritual paths.
Mystical Symbolism: Decoding The Hierophant's Symbols
Bull: Represents Taurus, the astrological sign associated with the Hierophant.
Nine Nails: Symbolize the Hebrew letter Vav, associated with the Hierophant. The number nine is also a symbol of the moon, which is exalted in Taurus.
Four Masks: Represent the spiritual experience, possibly the different phases or aspects of spirituality.
Elephants: These majestic creatures are often associated with wisdom, strength, and loyalty in many cultures.
Pentagram inside Hexagram: The pentagram, a symbol of the spirit, is enclosed within the hexagram, a symbol of perfect union, indicating the Hierophant’s role in bridging the spiritual and physical realms.
Dark Blue Background: Represents NUIT, the cosmic entity from which everything is born.
Snake and Dove: Symbolize the continuous energy flow between spirit and matter. The snake and dove refer to symbols in Aleister Crowley’s “The Book of the Law”. Each one represents a different path of love.
Hierophant’s Crown: Represents Osiris, an Egyptian god.
Staff: Represents the three Thelemic Aeons: Isis, Osiris, and Horus.
Isis (Venus, Scarlet Woman): Represents Venus in an active role, armed with a sword symbolizing the Scarlet Woman of the New Aeon of Horus.
Child of Horus: Emanates from the woman and appears in the five-pointed star on the Hierophant, representing the new Aeon of Horus with an increased consciousness of mankind. The upright pentagram implies the Golden Ratio, symbolizing beauty, perfect proportion, and harmony.
Path 16 on the Tree of Life: Chokmah-Chesed
The Hierophant’s path on the Tree of Life connects wisdom (Chokmah) to mercy (Chesed), which serves as the means through which the mysteries of the universe manifest in our physical reality.
Chesed is materialization, and takes chockmah’s will and expansion and puts it into matter and explanation.
Chokmah is a place beyond language, beyond explanation. When its energy is drawn into Chesed, it allows us to talk about our feelings, emotions, and experiences of the energies of Chokmah. It gives us ideas of communicating subtle and deep aspects of reality in less subtle ways.
The Hierophant’s path on the Tree of Life is about channeling the wisdom of the universe into our physical reality, transforming abstract divine wisdom into something we can understand and experience. It’s about listening, understanding, and communicating the profound mysteries of the universe in a way that we can comprehend and appreciate.
The Hierophant’s Hebrew Letter - Vav
The Hierophant is associated with the Hebrew single letter “Vav,” which means “nail.” A nail is a tool that brings things together, symbolizing The Hierophant’s role in connecting the self to the spirit. The function of Vav in this context is hearing, reflecting the Hierophant’s role in conveying lessons from the higher self or inner voice.
Astrology Insights: The Hierophant's Associations
The Hierophant’s primary astrological correspondence is Taurus, the zodiac sign symbolizing spirit coming into matter. Taurus, ruled by Venus and exalted in the Moon, is a fixed earth sign, representing stubbornness, tradition, groundedness, and peace. It rules the 2nd House of Money, symbolizing the building of self-worth and self-understanding.