Post by Empress Palpatine on Dec 30, 2009 18:56:25 GMT -6
The number five card in the tarot deck is the Hierophant. In some decks it is called "the Pope" or "the High Priest." He is seen usually sitting between the two pillars which represent duality. He is dressed like a pope or a high priest. Some decks show a pair of keys. These symbolize the fact that he has the keys to Heaven and Hell and the secrets of using the Force to enact his will. He is the male version of the Priestess and the religious/spiritual aspect of the Emperor.
In the Star Wars universe this card fits Palpatine. It would be the side of Palpatine who has deep Force knowledge. In Episode 3, he told Anakin about a wider view of the Force, and that he knew more than the Jedi. This is because he knew both the Light and Dark Side and the balance thereof.
The Hierophant represents religious authority and tradition. He brings religious understanding in the form that the masses can absorb. It is a bit like when Moses gave the Ten Commandments and the Levitic Law to the Hebrews. The Hierophant represents what is orthodox. He is the father figure, the image of God before man. He is almost a God to the common folk, a mediator between the God of Heaven and man.
From a Sith point of view, he would represent Sith tradition, passed down through the ages since Darth Bane from master to apprentice. It would be those aspects of Sith that are well-defined.
From a Jedi point of view, this card would be Yoda (and the Jedi Council), head of the Jedi Order and enforcer of its rules and traditions. It would represent the established Jedi Code.
In Episode 3, the two Hierophants clashed with each other, fighting for supremacy as to whose tradition would reign. At this time, the Sith proved stronger. This could be because the Jedi lost that sense of balance and had become the negative version of the Hierophant, which would be rigidness and egotism. In Episode 6, the situation reversed.
Most people who choose to be Jedi or Sith in our own world are likely religiously independent and do not submit to some religious authority. This card can be understood symbolically, perhaps to refer to the study of established traditions.
The card the Hierophant has another meaning as well. This comes from its numerical position in the deck. It is the fifth card. Five is a human number and has to do with all that is part of being human. It will be noticed that all the number five cards in the Minor Arcana are all the lousy cards, the ones no one likes to get in a reading. Because of this, the Hierophant could be called also "Darth Real Life." He has been around and seen all the crud in the world. But he has also transcended it in some way much like the Buddha. The Sith and the Jedi have different approaches to the crap in the world that would make us angry or despair. It is assumed that the Hierophant is the man with the answers when people come to him with their problems. This is what Palpatine was to Anakin. He guided Anakin through his troubles. He was fatherly, and he gave advice. Apparently Anakin preferred his advice. (I would suspect that this was because he could talk to him without holding back about his secrets and his feelings).
In a way, Anakin got all those "bad" cards in the deck, more than most of the others. Life seems to be like that. Some people get a worse deal than others, and theologians and philosophers write rheems to try to explain why. I am not sure anybody really knows. It is probably the main reason people seek the heart of the Force. For some the answers may be in the Dark Side. Light or Dark, we want the secret of how to transcend all that is lousy on earth. The Hierophant has done so. He holds the keys.
So what if you get this card in a reading? A positive meaning would be: It has something to do with traditional religion. Should you go to church or a temple of some kind? Perhaps you should seek council from a pastor, rabbi, priest, guru, or someone you think of as a Jedi master? A great Sith Lord? Find a good martial arts teacher who is well steeped in some traditional martial art? Perhaps it is time to study holy books and religious history. It is time to stimulate the intellect with religious study? Or, perhaps it is time to be a guide to someone else. Choose a padawan or apprentice. Teach somebody something.
A negative interpretation would be: Is somebody trying to cram their religion down your throat? Preaching in your face? Hitting you on the head with the Scofield? Is there some issue about religious dogmatism in your life? As Mel Brooks said,"Who dare enter the presence of the everlasting Know-It-All, Yogurt!?" (Spaceballs). One has become overly consumed with the letter of the law and lost the spirit, an apostate Jedi Order doomed to destruction.
