#5 The Hierophant
In the silence of The Hierophant, you find faith is a labyrinth, one you walk your whole life. Walk it with curiosity.
I knew this was going to be a tough card, but I didn’t realize how difficult it would be. I’ll be honest, The Hierophant is not a card I often want to see. Subconsciously, it’s for sure due to my Catholic upbringing. I’m not sure if you’ve heard, but highly powerful religious figures have a history of abusing their power and doing a number of heinous, depraved, inhumane acts since the beginning of organized religion. Why would I want to embody the Hierophant (Pope) archetype?
The High Priestess is the same position of the Pope, but doesn’t follow the same dogma. The Hierophant is also supposed to represent the Logos. Yet so much of organized religion is illogical.
This is the smoke I tried to catch most of my adolescence. When I went to Vacation Bible School, Religious Education after-school classes, Catholic Youth Camp, CEW weekends, Mass every Sunday (even when we traveled). How am I supposed to believe these Fathers are spiritually connected to God, when I know they uphold an institution that continues to brazenly harm others. How how how how how how how HOW can that be?
In my senior year of high school, in AP Language and Composition, we had to write a paper (I know shocking). I’m not sure why we had to write the paper, but I remember writing it over a local Des Moines ex-priest, Fr. Frank Cordaro. Fr. Cordaro started the Catholic Worker group in Des Moines. He was dubbed the name “Christian anarchist.” Fr. Cordaro seemed kind of bad ass. Plus, I got a kick thinking of my Catholic marine veteran teacher being forced to read about a loud anti-military priest.
(Never forget when I was talking with my friends in class about how college should be free, and Mr. K asked how I thought the government should pay for it, and me, without skipping a GD beat, said “Take it from the military budget.” Lizzy, I love you.)
I’m not sure what Fr. Cordaro is like anymore. And as mentioned earlier, I have little trust in religious leaders (current or past).
Why is The Hierophant so difficult compared to The High Priestess? With The High Priestess, I know she may be violent. She is a part of the spirit of nature. We’ve all seen the destruction of weather and nature. But nature recovers, slowly, surely. It is uncontrollable. It is wild.
There is this part in Mass when the priest sings “the mystery of faith.” For me, I’ve always hated the absolutism within organized religion. I don’t understand how Christianity has completely missed the teachings of Jesus for centuries, and continues to punch down on others.
These are all my connotations to the idea of a literal religious leader. The Hierophant is the quest of man to find connection to the Godhead and meaning - which sets man apart from other living creatures.
I am acutely aware of the horrors religious leaders have inflicted on centuries of people. And there are still moments in Mass where I feel my eyes pricking with tears, my chest tightening from an overwhelming feeling.
Time is relative. The earth is always in motion, and so am I. I don’t understand it. You can never understand it all. Never. So let that go, now.
The ego kneels before The Hierophant, asking for the blessing to know the innate sacredness. In the silence of The Hierophant, you find faith is a labyrinth, one you walk your whole life. Walk it with curiosity.
Who is The Hierophant?
Mike Flanagan, an American horror filmmaker, created a limited series called Midnight Mass. The first time I watched it, I knew it would change my life. Vampires, Catholic criticism, and Zach Gilford. It was always going to be a good time. But I rewatched it this past Halloween season. I once again was floored by how much it resonated with me.
When Riley argues with Father Paul, it feels cathartic. This push and pull and questioning and yelling at Fr. Paul, I don’t think I ever realized how much I wish I could yell at my priest. And Fr. Paul, to his credit, pushes right back. And I think in those conversations, when Riley and Fr. Paul are working through the 12-steps, did I see The Hierophant. He wasn’t either Riley or Fr. Paul, but rather the conversation between the two men.
People/characters that embody The Hierophant:
Mike Flanagan
Hozier
Teachers, mentors
Fr. Richard Rohr
Spiritual leaders
Theology students
The Hierophant Playlist
Oh what a tricky little playlist you were. It wasn’t until I was about two hours deep that I finally had a spark of what I wanted this to sound like. And, as I’m sure you can tell, Catholicism still weirdly has such an impact on my life? And it wasn’t until I read Tarot as Mirror of the Psyche: The Hierophant that I understood the archetype and the nature of humans to uniquely ask, “what is the meaning of life?”
There is, of course, an artist all ex-Catholics know — Andrew Hozier-Byrne. However, you will not find “Take Me to Church” on this playlist (never say never though). Because, while my previous playlists are stories from one perspective, this playlist represents more of a dialogue of two people trying to understand what does faith mean.
Hozier is one of many artists who can capture the spiritual quest for the meaning of life. He also is able to speak of reverence and the holy spirit of someone who has surrendered to the mystery of life.
Visual Spells for The Hierophant
My final thoughts on The Hierophant:
Be open to spiritual connections that come from listening. it’s not about you. it’s about guidance through active, empathetic listening.
A video for those ambience-setting individuals with Catholic guilt.