The Hierophant traditionally represents the connection between humans and the divine, the teacher of hidden knowledge, spiritual beliefs, organized religion, moral growth and development. Here we have a symbol of tradition and moral authority. The Hierophant can be seen as representing formal, organized religious and moral beliefs and attitudes, education and the principle of teaching and learning. 

My old friend the Hierophant; bane of my existence.  Not really.  The one thing I have come to appreciate over my time working with Tarot is the many facets of each card and the Hierophant is no exception.  We have a love/hate relationship.  I can appreciate the benefits of having some keeper of the traditions but I also understand that when the traditions get stultifying and overly rigid.  How ironic that somehow who hates change and clings to traditions as much as I do has found this card so off-putting. 

I have come to terms with The Hierophant over the years but it's still an uneasy alliance.  I love being the lore keeper, maintaining the histories of the people.  What I hope to avoid is becoming so tradition bound that am unable to see new ways to do things.  Tradition is a wonderful thing but so is innovation.  I think that building upon the traditions of the ancestors but updating things to suit modern times is the best path, at least for me.  So many people think if it's old it must be out-dated and useless.  Not me, I love older things.  I have a television that is 26 years old and works fine.  Hubby and I have cars that range from a 1960 Chrysler Imperial to a 2005 Dodge Magnum.  I see no reason to get rid of something that works fine just because something new has come on the market.  Heck, I would still have the same laptop if it was still able to run current software.  I only update computers because the software manufacturers (yes, I'm talking about Microsoft) give us almost no other option.

As a child I loved looking at family photos and hearing the stories.  I drove my grandmother crazy begging to look at the pictures and asking her who people in them were.  I even enjoy looking at other people's family photos as long as someone is willing to take the time to explain who everyone in them is.  It makes me sad that my mother-in-law is no longer as able to remember family history as she used to be.  Then again I guess there really isn't anyone left to pass them along to one day.  I don't get a sense that the nephews or their children have any interest in this side of the family.  We're a bit too far removed from their day to day lives. 

Maybe what I need to figure out with regards to The Hierophant and me is how to put this interest to more effective use.  If I can't be the historian in my family then perhaps I can channel it in other directions.  I something think I truly missed my calling and should have become a librarian.  I can easily envision myself providing reading recommendations to children and adults.  I have images of me carrying on conversations about books and how they impact our perceptions.  I cannot remember how many fictional books lead me to learn more about specific topics.   A medieval romance about the Cathars send me on a quest to learn more about the Albigensian Crusades.  A novel set in Jerusalem in the time of Saladin caused me to study more about the Crusaders kingdoms in that area.  Even the movie The Ten Commandments got me interested in Egyptology. 

The Hierophant is the lore keeper, the rememberer, and that is me as well.  I need to embrace this aspect of The Hierophant and find ways to share this gift with others.  No matter how small or seemingly inconsequential a topic, a greater lesson can be learned.   I don't need to be a guru or have people bow down before me.  I just want to help people learn interesting things that will hopefully enrich their lives.