Spiritual Tools & Pervasive Sexism

Happy Autumnal Equinox

Let’s Stay in Touch Psychic Newsletter

Due to an appalling dearth of anti-feminine action and responses going on around the world right now, I’ve been moved to consider even more often, how many aspects of our lives sexism sneakily can insinuate itself. The Tarot, sadly, has not been immune. Like all spiritual guidance tools, it should be cleansed of any prejudices to be effective, reliable, and true. In some modern decks, further cleansings of racial prejudices have also been applied.

The Hierophant, Number 5 in the Major Arcana

The Hierophant is an ancient Greek word referring to a man who interprets religious belief and practice. It roughly translates to “priest” in English. Hierophants are not female or feminine.

In classic Tarot meaning, The Hierophant card represents morality and teaching. Making commitments and adhering to them, despite how inconvenient or painful that may be. Words like pledge, promise, commitment and rigorous study are the Hierophant’s keywords. Further, words like self-discipline, strict, severe, minimalist, tradition, classicism, and judgement may also apply. The Hierophant has power that has been bestowed by society, culture and Kingship.

From a Feminist Perspective

The Hierophant is shrouded in a sinister mantle. His misogynistic, tortuous, murderous and negating overtones are dissected. He stands for the laws laid down in ancient religious writings which are rife with anti-feminine sentiment. If you’ve ever come across St. Augustine’s ditties on the “weaker sex”, you’ll get this drift. St. Augustine hated women. He’s rumoured to have been a rather handsome-challenged man, flatly and resolutely rejected by women sexually. No amount of money would compensate for the revulsion he inspired. This experience of women left him feverishly vengeful and resolute to punish especially beautiful women who would have denied him the sexual favours he craved. Please don’t pay attention to a thing St. Augustine has to say! Sexually frustrated and rageful with rejection, he couldn’t have a shred of spiritual advice worth pondering. Unless of course, you happen to be a compatriot.

The Hierophant is a supporter of the ancient practices of inherited, imperial hierarchy. He represents that part of us that swallows the dictates of tradition, as if because they have always been, they must be right and good.

The Hierophant numerically follows the Emperor, positioned at number 4. The Emperor rules absolutely and imperially and the Hierophant always has his back. He will lead the flock, with the heavy-weight of God’s will behind him, to follow the dictates of the Emperor. The Emperor expects the Hierophant to offer validation, confirmation and justification. In turn, the Emperor provides the Hierophant with a luxurious and safe abode from which to conduct his work.

When these two cards show up in a reading, it suggests the client is up against patriarchy at its worst. Provocative questions should be addressed like,

“How are you being bullied into going along with the status quo?”
“How are you following rules by rote rather than by choice?”
“Why are you feeling guilty for being a rebel in this circumstance?”
“How might this contact or commitment mean that in the future, you will have to muscle through it regardless of how much of a sacrifice this may demand of you?”

Weddings, Baptisms, Funerals

The Hierophant presides over social, and cultural stages of development rituals. Here he guides and holds the container which supports the dictates related to doing the right thing by society, family and your future offspring. Notice that all of these rituals have women at its centre and it is the male Hierophant who presides. At the 3 of Pentacles in the Tarot, we see the priest showing a couple around the church, a place they will say their wedding vows in a short time hence.

The Hierophant, while representing the Spiritual Father has his counterpart in the High Priestess, our spiritual mother. Her purview is the landscape of our dreams, intuition and soul. The Tarot is sly that way. The High Priestess has a far more pervasive and sustaining power than the High Priest.

Are You Going Along with a Tradition to Fit In?

If you are learning and/or teaching moral guidance from a traditional, established perspective, you are in a hierarchal place. Now might be a moment to question whether what you are doing is truly guidance from your soul or if you are mindlessly following a tradition that someone else has mapped out.

I wish you a beautiful September! The autumnal equinox is soon upon us and carries with it strong feelings of poignancy and anticipation. A perfect time of year to clean out closets and set down plans for the holidays soon upon us.

Blessings Kathleen

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Testimonial Snippet

“Hi Kathleen,

Your reading was amazingly accurate, I’m currently pregnant and you said I would be by Sept. 18th, this year or next. I found out Sept. 22nd!!!
Yeah Kathleen!”

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