The Hierophant
Outlining the sixth major arcana card.
Keith Hiscox
1/15/20262 min read
Here we are again with more details on the design and meaning of our Fools Reborn Tarot cards. We're still discussing the Major Arcana - this time it's the tradition-bound Hierophant. So we suppose it's fitting that we keep up the established tradition of being late posting this blog entry!
Card Meaning
The Hierophant represents tradition, longstanding hierarchical organisations, conformity and spiritual wisdom. This card speaks of family, training, mentorship, social pressure and fidelity.
In a yes/no reading this card usually means yes, although it can mean no where the query concerns risky actions, using unorthodox methods, or making radical changes.
Setting Specific Design
Within some tarot traditions this card can also be called the teacher or the pope, rather than the hierophant. We briefly considered renaming it "The Tetrarch" which would have been the Sabrian bishop equivalent, but in the end decided to keep using the more usual tarot card names throughout the deck (we'll see the same considerations come up again later in the deck with cards such as "The Devil").
The artist has kept the crossed keys (profane and holy knowledge combined), the gestural benediction and the triple crown. The two pillars showing the balance that religion makes within the world are a key component of this card. We changed the colour scheme of the card to more closely align it with the colours mentioned for the religion within the Collegia Magica novels, and the papal staff has been changed to bear the standard delta-pi symbol representing the gates of heaven in the local religion.
Mechanical Impact
The Hierophant represents the character roles of Priests, Monks (in the European Tradition), Teachers, and to some extent Doctors. A character here might be religious, or someone more worldly acting in a mentor's role.
During main gameplay the card is usually found within magic user's decks but can be in a mundane character's deck if they have specifically selected it using their destiny points.
When played the card doubles the face value of all other cards played alongside it, but only when it is being used in partnership with another character. Partnership here means two characters using both of their turns in a collective effort to achieve the same immediate goal. Entering a partnership is a specific mechanical choice that the two players must have entered into willingly - the action gets resolved on the latter player's turn.
On the subject of partnerships, our next blog will look at "The Lovers" in all their glory.
