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The Hierophant

As the student familiarizes themselves with ego power, s/he moves into the house of the Hierophant where they will learn the power of belief.

The Hierophant will teach the student about commitment to ongoing study. The Hierophant instructs, "You still have much to learn about being diligent to do your readings with a profound stewardship towards your chosen profession. There will be those who are vulnerable to the words, tone and inflection you use during a reading. Be respectful and be wary of the potential for a puffed up ego that you tasted in the Emperor.

The gift of reading will not come without moral responsibility, and a serious commitment to know your work." This is a time when the student examines what role their faith will play in their profession and whether their teacher of the Tarot (whether this is a live, author or online teacher) is just, honest and caring. They go through an assessment of the depth of faith they have in themselves and whether they are judging themselves based upon a dogma or a true sense of common good.

At this stage the student wrestles with dogma, social approval and conformity. Are they ready to rock the boat? Will their concern for appearances, manners and being nice outweigh their adherence to truth and independence?

Both the Emperor and the Hierophant also represent a time for students to examine how patriarchy and it's dogma have played a negative role in the formation of "shoulds" in their lives – especially wimmin – they have bumped into people who disapprove of their chosen study – an elderly student is voted to the Church council which presented her with a dilemma! Will she accept the posting and put her Tarot in the closet or will she refuse the offer and continue on her path to magical readership? She chose the former.

This is the time when many students get their backs up – elderly students are hungry to learn more about the sacred feminine – the Goddesses and the feminine path to enlightenment – many express how sad they feel about having grown to elder years in such a repressive time for wimmin For young wimmin growing up in a more enlightened society may have not made the connection from political feminism to their spiritual life until they reach this stage in their Tarot study.

This is how feminist decks have opened the Tarot up for wimmin – more and more I'm reading for womyn who are asking career related questions rather than love and romance which is what I was seeing 25 years ago – womyn coming to study the Tarot are often already well familiar with feminist principles and overjoyed beyond belief that there is such a thing as a "feminist" Tarot – times are a changing and as Tarotists we need to keep up – in fact we should be leading!

The Hierophant stage for womyn represents a powerful, transformative awareness of how patriarchal paths to enlightenment are repressive to womyn – the Hierophant points fingers at womyn – "You lack the ability to comprehend moral teachings! You are sadly lacking in soul and there's nothing to be done about it!"