The Hierophant: Modern RWS Tarot Card Meanings
‘KEY V: The Hierophant’, Rider Waite Smith tarot deck.
Upright Hierophant Meanings
Keywords
Tradition, Conformity, Institutions, Belief Systems, Spiritual Guidance, Education
In A General Reading
Joining a club, following a family tradition, getting a library card, adhering to a prescribed diet, following a structured plan.
In a Love Or Relationships Reading
A formal marriage ceremony, meeting your partner's parents, a relationship that follows societal expectations, a couple who shares the same religious beliefs.
In a Money Or Career Context
A job in the civil service, a university, or a large corporation; getting a professional certification; following the company handbook to the letter.
In a Spiritual Context
Joining a church or a temple, following a specific dogma or creed, receiving guidance from a priest or guru, formal religious rites.
In Common Spread Positions
As Advice
Follow the established path. Seek expert guidance. Conform to the rules. Trust in tradition.
As (Ultimate) Outcome
Conformity and acceptance within a group: a successful graduation, a marriage, joining an organisation. Like the 4 of Wands.
As Obstacles
Rigid dogma or bureaucracy: progress is blocked by an outdated tradition, a stubborn teacher, or a refusal to think for yourself. Like the Death card reversed.
As Hidden Energy
An untapped resource in tradition: a conventional path or a wise teacher is available but not being considered.
As Resources/Alliances
Help from an institution or an expert: a university, a church, a mentor, or a wise elder.
‘The Hierophant’ Reversed
In A General Context
Challenging a family tradition, ignoring social conventions, a personal and unconventional approach to life, breaking the rules. Like The Fool.
In a Love Or Relationship Context
Choosing not to get married, a relationship that defies societal norms, rejecting your family's expectations for your love life.
In a Money Or Career Context
Leaving a corporate job to start your own business, a rebellious approach to your work, challenging the status quo in your industry.
In a Spiritual Context
Leaving a religion you were raised in, creating your own spiritual practice, a rejection of all dogma, a corrupt guru exposed.
In Common Spread Positions
As Advice
Challenge the status quo. Forge your own understanding. Break the rules. Question authority.
As (Ultimate) Outcome
Freedom or rebellion: successfully breaking away from a restrictive situation, or an unconventional approach leading to failure.
As Obstacles
Your own rebellious nature or a corrupt institution: a refusal to follow any rules is holding you back.
As Hidden Energy
A hidden threat of rebellion: someone is secretly working against the established order. Like the 10 of Swords.
As Resources/Alliances
Help from unconventional thinking: breaking the rules or challenging an outdated authority is your path forward.
Additional Notes on The RWS ‘Hierophant’
Waite’s Divinatory Meanings of The Hierophant
"Marriage, alliance, captivity, servitude; by another account, mercy and goodness; inspiration; the man to whom the Querent has recourse. Reversed: Society, good understanding, concord, over-kindness, weakness." (The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, 1911).
A.E Waite’s Hierophant card symbolism
A religious figure, often identified with the Pope, seated between two pillars, similar to The High Priestess. He wears a triple crown and holds a papal cross, symbols of his office and authority. His right hand is raised in a sign of benediction over two acolytes who kneel before him, representing the transmission of sacred knowledge from teacher to student. The crossed keys at his feet are the keys to the kingdom of heaven, symbolising his role as a guide to the mysteries. Unlike the intuitive wisdom of The High Priestess, The Hierophant represents the outer, structured, and institutionalised path to the Divine. Most of his students will not make it through the lesser mysteries, the preparatory period done before they are instructed in the Greater Mysteries (tarot’s Major Arcana).
Meditations On The Hierophant Card
Where in my life am I conforming to a tradition or belief system that has become a hindrance? What established institution or teacher could provide the guidance I need right now? Is my desire for freedom helping me, or is it a form of self-sabotage?
The RWS Hierophant in Key Card Combinations
(This section would contain your card combination interpretations, like in the Fool article)
Question: Is The Hierophant always a religious figure?
No. While he often represents a priest, guru, or other religious teacher, The Hierophant can represent any institution or person that teaches a traditional body of knowledge: a university, a professional body, a corporate mentor, or a family patriarch.
Question: Why is the RWS card called The Hierophant and not The Pope?
In older decks like the Tarot de Marseille, this card is explicitly named "The Pope" (Le Pape). Waite's choice to rename it "The Hierophant," a Greek term for a priest who interprets sacred mysteries, was a deliberate move. It was intended to broaden the card's meaning beyond a specific Catholic context and align it with the more universal philosophy of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn.
