V. The Hierophant

 

Next, the Fool begins to branch out from his home of origin, enrolling in primary school as well as joining other social groups such as church, clubs, or sports.   Historically, the Hierophant was a spiritual guide who interpreted the mysteries of life for the initiate, and thus the Fool turns to teachers, ministers, coaches, and other professionals to prescribe how he must live in order to function in society.  He is introduced to those aspects of existence that act as the Great Levelers: culture, education, organized belief systems, money, work, patriotism, and, most importantly, conformity.  The Fool learns to use language and symbols to communicate, thus labeling and packaging phenomena rather than experiencing each as fresh and alive; the Fool begins to have and own the symbols of others.  He toils to establish stability.  The Hierophant, familiar with Korzybski’s famous words, “those who rule symbols, rule us,” carefully controls the Fool’s creative use of symbols with rules and restrictions.  However, the lessons of the Hierophant are a necessary stage for the Fool to learn how to balance the influences of the Empress with the Emperor and gain a broader perspective on his journey towards enlightenment.

© 2006 by Juno Lucina and Shannon ThornFeather

All rights reserved.  No part of this website may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic
or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system,
without explicit permission in writing from Juno Lucina.

Index of Major Arcana

 

Next Stage in the Hero’s Journey