Taurus & The Hierophant
Hierophant, Voyager Tarot
This was one of the astrological / tarot connections that I struggled with at the beginning. I found it difficult to associate a sensual sign like Taurus with the archetype of the Hierophant, an archetype relating to belief systems, conformity and religion. I’m a Taurus, you see, so naturally perhaps I was a little bit sensitive about the subject, especially as the Hierophant is associated with two things I loath, hierarchy and the belief that you need a high priest or other intermediary to communicate with God, or from my point of view, Source. In many ways, the Hierophant is the archetype of the Establishment. So I can see why I had so much trouble getting to grips with the card.
As my knowledge developed, I recognised the love of learning, the thirst for knowledge that this archetype embodies. I also discovered other pictorial depictions of the cards, which I discuss below, that helped me understand the archetype's message better. Taurus is astrologically associated with tradition and values, so yes, it does fit on paper, but it did take me a while to get my head around. My younger self also thought it was a boring card.
Astrology 101
Taurus, the bull, is the second sign of the zodiac in Western astrology, and falls between 20 April and 20 May. It is a fixed sign associated with the element of earth and considered to be feminine. Ruled by Venus, Taureans are said to be sensual, love beauty and the finer things in life like good food, wine, romance and all things that indulge the senses, velvet, flowers and music. Like their fellow earth signs, Capricorn and Virgo, they are determined and work hard towards their goals in a steadfast manner.
Taurus is the second house of the zodiac, the house that governs resources, values, finance, and security. Like the other earth signs, Taureans like to have a little nest egg tucked away, a backup.
Taurus natives are said to be patient and while they may not be quick to anger, once they do lose their temper, all hell breaks loose, like a red rag to a bull! Anatomically, Taurus rules the neck, throat and lymphatic system.
The Hierophant, Rider Waite Colman Smith (Universal Waite)
TAROT
Etymology-wise, the Hierophant stems from Hieros, the ancient Greek meaning for sacred or holy and phaninein, also from ancient Greek, meaning to show or reveal. Traditionally, he is the "revealer of sacred" things, organised religion, hidden knowledge and initiation. In earlier tarot decks, such as the Marseille deck, the Hierophant was known as the Pope. The Pope is the highest ranking priest in the Catholic church, who was and still is to Catholics the ‘proper’ channel for communicating with God, he is the one ‘chosen’ to relay God’s message to the people here on earth.
The Hierophant archetype is said to represent the connection between things, systems, people, the dissemination of knowledge and the divine word. In the universal Waite depiction of the card, the Hierophant archetype is the first card in the Major Arcana that features more than one person. Below him sit two figures that appear to be lower clergy, which create a triangle composition with the head of the Hierophant and the two heads of the clergy. The clergy have their backs to the viewer, looking up at the Hierophant. This is an obvious representation of hierarchy, and perhaps there is also some sort of initiation taking place.
From a European perspective, the Catholic Church was, particularly in the medieval and Renaissance periods, the “keepers of wisdom”. The monks and priests who lived in monasteries were the only ones outside the aristocracy who had access to education and were able to read and translate the sacred texts from Arabic, Hebrew, and Greek into Latin, thereby accessing secret knowledge. Church services were given in Latin, the general public wouldn’t have understood a word. No wonder it all seemed so mysterious and grand back in the day, it literally was to common folk!
Sacred Bulls and oracles
In many early civilisations, the bull was celebrated as divine. In ancient Egypt, bulls were worshiped since the first dynasty. The Apis was a sacred bull that was thought to be the son of Hathor, one of the primal mother goddesses and goddess of love, music, women and fertility. Bulls were also used in oracle divination. For festivals and special events, a black bull would be selected that wore the markings associated with the Apis Bull, a triangle on its forehead, a white winged vulture between its shoulders and a lump of flesh that resembled a scarab beetle under its tongue. If the bull had all these features, then it was considered to be an incarnation of Ptah, the ancient Egyptian creator god and also contained the soul of Osiris, the ancient Egyptian god of fertility, resurrection and the afterlife. The bull would be released into a chamber with several passages and gates, which I believe led to a central chamber or courtyard. The priests would then interpret the oracle - the path taken by the bull. I got very excited when I found this out. Could this be the link to the Hierophant and Taurus? Something to ponder.
Other interpretations
As the Rider Waite interpretation of the card is influenced by Western / European ideas pertaining to tradition, sacred knowledge, the imagery Colman Smith used to convey the meaning of the card is influenced by the church, which in her day would have been the archetype of societal norms.
I have found over the years other pictorial interpretations of the card, which made the archetype more palatable to my mind. In the Sacred Circle tarot by Anna Franklin, which is one of my mum’s decks, the Hierophant is called the Druid. Druids were wisdom keepers in ancient Celtic culture with sacred knowledge of the trees and nature, medicine and the law.
I also really enjoy the Voyager version of the card, which depicts Buddha as the central figure, even though it is still called The Hierophant. I find this interesting, as Gautama Buddha was said to be a Taurus. The imagery also depicts an elephant, known for their excellent memory, and a small child - children are just as much our teachers as we are theirs.
I find it interesting that bulls are known for their immense power and this card is connected to the Hierophant, otherwise known as the Pope, who even in this day and age wields enormous power. Whilst writing this I was also talking to my mum about the precession of the equinoxes and how some of the dynasties in ancient Egypt fell within the age of Taurus. There is also the connection between cattle and capitalism, which I don’t have time to go into now, but I think I’ll revisit some of the ideas I’ve put forth here another time as I’ve only scratched the surface. We still don’t know where the tarot originated, could it be that the teachings are far older than imagined?
Bibliography
Cassandra Eason (2003) Ancient Egyptian Magic,
P. Foster Case (2006) The Tarot. A Key to the Wisdom of the Ages,
Mary K Greer (2011) Archetypal Tarot,
A. Ronnberg (2010) K. Martin, The Book of Symbols
Anna Franklin, Illustrator and Author, Blog, http://www.annafranklin.co.uk/page67.html
World Encyclopedia, Apis Article by Joshua J Mark, 2017,https://www.worldhistory.org/Apis/
