5. The Hierophant

Welcome back to The Jo DeVoe Show! The topic here for today is The Hierophant card as the next step in our 22 part Journey Through The Major Arcana. And it’s gonna be a weird one! For some reason, death kept coming up for me when contemplating The Hierophant. I think it’s because death is both inevitable and a mystery. We don’t know (not for a measurable fact) what happens to us when we pass away. Many folks are terrorized by this. Some try to put it far out of mind for as long as possible. And others go running straight to the “authorities” for reassurance that it’s going to be okay. In my opinion, that is why The Church has held such power for so long. For those inclined to believe, it’s a comfort to hear someone speak with real conviction about what we are, where we came from, why we’re here and what happens to us when we die. For many of us, that sense of certainty is necessary to function, especially if someone we are close to has recently passed or we feel ourselves nearing the end. Of course, that sets the stage for all kinds of potential abuse, starting with The Rules of Behavior we must follow in order to get to heaven and/or to not burn in hell forever and ever, amen. When I look at a traditional depiction of The Hierophant card, it’s hard for me to see anything other than a human-appointed middle man standing between me and this great mystery... scolding, judgmental and having the audacity to try to shame me into handing over 10% of my income. So yeah- not my favorite card. And yet here I am, having public opinions about it! What about you? How do YOU feel about The Hierophant? Which deck contains your favorite depiction of it? Drop a comment down below, and let’s see if we can get a conversation going about this classic symbol of exoteric wisdom, hierarchy and orthodoxy. *OUT NOW! Major Arcana: The Journey Begins *If you would like to check out my Patreon community, you can do that HERE. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit joannadevoe.substack.com