Western Tarot symbolism
The Hierophant
The Hierophant wears a triple crown, holds a triple-cross scepter, and blesses kneeling ministers above crossed keys. The commentary distinguishes this external religious office from the High Priestess’s withdrawn power. The oracle list supplies marriage, alliance, service, mercy, and a person consulted for help. These practical meanings sit beside the larger picture of doctrine, hierarchy, and mediated grace.
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In the sources
Principal account
LiteraryThe Hierophant wears a triple crown, holds a triple-cross scepter, and blesses kneeling ministers above crossed keys. The commentary distinguishes this external religious office from the High Priestess’s withdrawn power.
Further detail
LiteraryThe oracle list supplies marriage, alliance, service, mercy, and a person consulted for help. These practical meanings sit beside the larger picture of doctrine, hierarchy, and mediated grace.
Context & interpretation
The active library scan carries L. W. de Laurence’s name and reproduces material associated with A. E. Waite’s Tarot exposition. Its symbolic descriptions and divinatory lists are distinct registers, and neither provides a guaranteed prediction.
Original passages
Source 1
The Illustrated Key to the Tarot: The Veil of Divination
office that he symbolizes. He is the ruling power of external religion, as the High Priestess is the prevailing genius of the esoteric, withdrawn power. TheOpen this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: Western Tarot symbolism; active reader leaf 51
Exact passage checked against active scan text and original-leaf mapping; scan line breaks normalised.
- Edition
- IMJ-0149-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0149-E001-P0051
- Original scan leaf
- 56
- Recorded leaf number
- 56
- Current Reader position
- 51
- Reader verification
- Matches the reviewed Reader
Source 2
The Illustrated Key to the Tarot: The Veil of Divination
to enemies, obstruction, immaturity. 5. The Hierophant.—Marriage, alliance, captivity, servitude; by another account, mercy and goodness ; inspiration ; the man toOpen this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: Western Tarot symbolism; active reader leaf 148
Exact passage checked against active scan text and original-leaf mapping; scan line breaks normalised.
- Edition
- IMJ-0149-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0149-E001-P0148
- Original scan leaf
- 154
- Recorded leaf number
- 154
- Current Reader position
- 148
- Reader verification
- Matches the reviewed Reader
Continue exploring
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