The Hierophant

In search of the structured materialist mystic, being a relentless child of eve, Artists who (barely) make it work.

I first learned about the term Gnosis through my interests in the traditions of Hermeticism. The word is of Greek etymology and has been used in the context of several Hellenistic religions to describe an experience of true knowing that goes beyond the intellect. Gnosis is embodied knowledge that is inherently spiritual. In the context of hermeticism, Gnosis could be interpreted as the unification of heaven and earth. 

As someone who (energetically speaking) has a tendency to live in my head, sometimes leaving my body fully abandoned, I was pleased to have a word to describe the beautiful and cherished experience of knowledge that goes beyond my overly active analytical nature.

Michael Maier’s Symbola aurea mensae, 1617

Even before delving into hermeticism I have always been kind of an “as above so below” type of bitch. I notice when I am cruel to myself, eventually I will say something cruel to the ones I love. When I water my plants 2 times a week they grow lush. When I construct a box around myself I feel trapped. When America is fundamentally built from genocide and slave labor, the talking head that is positioned as the “leader” of such an operation makes little meaningful difference in the bigger picture. When I am true to myself and others I experience the world to contain just a little more honesty.

Basic math type stuff. 

In tarot the notorious magician archetype holds his wand to the sky and plants his feet on the earth to become a channel. One of his hands points to the heavens while the other points to the earth. By embracing duality his true agency is activated. 

Depictions of the Magician from various tarot decks

Humans are hybrid creatures made from both decaying earthen materials and highly spiritual sensitivities. We are caught in a precarious position between restriction and infinity. We are broken and perfect, dull and pea brained as can be while somehow wielding astonishing intelligence and resilience at the same time. We possess an inherent curiosity about our condition and how to affect change in our worlds.

Indeed, Some of us are truly the children of Eve who will devour the fruit from the tree of knowledge despite the risk of being cast out of the garden. We want the truth even if it will destroy a version of us. 

We are built to learn and evolve. 

Most societies attempt to address the inherently curious human condition through the omnipresent educational and religious institutions that are erected and maintained throughout the ages. Personally when I look at the Hierophant archetype in tarot I often have an adverse reaction. 

I think of my time spent deep within the walls of a rural Connecticut public school where I did hours of busy work under fluorescent lights separated from most of the other kids in a little Special Ed classroom. After having many embarrassing encounters with the laws of these strange lands I came to understand that school was not for learning or growing but instead behaving and conforming. 

The Shadow Hierophant is manipulative control thinly disguised as righteous leadership. It is the Priest who rejects the possibility that an individual can directly commune with God but instead positions himself as the mandatory mediator between human and the divine. There is plenty of evidence showcasing the rotten side of the Hierophant archetype in America and beyond. Schools systems that demand obedience over true learning, Corrupt institutions of church that harm communities, Cult leaders who weaponize “spiritual knowledge” to elevate themselves above their followers and so on. 

Depictions of the Hierophant from various tarot decks

The Hierophant, much like the notorious Emperor archetype, is indeed mistrusted by many and for good reasons. But I, a Capricorn Stellium, would be remiss in my duties if I did not introduce to you a side of the hierophant archetype that I deeply admire and crave: The structured materialist mystic, the spiritual community facilitator, the “Build it and they will come” type of leader. 

I am trying to embrace this side of the archetype in myself and in the world. Luckily I continue to find beautiful examples of this that defy my saturnian cynicism and give me hope. This aspect of the hierophant asks us to find and build the structures in physical reality that best support our spiritually expansive nature.

 We humans deserve accessible support and resources in our artistic and metaphysical pursuits. This can be hard to come by within the current landscape. Those of us who exist outside of Institutions can often feel cast out to sea in the waves of social media spirituality, limitless knowledge without context or tradition, and late stage capitalism alienation. 

Personally I deeply struggle with working a job and trying to pursue my passions and interests in a meaningful way. I often find myself feeling too drained and depressed to work on my projects or connect with others outside of the weekly exertion from my day job. This has often felt like a problem with no solution in my life, something that has always haunted me: Working for my sustained survival at the expense of my artistic and spiritual health. I know a lot of people struggle with this at varying levels and it breaks my heart to think of all the ways that oppression and exploitative labor can smother and distort humanity's creative possibilities.

It's enough to make you want to bang and cry at the castle doors of the nearest institution, begging to be let in…

If no one comes to your rescue, certainly you might start to wonder why the castle's walls are so tall and impenetrable in the first place? Are those armed guards? Who is in and who is out? eh?

So, it is no exaggeration that life is unfair, there are many ways that some of us are not supported or nurtured in the ways we need. Circumstances are less than ideal.

AND YET 

Somehow we manage to learn, grow, create, build and connect anyways. Inside and outside the institutions. In and around the shitty day job. Like I said, we are the relentless children of Eve who thirst for the knowledge of life no matter what the price. Nothing can really stop us from having our experiences, learning, fucking up, getting to know ourselves and others deeply. 

Thank god! True Gnosis is for the people.

So please, do what you can where you can, that is certainly enough for now. 

For me it is truly the small things that sustain my creative practice like going to my friends house on the eve of the full moon and pulling tarot cards for each other, listening to inspiring podcasts and books to get me through my punishing day job, talking about art and the world with my partner, feeling my feelings and being as honest as possible, and of course continuing to make material my artistic visions however slow they may emerge.

In the spirit of DIY art and spiritual community, some days we sit at the feet of the teacher absorbing their lessons and offering our presence, other days we stand up and share ourselves for the sake of expression, story and connection. We are responsible for facilitating our growth in accordance with our values. This is the hierophant exalted. 

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