Alternative meanings of the Hierophant when you're not conventionally religious?

The Hierophant can definitely be tricky if you don’t resonate with the traditional meanings tied to religion, marriage, or conventional wisdom. But even if you’re non-religious and non-traditional, this card still has a lot to offer in a reading.

For me, The Hierophant is about seeking guidance, structure, or even a sense of order—but not necessarily from a religious or traditional source. It can represent any form of authority or mentor that helps you understand something complex or gives you a framework to work within. Think of it as a reminder to seek knowledge or wisdom from trusted sources, whether that’s a book, a mentor, or even your own inner guidance.

In a personal context, especially if you’re non-traditional, The Hierophant might be pointing out where you’re adhering to your own set of rules or structures, even if they’re unconventional. It could also be encouraging you to develop your own beliefs or practices that resonate with you, rather than following what’s expected or “traditional.”

When it comes to making the same mistakes, I like your interpretation of The Hierophant as a call to break out of old patterns. It’s like saying, “What lessons are you repeating, and how can you break free from that cycle?”

In career readings, I also see it as representing an organization, institution, or even a boss who has influence over your path. And for love readings, while it can hint at a Taurus or the Taurus season, it might also ask you to consider how you and your partner align (or don’t align) in terms of values and long-term goals.

Ultimately, The Hierophant can be about finding or creating your own path, your own “traditions,” and how you structure your life in a way that feels true to you. It’s less about following the norm and more about understanding and crafting your own belief system.

The traditional religious meanings never clicked with me either, so I’ve come up with my own interpretation of the Hierophant that feels more relevant. Being an artist, I’ve always heard that you need to learn the rules before you can break them. For example, you have to understand how to draw a body realistically before you can stylize it into a cartoon character.

That’s how I see the Hierophant—it represents the rules or foundations you need to know. It’s the basics or teachings of a discipline that you have to master before you can start experimenting. And sometimes, those rules exist for a reason and shouldn’t be ignored in every situation. There are moments when sticking to tried-and-true methods is the best approach instead of always trying something new.
That’s just my take on the Hierophant.

Even if you are going against them, how has tradition or orthodoxy influenced your decisions? Who in your life have you cast in the role of the Hierophant? Maybe they deserve a closer look. What kind of freedom could you find if you let go of your resistance to the Hierophant? Is there something valuable in old traditions that you might be missing out on?

These are questions I ask myself whenever the Hierophant shows up because, like you, I instinctively resist this archetype. I’ve come to see it as a challenge to revisit my own biases and keep my mind open.

I'm also non-religious, and I see the Hierophant as a serious card that brings an energy of deep thought. It’s a card that encourages sticking to your beliefs and not taking unnecessary risks. Depending on the situation, it can sometimes be about being stubborn or even exerting authority over others or yourself. For me, the Hierophant and Emperor have a similar authoritative vibe, but the Hierophant leads more through wisdom and intuition rather than pure control.

I see the Hierophant as the opposite of the High Priestess and a kind of companion to the Emperor.

Unlike the High Priestess, who encourages people to find their own path and explore on their terms, the Hierophant is more structured. He represents power through systems—society, institutions, rules, and established beliefs. He’s all about order and ritual, keeping certain practices separate from the public to maintain their sacredness. While the High Priestess is available to anyone who seeks her, the Hierophant is more of a gatekeeper, offering access to higher knowledge but only through his teachings. He’s also more public and often held in high regard.

Where can you spot this energy? The Hierophant can show up in situations involving societal rules, traditional structures, walking in line with public approval, official status, institutions like school or work, and even formal family dynamics.

MariiaMelnyk
This is such a wonderful description! When I seek guidance from the High Priestess, she tells me to tune into my inner voice and follow my gut feelings. Conversely, the Hierophant implies that I should seek guidance from another individual in my life, such as a mentor, spouse, or boss, in order to understand things better. On the other hand, it might be a relationship dynamic that reveals aspects of myself that I would have missed otherwise.