The Hierophant

I just finished my morning prayers on the front balcony of my apartment when a barely visible speck of dust captures my attention as it floats aimlessly along with the breeze. However, when it flits about in a zigzag trajectory its true nature is revealed. This teeny, tiny flying insect made an impression on me. My previous focus had been on the divine and then to watch the comings and goings of a mundane mini-moth, seemingly oblivious to my presence, solidifies my insignificance. With this humbling thought in mind it’s the perfect time for Torah studies. The Zohar, an ancient Kabbalistic text, and Deuteronomy engross me for about an hour until a strong sense draws me to turn on the news. “White Smoke”. "We Have A Pope." 

A few nights ago, I watched the movie, “Conclave”. It brought me to tears and today is the same. I am not even Catholic, nevertheless, with great anticipation I await the grand reveal. Who is he? 

“Peace be with you all” are the first words Pope Leo XIV said from the papal balcony to the throngs congregating at the Vatican, plus the billions of people who watched the broadcasts from Italy. The whole world needs to hear his words.

I am reminded of the tarot card, The Hierophant, an archaic term for the high priest of the Eleusinian Mysteries in ancient Greece. In some decks this card is known as The Pope and is 5th or V in the suit of Trumps. Generally, the tarot takes a limited view and interprets it as a teacher, keeper of traditions, or the need to consult a priest, rabbi or other religious person. However, The Hierophant represents the reveler of the mysteries, a mortal’s link to the divine, and the great teacher of spiritual tradition, it's rituals and symbolisms. I have a strong connection to this card. For decades it signified my desire to know the divine and mysterious aspects of life. Of course, I make no claim to be a Pope or even a pious person. At best, I am a minor prophet. In biblical times there were thousands of us, and these days there must be millions.

Anyway, I prefer the tarot’s association to the Hebrew alphabet whose numbering is 1-22, although the numerical value of a letter might not coincide with its alphabetical order. In a traditional deck the suit of Trumps go from 0-21. To learn more visit the Street Smarts page on this website. The Hierophant corresponds to the 6th Hebrew letter, Vav. She means a "hook," "nail," or "peg," as in to attach or secure something. Grammatically, Vav usually operates as a conjunction, such as the English word "and”. Symbolically, she represents the connection between heaven and earth, and us to God. 

The Holy See is a sovereign city-state of the Roman Catholic Church, with its capital in Vatican City. The Pope is its premier official and also the spiritual leader to millions of people around the world. Now ordained as a divine being, he is no longer a mere Cardinal. The King or Queen of England is also the ordained spiritual leader of the Church of England and sits on the throne, the center of the global British Commonwealth. Meanwhile, the movers and shakers in the Republican party try to insert Donald Trump into this special class of superior beings. Probably it’s to distract from his criminality and corrupt regime. They are certain his voters have moved past the teachings of Jesus, who they view as weak and too woke. Instead they elected a swindler and a deeply flawed man for President of the United States, who pretends to be a pope and posts photos of himself in pope-ish costumes on his social media platform.

Ah, I find myself once again contemplating the divine to then thoughts of an insect. Perhaps it’s wishful thinking but maybe a do-over, a real life adaptation of Franz Kafka's book, "Metamorphosis" and a name change from Gregor Samsa is in order. This time the pest is Donald Trump. These days, it is imperative to know the distinction between the sacred and a bug, those who are supremely dignified and those who bring shame to our everyday work world.

Street Tarot