How are you doing facing Darth Real Life? Is he slicing you to ribbons, or are you blocking every blow with your own lightsaber. Is the battle so intense that you are even kept from the message boards? Do you feel like Anakin sliced up on Mustafar? How is your transcendence coming?
In the Star Wars universe this card fits Palpatine. It would be the side of Palpatine who has deep Force knowledge. In Episode 3, he told Anakin about a wider view of the Force, and that he knew more than the Jedi. This is because he knew both the Light and Dark Side and the balance thereof.
The Hierophant represents religious authority and tradition. He brings religious understanding in the form that the masses can absorb. It is a bit like when Moses gave the Ten Commandments and the Levitic Law to the Hebrews. The Hierophant represents what is orthodox. He is the father figure, the image of God before man. He is almost a God to the common folk, a mediator between the God of Heaven and man.
From a Sith point of view, he would represent Sith tradition, passed down through the ages since Darth Bane from master to apprentice. It would be those aspects of Sith that are well-defined.
From a Jedi point of view, this card would be Yoda (and the Jedi Council), head of the Jedi Order and enforcer of its rules and traditions. It would represent the established Jedi Code.
In Episode 3, the two Hierophants clashed with each other, fighting for supremacy as to whose tradition would reign. At this time, the Sith proved stronger. This could be because the Jedi lost that sense of balance and had become the negative version of the Hierophant, which would be rigidness and egotism. In Episode 6, the situation reversed.
Most people who choose to be Jedi or Sith in our own world are likely religiously independent and do not submit to some religious authority. This card can be understood symbolically, perhaps to refer to the study of established traditions.
The card the Hierophant has another meaning as well. This comes from its numerical position in the deck. It is the fifth card. Five is a human number and has to do with all that is part of being human. It will be noticed that all the number five cards in the Minor Arcana are all the lousy cards, the ones no one likes to get in a reading. Because of this, the Hierophant could be called also "Darth Real Life." He has been around and seen all the crud in the world. But he has also transcended it in some way much like the Buddha. The Sith and the Jedi have different approaches to the crap in the world that would make us angry or despair. It is assumed that the Hierophant is the man with the answers when people come to him with their problems. This is what Palpatine was to Anakin. He guided Anakin through his troubles. He was fatherly, and he gave advice. Apparently Anakin preferred his advice. (I would suspect that this was because he could talk to him without holding back about his secrets and his feelings).
In a way, Anakin got all those "bad" cards in the deck, more than most of the others. Life seems to be like that. Some people get a worse deal than others, and theologians and philosophers write rheems to try to explain why. I am not sure anybody really knows. It is probably the main reason people seek the heart of the Force. For some the answers may be in the Dark Side. Light or Dark, we want the secret of how to transcend all that is lousy on earth. The Hierophant has done so. He holds the keys.
So what if you get this card in a reading? A positive meaning would be: It has something to do with traditional religion. Should you go to church or a temple of some kind? Perhaps you should seek council from a pastor, rabbi, priest, guru, or someone you think of as a Jedi master? A great Sith Lord? Find a good martial arts teacher who is well steeped in some traditional martial art? Perhaps it is time to study holy books and religious history. It is time to stimulate the intellect with religious study? Or, perhaps it is time to be a guide to someone else. Choose a padawan or apprentice. Teach somebody something.
A negative interpretation would be: Is somebody trying to cram their religion down your throat? Preaching in your face? Hitting you on the head with the Scofield? Is there some issue about religious dogmatism in your life? As Mel Brooks said,"Who dare enter the presence of the everlasting Know-It-All, Yogurt!?" (Spaceballs). One has become overly consumed with the letter of the law and lost the spirit, an apostate Jedi Order doomed to destruction.
How are you doing facing Darth Real Life? Is he slicing you to ribbons, or are you blocking every blow with your own lightsaber. Is the battle so intense that you are even kept from the message boards? Do you feel like Anakin sliced up on Mustafar? How is your transcendence coming?
