Twinn Swan

There are two disciples kneeling in front of the one who is most likely giving them their spiritual initiation. This card, in many ways, harks back to the 4 of Wands, but it has a much stronger and far more potent meaning. The relationship here, is not just one between humans and a superior, but a contractual relationship that takes place in the presence of a particular deity. Relationships such as these, once made, are extremely difficult to break. While not impossible, it is certainly not advised, let alone encouraged.

Unlike the 4 of Wands, the Hierophant is a Major Arcana card. It represents a decisive moment when one completely leaves an old self behind. When it shows up, it represents a rebirth that is in the process of taking place. There are two ‘rebirths’ that can take place in one’s life: one is when one is reborn spiritually and the other is when a person decides to get married. Both rebirths require that we embrace a new way of being.

Somewhere deep down, we know that from this moment on, our lives will be transformed completely. Obligations of all kinds begin to rear their head when the Hierophant shows up. We are, whether we realise it or not, being asked to make a commitment with certain terms, rules and conditions. Once we have made that commitment, we are bound to it.

It will be very difficult to remove oneself from a commitment such as this one. Be mindful to make the commitment consciously knowing that you will be able to do what is being asked of you. If you fail to meet your commitments, it is unlikely that you will be able to remove yourself from it as easily as you would like.

Even if you do get a divorce or decide to leave your religious affiliation, there will still be the sense that you are, in some way, bound. One will always remember when one was once committed and it will, in some way, become a part of one’s self-identity.

When humans are born physically, it is sometime before they learn to speak, talk and so on. They are completely reliant on their primary caregivers in a material sense. But when the Hierophant card appears, it usually shows that one has reached a point in their life where one realises that the material world alone will not satisfy them anymore.

They know that they will one day pass on. Due to this, they know that the preparations that they must now make are not just for their physical existence but also for the afterlife. Marriage is usually a key commitment for any individual and failing in one’s marriage is usually a sign that someone could not meet their commitments. Do not take the commitment that you are making lightly for you will live to regret it.

MARRIAGE

The Hierophant Card represents commitment and marriage. If you are single, the appearance of this Major Arcana card represents that someone truly special will soon come into your life. It represents a marriage with a spouse who respects more traditional values. Be mindful when you make a commitment to such an individual, especially if you do not share those traditional values. If there are differences in your shared values, do try to work them out before you make a commitment. The Hierophant comes to warn us not to make commitments we cannot keep.

A promise is binding, even if it is a verbal promise. If you have taken on a commitment that you cannot keep, try to bow out in such a way that it does not adversely affect another person. The truth is that certain commitments become increasingly difficult to keep because we have signed up for something that we were not prepared or qualified for. As time goes on, we may come to realise that we have made a mistake. But for some reason, we feel stuck and cannot come out of it.

On the other hand, if we are, indeed, making a commitment that is heartfelt and meaningful to us, we will feel that we have finally come home. We will know, deep down, that this is the right decision for us. Even if we do get cold feet or feel like walking away, we will somehow or another, find the courage and the support to go through with it.

We will feel as though it were all destined.

THE WRONG COMMITMENT

The Hierophant can signal the presence of someone who has made the wrong commitment. If this has happened, it usually means that you did not prepare sufficiently before you made the commitment that you did. For instance, there is usually a preparatory period before people are initiated into a faith. It does not happen overnight. The preparatory period is designed to give people time to clear their doubts. If you have doubts about whether this is the right decision for you, take the time necessary to clear away your doubts.

There is nothing wrong with saying NO or even NOT NOW if you decide that this is not the decision that you want to make with your life. Under no circumstances should you ever take the Hierophant decision lightly for it will be with you for the rest of your life, even if you do choose to walk away from it. You may be able to leave physically, but not mentally or emotionally. The grip that it has over you can last for a long time.

DECISION-MAKING CRITERIA

When the Hierophant appears, it usually asks that you exercise caution as well as patience in the way you go about doing things. Think things through very carefully and do not jump or make any decision without fully understanding what you are signing up for. If you can’t keep your commitments, don’t sign on the dotted line. For once you do, you will be bound and unable to get yourself out of it.

Perhaps you are not sure if this is the right decision for you. If so, explore it till you are definitely sure that this is a decision that you are willing and able to make. If not, bide your time. The opportunity will probably not disappear and will still be there if you decide to go ahead with it at a later date. There is nothing wrong with choosing to postpone your marriage or your religious initiation.

If you are finding it hard to make a decision, try not to be too quick to anger or jump to false conclusions. Others may well have different experiences to you and therefore may reach different conclusions to you. Others may also subscribe to a different status quo than you. What is right for them may well not be right for you. When the Hierophant appears, it reminds us that the conclusions that we have reached were not the right ones.

If we keep finding faults in others, when will we ever see what they have to offer us in the first place? If you decide that this opportunity is not the best decision for you in the long-run, be grateful for what it has offered you, but do not make a commitment unless you intend to keep it.

SEPARATION

Sometimes, when the Hierophant appears, it can mean that you should prepare yourself for a separation. When this split does happen, it will not be a decision that is welcomed, sanctioned or condoned. You will have the sense that you are doing something wrong and that you have done something that you know you definitely should not be doing.

The Hierophant, especially as it pertains to a person or even an institution, can represent someone who does not like losing. Has anyone ever told you ‘NO’? How did you deal or react to it? Did you start pushing them, guilting them and in rare cases, even punishing them? To the Hierophant archetype, this may well be a way of dealing with an issue.

One of the reasons why we disagree with others is because we have a different worldview. Instead of imposing your views on another person–and quite possibly losing the relationship in the process–try to listen so that you can reconcile what they are trying to tell you with what you know. There is certainly no point in imposing one’s own view on others. Listening, truly listening, is something that few people do. Many people become extremely accustomed to lecturing others. They have no idea what the listeners think because they have never asked.

The challenge here, especially if you don’t want to confront the person who is speaking, is to leave the conflict behind altogether. Sometimes the reason why we choose not to confront someone is because we know that they’re never going to change. In such a scenario, any effort that we make towards reconciliation is completely pointless and redundant.

Perhaps, if you are anything like me, you will either find yourself a new opportunity or you will try again later. In the middle of these two spectrums is the person who will do neither. The Hierophant does, in some situations, herald the presence of a person who will not admit defeat, even if they have lost. It is their ego that gets in the way. But will the other person let you leave?

If you have made a commitment, the answer is no. At the same time, however, staying may also prove to be extremely difficult.

All in all, the Hierophant comes to warn us: if you choose to make this commitment, take it seriously… or else…