Stand between the Known and Unknown

And don’t be afraid.

The word hierophant is rarely heard. It’s a combination of ta hiera (the holy) and phainein (to show). So, it means to reveal or represent God.

This Tarot card traditionally symbolises organised religion — it’s teachings, traditions and leaders. As we look at the elevated, costumed man with his upraised arms we can almost hear the words: ‘God says . . . ’

The hierophant’s right-hand gesture denotes two extremes: the known and the unknown; the revealed and the hidden. Religious leaders specialise in providing reassurance that they know what isn’t generally known, that they see what is hidden.

Our lives are full of rules, and many of them keep us safe (like keep to the left — or right — while driving). But be wary of those who create facts, rules or rituals about concepts like morals, the afterlife, the unseen and unknown.

Fear makes us flock.

The reason why organised religion has been so successful is because we fear what we don’t know. If someone can make those fears go away by telling us to stand on our head four times a day, drop coins in a basket once a week, and say ‘Save my soul’ to an invisible being when life gets difficult, we feel better. We feel we’re in safe hands.

But we’re really in a dangerous place because we’ve given away our personal responsibility to someone else.

I should know.

God came to my house when I was eight, and he stayed 40 years. He came with a church attached, ranting ministers, fearful prophesies, three tithes and false promises. These things stopped me growing up to be a responsible human being. I gave my power to others. Major life decisions had to be discussed with those ordained to lead the flock. I was to have no independent thoughts. Like the two supplicants in the picture on the Tarot card, I bowed to their decrees.

Richard Dawkins, the well-known evolutionary biologist and author of The God Delusion once wrote:

Religion is about turning untested belief into unshakable truth through the power of institutions and the passage of time.

Can you live well without rules? Can you be a decent human being without laws? Do you need the Ten Commandments to stop you fighting over toilet rolls at the shopping centre? Do you really need someone to tell you how to care for others? No. Deep down we all know what’s right for this moment — and it always involves caring for the whole, not just the individual.

Do you have to know what happens after you die? No. So stop listening to those who pretend to know, and then put on costumes and crowns, hold up golden scepters, and pontificate about God so loud through microphones that you can’t hear the whispers of your own knowing.

Have mentors and friends. But seek your own counsel before and after you seek theirs. (If they’re good mentors and friends they’ll tell you the same.)

Mindfulness and the Hierophant

When the Hierophant appears in a Tarot spread, think of this card as representing you. You are the link between the known and the unknown, the revealed and the hidden.

What you need to know for this moment will come to you.

Insight:

Have rituals if you want to. Give thanks. Wonder. But stop fearing the unknown. Embrace it.

Stand in the space between the known and the unknown, and don’t be afraid.

The next article in this series will feature the Lovers.

Foretaste: Never lose yourself in another.

Do you want to be in charge of your life? Here’s a link to the previous article in this series on living with mindfulness using Tarot cards.

With love, Marlane

Thanks for reading! I hope it helps you for the rest of your life. For more articles on mindfulness visit me at https://www.marlaneainsworth.com