V - The Hierophant

   Drawing this card has coincided with lots of situations that involve teaching, which is relevant as the Hierophant is a teacher, specifically a spiritual teacher.
    He is the embodiment of the external teacher, a person you can turn to in the real world that can help you ascend the ladder of illumination. Of course, this being may be a woman or a man, or even an institution of some type. Whoever they are they have a set of guidelines and a method of teaching that they follow. There is an element of dogma involved, which although has a bad reputation can prove helpful if applied correctly.
    I myself am a Reiki Master teacher, which means I have both the know how and the qualifications to teach others how to practice Reiki. In the past week I have received several requests for information about when and if I will be running workshops. I have not run any workshops out of my new practise yet, so it is going to be a new endeavor for me on some level. This always creates a small level of anxiety as I want to provide the best training possible, yet in the past have often exhausted myself in running workshops that involve giving too much of myself and my time.
    On the other hand I also attend several other workshops and have been enjoying being taught new techniques. Balancing this all is new and to realise one can be both student and teacher at the same time is a very helpful exercise in humility. I also used to presume that teacher was a level that one acheived when a sense of mastery was accomplished. Now, I see that things are not that simply cut. I do still believe that before you can be a teacher you must have a degree of competency otherwise you risk damaging your  integrity. But mastery is not a prerequisite.
     Also Zoe is considering taking a teaching course in Bikram yoga this year and it has both been in our conversations and in our minds. I think she would make an excellent teacher as she has a quiet competency in all she does, plus the fact that everyone immediately likes her.
      The hierophant in the card is represented as a papal figure, which for me has slightly negative connotations given its religious roots. It has an energy of orthodoxy and conservatism, of dogmatism and a disconnection from authenticity. He represents an external guide in the spiritual and for me the slightly negative connotations caused by the religious setting are only superficial.
     I have certainly encountered my fair share of poor teachers. Many simply lack a genuine connection or love of the subject matter (one feeds the other of course). Others enjoy a sense of superiority that the position affords them and the ability to make others feel inferior. These situations can all be exacerbated by hidebound interpretations and hierarchical structures.
     Then there are the good teachers, those who can open you up to new vistas. Who can infuse you with their love of the subject and a fresh perspective on an exciting subject. It is a shame that the bad teachers often outnumber the few great ones you encounter, but there are certainly great teachers out there to be discovered.
     The card has a great deal of symbolism, but the majority of it is connected to the papacy and the church. The major features to note are the twin pillars which are also featured in the High Priestess card (the Hierophant's female counterpart). Whereas the High Priestess represents internal teachings, the Hierophant represnts external or exoteric teachings. Both have their places.
     Exoteric teaching is often nessary for the masses who might lack the refinement to understand the intricacies of esoteric teachings, yet should not be excluded from the divine. Unfortunately in our day and age, esoteric teachings have fallen into disrepute and are viewed as the anti-thesis of exoteric ideologies rather than the outer protective shell. It mirrors in many ways the fall of the feminine into disrepute and the exultation of the masculine when in fact they are meant to function in unison for their mutual benefit.
     Sadly the pope represents a rather negative image compared than the spiritual and religious archetype he is meant to embody in this card.
    Inscribed lightly on the throne of the papal figure one can just make out the symbol for Taurus. Taurus is an astrological earth sign and as a result is not necessarily best suited to fine sentiments and esoteric or philosophical musings. Instead he can become stubborn or materialistic if not motivated by a more spiritual aspect from outside of himself.