September 30-October 2, 2011: V - The Hierophant
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V
THE HIEROPHANT
(Taurus)MEDITATION COLOR: Red-orange.
HEBREW LETTER: Vav, nail or hook. Used to refer to the hooks by which the veil of the Holy Tabernacle was hung. Literally, the conjunction “and” in Hebrew, signifying connection or union. Third letter of YHVH, with correspondent meanings.
CARD NAME: Hierophant, Greek for “Revealer of the Mysteries,” or “one who shows holy things.” Older titles of this card included The Pope (which is just Pop or Papa, a virtually universal linguistic artifact in just about every language).
ESOTERIC MEANING: The Eternal (or Triumphant) Consciousness. It is the pleasure of that Glory beyond which is No-Glory like unto it. It is also called the Garden of Pleasure, which is prepared for the Compassionate (i.e., the Adepts).
TREE of LIFE: Chesed to Chokmah. (Links ‘Mercy’ and ‘Wisdom’; or Memory with Infinite Will; thus, the initiated Ruach opening itself to the Wisdom or Word descending from Neshamah. Instructional or ecclesiastical authority.)
ESOTERIC TITLE: The Magus of the Eternal
TANTRIC & ALCHEMICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The Stone: Sanctified Union of the Priest and Priestess.
DIVINATION: Wisdom, intuition, manifestation, teaching (inner teachings received), philosophical, goodness of heart, harmony, marriage, help from superiors, peace, stillness, occult force voluntarily invoked.
http://lh3.ggpht.com/-sOTZsJLlYhE/RxMHTT2anEI/AAAAAAAAGtA/q2_SGzNZXxA/T05_V_the_hierophant.jpg
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The Hierophant
I come from a lineage
I was tried and tested
My faith has endured, albeit doubted by many
This path is for strong
This path is for those who remember
The very core of my being is childlike
Innocent and loving
It would be eaten alive by the beasts of darkness
Wasn’t it guarded by the stiff appearance
And the canonical teachings
You need to steal the key from me
I won’t give it away gladly
I have invisible forces on my side
Even when I am on the wrong
Or it seems so
To the inexperienced and foolish
The woman brings the sword
She’ll fight those reaching for the key
That opens the essence of the child
The truth must not be exposed easily
Its not yet the time
I know the secret
But you –
You are not ready to receive it yet.
I bless you
As I keep the secret from you
And I smile
While telling you:
be wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. -
I've been resisting posting my insights on this card. I used to like it but after meditating on it I don't anymore and I can't seem to understand why. Here are my insights:
Black background: darkness...something being hidden...secret...but not withheld...the darkness here implies that which is beyond sight, out of view, residing in a blind spot
white sphere amidst the black background: I used to think this was the light of Kether but given the position of this Trump on Etz Chaiim, I'm beginning to think this is the light of Chokmah, outpouring into Chesed crossing the abyss in the process...why?
the 5 petalled flower in the white light: the seed of spirit is blooming in the light...the light contains spirit and its subordinates - the elements
the serpent: there is love and love, the serpent and the dove...they emerge from the same source...as all things do...but the serpent brings to mind the life force and it's capacity to shed and take on new forms as it pleases....it's nailed to the white spere by 9 nails which instantly brings to mind the sphere of Yesod and the Moon, in which Taurus is exalted. The ever changing tides of Lunar activity seem to support what I said about the every transforming mode of the life force represented by the serpent.
the dove: perhaps a representation of the emancipation of spirit from the "rapture of the earth" it is at the tail end of the serpent...sometimes I see a symbol of the serpent it's eating it own tail...not quite sure what else this dove can imply...it's flying downward so perhaps it represents more of a descent of spirit rather than an emanicipation of it
the kerubim: ok, we're below the abyss...we're not in the sphere of the elements yet but we're below the abyss...there's a white sphere at the top center of the card and the kerubim on the surrounding edges...I'm seeing a connection between the flower in the white light and its position on the card with the Kerubim surrounding it.
elephants: I have no idea what elephants are doing in this card...the confusion baffles me...all I can think of is that Indian tale of elephants supporting the universe and even that doesn't feel quite authentic to me
bulls: the manifest universe...life as a physical phenomenon...the bull and Taurus are attributed to Life in the LLLL formula
The Hierophant: Seated on the throne of the Bull, extending his hand palm up, index and middle finger extended...it appears to be a gesture of the Mercy of life...he a child attached to his heart, position with its arms stretched out and legs spread in the shape of the pentagram...I think this gesture indicates the open lovingness, the child-like delight in sharing, the eternal wisdom of the ages...
The Woman Girt With The Sword: She is also connected to the Heirophant, who sits above and behind her and guides her...this brings to mind the soul eagerly adhering to awaiitng the instruction of the Father...she holds a crescent moon in her left hand which to me indicates the reflective, receptive rold of her relationship to the Father. Her hair brings to mind the scales of Libra. It is also bathed in the light bestowed upon her by her Father which to me signifies the balance that is mainatined by listening to our inner teacher. She stands at the lowest point of an inverted, disproportionate pentagram. I am disturbed by its misshape.
Water triangle: Denotes the water, receptive and reflective nature of Chesed.
There is an incomplete, disproportionate Hexagram in this card that really grinds my gears. I can't figure out the logic behind it.
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@Shadoniee said
"\Black background: darkness..."
The background is indigo. "Dark indigo" is Vav in the Queen Scale. If yours looks black, then get a better deck, because the visible color on the good decks is vivid dark indigo.
Though this is a Vav color per se, it always, for me, triggers a sense of Binah... thus of the Supernals in general... and some of the other ideas you went on to observe.
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"Though this is a Vav color per se, it always, for me, triggers a sense of Binah... thus of the Supernals in general... and some of the other ideas you went on to observe."
Thanks for that correction and for the rest of your input Jim. I was really surprised by the sense of disappointment I was coming up against while I was meditating. Perhaps sorrow would be a better word but I even wrote in my notes how dissastisfied I was with the way the meditation was going.
Just writing this is getting me present to what may be underneathe this disgust at the disproportionate shapes. I was really like "what the hell was going with Lady Freida when she designed this? Why couldn't she make the shapes proportionate? I feel ripped off" lol
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@Shadoniee said
"\Just writing this is getting me present to what may be underneathe this disgust at the disproportionate shapes. I was really like "what the hell was going with Lady Freida when she designed this? Why couldn't she make the shapes proportionate? I feel ripped off" lol"
Here's what went through my mind when I read the above. (Not thought through... JUST what went through my mind.)
Hmmm... I wonder from which perspective (viewing angle) it would look proportionate.
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"Hmmm... I wonder from which perspective (viewing angle) it would look proportionate."
I just laughed out loud
I get it now haha