The Hierophant's message for 2012

5 of the Major Arcana is The Hierophant, the symbol for tradition, community, wisdom, and faith.  I have really warmed up to this card over the last year, as I have come to terms with a lot of discomfort I have had about religion.  The Hierophant is the symbol at the center of all religions which reminds us of its purpose, to unite people in a community by common practices, so that when tragedy or need arises, a group effort or prayer can bring us back into the light. This card is the answer to the isolation conundrum most people feel these days, the "No Man is an Island" card. I really sense a deep feeling of a wave of new meaning coming into the world for uniting on a level unseen before that the Hierophant here can stand for.
(Of course, the opposite can be stubborn-ness, conservative thinking, unyielding to change, all also aspects of this archetype)

I'm having trouble finding good images of this card, but maybe that's a sign I just need to stop and sit with it for a moment.

When I did my life attunement reading with Lawrence Woodson last May, I got this card right along with The High Priestess, The Emperor, The Fool, and The Hermit. He asked me if I planned to start my own religion, and I laughed, thinking "I knew he was going to ask that..." but also tickled by the thought since Dogma has been such a dark and oppressive force in my thoughts about religion. However, I marvel at the idea of helping people come into the light, to re-order the universe in their minds as a benevolent reality, and to help others find healing, peace and a deep sense of their own love, as well as seeking that in myself every day.

"Beyond the Man" is the message I'm getting today. Looking at the Hierophant I see not the person, the incarnation of the archetype, but simply and only what he stands for.  In the John Holland card, his back is facing me, and the book is what is glowing, shining, the teaching itself is what is important.  This year, people will continue to see me and my form how they know me, what they project onto me, and how they see me, but how I AM, what I do, where my actions come from, and what I say will come from another place, and it will benefit others whether they know where it comes from or not.  What I say is my Karma, and what they say is theirs.  I know to act all my intentions through a channel other than what I think is ME, my identity, and my ego.

Thank you, sir!

The High Priestess of 2012

 The next card in the Major Arcana is The High Priestess (2M), a symbol of wisdom, intuition, divinely guided thought and action. As you can imagine, she is therefor quite quiet, as she hardly ever has to use words to communicate.

Not surprisingly, the night between The Magician and The High Priestess was filled with vivid dreams. I remembered 7 dreams last night, and woke up quite exhausted.   A few were some high-anxiety nightmares, which I was really surprised by because I haven't had any of these feelings in my day to day, so here they are to remind me!  I asked for it though... before bed I was reading (for the third time!) Steering by Starlight by Martha Beck, and the chapter was about Map Making for your Soul's Purpose, and one of the symptoms being vivid dreaming, and how to interpret this guidance from beyond. So there. I did. I asked for it. I take full responsibility!  The frustrating thing though is that even though I KNOW I need to face my fears in my dreams, I ran away from all of them. My gut instinct of danger was too strong. Are you supposed to follow intuition in dreams?!  Anyway, back to the High Priestess.  She often shows up in my dreams as my Anima in dreams, but more often it's my Animus that shows up to guide me.  She is a shape-shifter, here to show me and communicate with me in ways other than words.

The imagery of the card can be a put-off to some tarot readers because of the Religious implications, but since Religion does not apply to me, I simply see her as a dedicated student (always holding her book, or Torah, or Bible) and blessed healer (her staff, or mudra of peace and healing).  The High Priestess should certainly be studied more carefully by me, because she helps The Fool, who has learned so much from the Magician, narrow down what he wants to do with all the tools he has learned. As a kid I thought I was expected to become all things: carpenter, doctor, fireman, teacher, vet, ... I thought at some point I was meant to do all of those things, it was truly overwhelming. The High Priestess is here to help me listen and light my path, narrow down the choices and possibilities, and move forward on my Soul's journey.

In my dreams last night, a running theme was darkness. In a few of the dreams there was a small area illuminated and the rest was darkness. The High Priestess is now telling me that the darkness was her gift, so that I could focus on the things in the light. To have too much illuminated is to be overwhelmed by options, and there are some things that need focus and attention this year.  She reassures me that she will be there to keep me in the light and show me my path.

Now rest! She says. Let it all unfold.

Thank you, High Priestess.

zzZZzzz