The Hierophant

"I would like a story," says the salamander to the Hierophant.


"And what would you like to hear, little one?" The words come slowly. Each syllable seems to be drawn from deep within, pulled up from an individual rootlet. The salamander is used to it, and patient.


Stephanie Pui-Mun Law
from Shadowscapes companion book


The Hierophant card can be seen as a positive card in a tarot spread... It represents someone in search of higher truths and who is spiritual in nature. Customs and traditions are highlighted and it suggests that we can all find comfort in our culture, especially during hard and difficult times. It is time to get back to basics, like the ancients from our past did.


The Hierophant is someone who is able to see through the superficial and get straight to the heart of the matter. He has a healthy connection with life and living, someone who has experienced life in full and now has the experience and wisdom needed in order to teach others, like that of the wise old tree we see in this card.


He is a spiritual teacher and represents gateways to a higher consciousness reached in a ritualized way.The Hierophant can be considered to the link between the higher plane... he teaches by word and example as the wise old tree to the salamander.


The Hierophant encourages us to find freedom through knowledge and exploration. He may indicate that it is a good time for you to seek counsel from someone that is more experienced. You may be longing for structured spirituality, perhaps in the form of religious services.


This might be a time where you are in the process of finding meaning for your life and you may be questioning you own behavior. In a tarot reading, the Hierophant encourages you to look within and explore your truths and it may be telling you to adopt a more conventional way of thinking.

Tarot Tuesday

The Ten of Wands

"This Dryad bears the weight of what seems a miniature world upon her back. The support and welfare of the beings who inhabit those towers are hers to nourish with the flow of life's sap through her branches and leaves. Their soul is the song that spirals up through the foliage from her heart."

The Ten of Wands represents an honorable task, even though it's overbearing for this Dryad. Although it may seem like an overly stressful situation to bear, her commitment to it is a sign of hard work and virtue.

This card can also mean being burdened or oppressed by outside sources. Overworked, over tired, over stimulated. Having more on your plate  than you can handle. This is  a card of being overwhelmed, life and everything in it  adds weight. 

Sometimes the 10 of Wands indicates that you have been too successful and would be well-served by scaling back. You are may be tired or you've been working very hard, either personally or professionally and could use a break.  This could be an excellent time to give yourself one.


Spiritually speaking, don't be afraid to reach out for assistance if you need it. But you also have to learn when enough is enough, and when it is time to get out from under your burdens. The major theme here is to take good care of yourself, in every way, as to do so is especially critical now.

I'd like to give a shout out to Ft. Wainwright, Alaska....Hello everyone!

Tarot Perfection

There's going to be a new tarot deck this next spring (2010) and I can't hardly stand it. I have never seen such artistry as is in this deck! Shadowscapes Tarot by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law will be published by Llewelyn next year and I can hardly wait...I followed each card as she has added it, put myself on her mailing list so I could get the latest updates...I believe I've even had dreams about holding this gorgeous deck in my hands...Oh my gosh, I'm a tarot stalker!

I came close to this reaction when Ciro Marchetti put out The Tarot of Dreams but it's going to be a close one. I have a list of "must have" decks...some I have already acquired since I started making my list but there are a lot more I've been drooling over, thinking to myself "someday." I remember when I saw the very first deck I simply had to have...it was The Baroque Bohemian Cat's Tarot and it seemed to snowball after that. Tarot decks, Oracle decks, whimsical decks, the Dreaming In Color Luman deck....I could go on forever....

I noticed the popular tarot stores also seem to contribute to my tarot delinquency especially Amazon...who can resist that "Buy Now!" button...well, I can tell you it surely is not me. Anyhow, I believe I digress a bit too much so check out the tarot card links...I know you won't be disappointed!