The Hierophant

Professor of Mythology

During a tarot reading, a little knowledge of mythology can go a long way. Mandrake’s professor of mythology doesn’t just teach the subject — he’s part of it.

Key Symbols

• Chiron has been teaching for centuries, ever since his early days in ancient Greece. He trained and mentored generations of heroes and gods, including the legendary Hercules.

• Chiron was — and is — an immortal being. When Hercules accidentally shot Chiron with a poisoned arrow, however, his immortality condemned him to suffering without end. As Chiron sought relief for his crippling injuries, he accumulated a vast store of medical knowledge. He shared that wisdom with others, which led to his legendary reputation as a wounded healer.

• In ancient Greece, the hierophants were priests who guided their followers through the sacred rites of the Eleusinian mysteries. Each year, a hierophant would lead his people through a re-enactment of the goddess Persephone’s kidnapping by Hades, god of the underworld ? and her eventual return. The ritual symbolized the annual cycle of death and rebirth, as well as the immortality of the soul. It could even guarantee a participant’s admission into the afterlife of the Eleusinian Fields. Today, the role of the hierophant lives on in every spiritual teacher and guide who leads followers through longstanding ritual and tradition.

• The word hierophant shares the same origin as the word hierarchy, an organization with varying levels of authority ? and a hierophant is the final authority on matters of faith. He has the power to speak on behalf of the gods, to explain the teachings of divine wisdom, and to serve as a bridge between this world and the next.

• Typically, the Hierophant card symbolizes teaching, tradition, inspiration, and revelation.

• Chiron is a centaur, a magical meld of man and horse. The fact that he’s half horse dovetails nicely with the Taurus association of this card. Normally, Taurus is symbolized by a bull, but it’s also linked to other big, earthy animals like horses.

• Chiron’s classroom is one of the largest indoor spaces at Mandrake Academy. To accommodate his horseman’s physique, he teaches in a barnlike stable, complete with swinging doors. Far from being coarse or rustic, however, Chiron’s classroom is lofty and awe-inspiriting, like the inside of a church.

• Three symbolic keys hang from Chiron’s belt. The first is the Chiron glyph, ,, which looks like an old-fashioned key.

• The second key is the Hebrew letter Vav, which means nail. It’s a small but significant symbol. Nails are the connections that hold buildings and structures together. Nails connect walls to their foundations, planks to a platform, and boards to a frame.

• The third key is the glyph for the astrological sign of Taurus. People born under the sign of Taurus, the Bull, are generally earthy, grounded, practical, and conservative. So is the Hierophant.

• Chiron is accompanied by a pair of white acolyte doves, who live in the rafters of his classroom. Doves represent spirit and inspiration.

• The swinging doors behind Chiron represent the two pillars of wisdom that underlie most traditional systems of thought. The duality symbolizes light and dark, good and evil, and mercy and severity. The fact that the doors swing in two directions suggests that messages can flow to and from the spirit world. Chiron is stationed between the two realms, like a gatekeeper.

• There’s a window in the hallway outside Chiron’s door. Look through it, and you’ll see Centaurus, the constellation that was named in Chiron’s honor.

Practical Magic

When you study under Chiron’s tutelage, you’ll be expected to brush up on your knowledge of Greek myths.

The Greek and Roman Pantheon

The Hierophant’s Lucky Horseshoe Spread

Turn your luck around with this horseshoe-shaped spread.

1. Factors working in your favor.

2. Forces working against you.

3. Advice to make the most of the factors in your favor.

4. Advice to overcome the forces working against you.

5. The tipping point that could make the situation move in either direction.

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