The Hierophant and Death
With five different planets in retrograde, including Mercury, and the start of the Eclipse Season, we are about to go through the biggest death and rebirth of the year.
Reflecting on our behavior and facing uncomfortable feelings will be part of this work and the cards communicate the same message.
They want us to allow those around us to be our teachers and learn the important lessons. They want us to shed what needs to go and let die what no longer serves us.
The Hierophant is the card of guidance. It is all about giving us messages on how to grow spiritually and how to go deeper.
You are ready to question institutions that you once followed unscrupulously. You are ready to expand your mind and let go of any restraining forces in your life.
Whether you go back to school or find a spiritual mentor to help on your new path, a teacher will enter your life in some way. You feel you have reached as high as you can get on your own and you need a guide to help take you to the next level.
However, there are a few things to look out for when a new teacher enters your life. A true Hierophant never sells themselves to you, the Universe will put them in your path naturally.
So trust your own intuition, if you feel uneasy about following a guide, listen to that feeling. Open your mind to the possibilities and use your own wisdom to bring a mentor to your life.
This card gives us signs not only in the form of a mentor, but also as a book, podcast, quote, or symbol. The messages you need are around you. They are letting you know what direction is next.
Sometimes our teachers can be people who challenge us or rub us the wrong way. It is the people we struggle with the most that show us what we need to work on in ourselves.
What bothers you in another person is often a reflection of something you don’t like about yourself. So allow those who push your buttons, as well as those you admire to support your learning.
With our second card this week, our first response might be fear. We are afraid to face whatever message the card is offering.
But we should not fear the Death card. It is not a card of darkness but a card of new beginnings. It is about letting go the heavy baggage we carry that make our steps more difficult. With Death, we are shedding the past and starting with a lighter load.
Death brings a powerful transformation. This change could feel somewhat disruptive or it could feel like a breath of fresh air.
Often we are afraid of change and afraid of the new. We are fearful because we crave permanence. We want to hold on to whatever we have, even if we need to let go.
But death is simply a transformation.
In tarot, Death is full of beauty. It is a deeply powerful and positive card. It means we are ready to let go of things that are causing us pain. We are ready to have a deep metamorphosis.
What part of you needs to die in order for you to live more fully?
Through connecting to our inner voice we will hear the message of what needs to be released. Whether it is an addiction, a toxic person, or a stagnant job, we are ready to let go.
With death there is always some pain. We need to acknowledge that there will be grief in letting go, even if we are releasing something that is bad for us.
When you connect with what needs to be released, honor this by doing a ‘Releasing Ceremony.’
Write what you want to let go of on a piece of paper, then give the paper its own transformation. This could include ripping it up and scattering it in the wind, letting it burn, or burying it in the earth. Whatever you choose, this ceremony will help honor the process of death.
When there is death there is also new life. This card gives me so much excitement because there is an abundance of creation in death. From the space of what you let go of there will be fertile energy. It will allow you to create new and positive things for your life.
Mantra for the week: The world sends teachers that help me grow and expand. I let go of baggage and welcome new energy.
