Upside-down, The Hierophant’ Vs small feet come clearly into view. His white slippers look like they are flailing around and air-borne and disconnected to the red carpet of his elevated platform. Red is the colour of the First Chakra and, ill-aspected, gives the figure the appearance of being totally ungrounded. The Hierophant V reversed and may indicate does not possess the strength or positive emotion that would to connect him energetically and physically with the community he seeks to serve.
 
The gold Tiara(s) and Triple Cross(s) of both Papal figures have found their way to the bottom of each card’s image. The Pope V’s head and beautiful Tiara strike the very bottom of the card. He gives the impression that he is balancing precariously on the very tip of his beautiful Tiara and using the inverted Triple Cross to balance and prevent himself from falling over. Their Papal faces to the ground suggests any advice and directives are barely heard. The reversed symbolism of the Tiara and Triple Cross imply a diminished power to advise and instruct; and serves to reduce overall capacity to influence others through teaching of custom and convention. When ill-dignified, the colour Gold suggests a Papal fear of success or of failure and opportunistic talk or actions on the part of the initiates. 
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​In reverse, The Hierophant V’s initiates have positioned themselves at the top of card between the two large grey pillars. They now look down at the hapless Papal figures from their lofty position. The Pope V’s once large orderly group of followers, appears now as an unruly rabble. He seems to have lost his ability to command the attention, respect and control of the group. The Keys of Heaven that once lay at the feet of The Hierophant V have risen, inverted, to the top of the card. The Keys, are within easy reach of the initiates, suggests the followers have the power to determine their own, possibly unconventional ways of thinking and living; possibly no longer choosing the traditional path.

Reversed, The Hierophant V and The Pope V appear at cross-purposes to their follower’s expectations and actions. An ill-aspect Red Chakra suggest that divine authority, knowledge of tradition and conventional ways are being challenged. The strength and ability of the Papal figures to command an audience, appears to be contested. The acolytes and students seem to be questioning the conventional practices and traditional wisdom and knowledge of their teachers and ministers; the reversal of The Hierophant V and The Pope V presents a challenge of position and authority; it has upturned the normal teacher-student relationship. There appears a degree of anarchy; whereby the followers may find time-honoured explanations or reasons for life offering little or no value and seek a more unconventional approach to meaning and their quest for understanding. 

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Martha Adams © 2017 All Rights Reserved

The Hierophant V and The Pope V  In Reverse.

The Number 5 represents the 5 senses: sight, hearing, taste, feeling, and smell. It stands for the ‘essence of things as they are’ and in Latin the word for five means Nature. Five is the number of sensuality, change and learning. We might describe The Hierophant V and The Pope V those who give spiritual and esoteric meaning to the human experience of the senses and of sensuality.

In Reverse, The Hierophant V and The Pope V are seen toppling from their elevated positions; they are now upside-down. The Hierophant V’s larger-than-life red ceremonial gown rises to the top of the card like a great, formless red sail, billowing in the wind. The Red robe worn by The Pope V appears less elegant and structured and falls away and flaps unceremoniously about his royal blue tunic. When Red is ill-dignified, it can mean anger, obsession or even fanaticism. The Red Chakra ill-aspected suggest passions that are untrained and unrestrained; a loss of courage or vitality or a lack of connection with a community.  When following through on ideas, actions are based on anger and not love, making  a movement or plan forceful but unsustainable. 

​The Pope V’s royal blue tunic and The Hierophant V’s pale blue neck-scarf are upside-down. When blue, the colour of the Fifth Chakra is ill-dignified it can mean an inability to communicate deep and spiritual truths and ideals with conviction and to good effect or, to the contrary, of exploring or advocating unconventional solutions or ideas to common life situations. The reversed image might suggest that advice and action are inconsistent with traditional knowledge and practices. The reversed initiates and followers suggest they have lost their interest in learning and following the traditional ways and no longer choose to abide to customs; the keys to their future are now in their grasp.  The Hierophant V's ill-dignified neckerchief may indicate he is  at a loss of what to advise those who question his authority, practises or knowledge; and The Pope V’s inverted blue tunic may indicate that he is misunderstood or misunderstands the needs of his followers and ministers to those who do not agree, or wish to hear or to follow. Blue reversed signifies communication difficulties and the ill-aspected Fifth Chakra indicates an inability to put thoughts into action; and, by relying on traditional teachings and practises, these Papal authorities may be unable to provide the desired support or guidance to others.
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The Hierophant V’s arms appear to be dramatically outstretched in what seems an attempt to protect himself from a calamitous fall. He looks as if he is using the two grey pillars on either side of his body to keep him suspended from the ground and/or to break his fall. The Hierophant looks decidedly unimpressed and even unhappy. The Pope V’s facial expression, interestingly, appears to be one more of amusement then displeasure. 

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The Hierophant V and The Pope V Part 2 continued next week.....
Martha Adams © 2017 All Rights Reserved

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Learn or refresh your existing knowledge and understanding of the traditional interpretations and essential meanings of the 78 tarot cards. Classes are run in small groups with other tarot learners and refreshers, in a full day of shared tarot-learning and tarot-reading activities. Activities are hands-on and offer you an immediate, engaging, shared, experiential and way to learn or to revitalise your knowledge of the essential, core and traditional meanings of both Upright and Reversed Tarot.
 
To develop the confidence and skill to integrate our intuition and imagination into our tarot readings for ourselves and others we must take the vital step to learn and to understand the symbolic meaning embedded in a tarot card regardless of its original source and conception. Understanding the historical, traditional and essential meanings of each of the 78 cards gives us the 'language of tarot'; the ability – to speak, write or even teach – the story in the cards. Learning our tarot 'abc's' gives us the grammar and punctuation; and the ability to comprehend or 'interpret' and communicate what it is we are seeing to others.  
 
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