The Hierophant V is often considered a spiritual teacher. With his delicate facial features his appearance is youthful and even feminine. However, The Hierophant V's eyes tell a different story as they hold his steady, determined gaze over the heads of those who gather before and beneath him. His manner and expression signify a clear, unwavering focus and direction.  His arms are open wide in salutation and symbolising  himself as the bridge between Heaven and Earth. The Hierophant V's hands appear small, graceful and effeminate. His right hand, is raised towards heaven, shows two fingers pointing skyward and two pointing downward signifying a gesture of blessing or benediction. The Hierophant V sits between 2 large grey pillars indicating the existence but perhaps the insignificance of the duality of our sentient world to traditional dogma. The colour pale grey is a feminine colour that provides a contrast to the masculine red of his ceremonial gown. Grey signifies the potential for growth through uncertainty and change; it symbolises that fertile 'space' of unlimited potential and for the process of manifesting.

​The Pope V is God’s representative on Earth and a man in his senior years with a thick grey-white beard and long hair. He has an experienced, worldly face. The Pope’s gaze seems softer and more contemplative; focused on those gathering around him to receive his teaching and blessing. The Pope’s left hand is not raised towards heaven; rather it directs attention to the golden glove on his right hand showing a Maltese Cross. The Maltese Cross is said to symbolise the traits of truth, repentance, faith, humility, justice and mercy. ​The Pope V sits before two royal-blue pillars that give an appearance of being a considerable distance in the background. The dark blue suggests honour, nobility and truth and frames The Pope’s head and face. ​​The Pope V sits before two royal-blue pillars that give an appearance of being a considerable distance in the background. The dark blue suggests honour, nobility and truth and frames The Pope’s head and face.. While pillars indicate limitations within which we live they also provide the framework for daily living. It is within these boundaries. 

The Pope V and The Hierophant V each express through their teachings what is important morally, culturally, socially, and spiritually, to a daily life: how to feel, think and act. The Hierophant V has the Keys to Heaven at his feet, granting him the authority to direct the spiritual growth in others and, as with The Pope V,  the advance of dogma in his Church.  ​

Bookings for the May-June Workshops will soon end.
Please see final booking dates below starting with 29th April 2017.
​If you wish to secure your place at any of these workshops book now
​and I will send you a confirmation email within 24 hours.  
An invoice (for your choice of workshops) will be emailed to you in early May 2017.

 Workshop #12017: 20th May 2017
The Major Arcana Upright 
Last day to book Workshop #12017 is 29th April, 2017

Workshop #22017: 27th May 2017
The Minor Arcana Upright 
Last day to book Workshop #22017 is 6th May, 2017

Workshop #32017 : 3rd June 2017
The Tarot Court Cards Upright
Last day to book Workshop #32017 is 13th May, 2017

The Hierophant V and The Pope V
​Upright
The Number 5 represents the 5 senses: sight, hearing, taste, feeling, and smell. It stands for the ‘essence of things as they are’ and in Latin the word for five means Nature. We might describe The Hierophant V: Rider and The Pope V: Marseilles as those cultural leaders who give others meaning to the sentient-spiritual relationship in the realm of of life experience and to the world of the senses.
In their Upright position, The Hierophant V: Rider and The Pope V: Marseilles symbolise society’s norms and traditions and are sought after as key sources of knowledge and wisdom - both sacred and profane. The Papal characters are leaders of conformist and traditional institutions and work to maintain society’s established order and conventional ideologies; the tried and the true. Key V of the Major Arcana represents the guide, teacher, pastor and mentor; and can signify receiving counselling, education and religious instruction or contract, such as a traditional marriage contract. The Hierophant V: Rider and The Pope V: Marseilles deliver sensible and socially acceptable advice. The values they represent are designed to help us grow, to move us towards peace, spiritual understanding and better living. In both images The Hierophant V: Rider and The Pope V: Marseilles appear much larger than the other figures – the acolytes, students and initiates. Their considerable ‘weight’ and relative size signifies their much greater authority, power and station in life. They are positioned to so their bodies, faces and hands are clearly visible to all.

Each wears a gold and jewelled Triple Crown or Tiara representing a divinely appointed clergyman-teacher-pastor. In their left hand each holds a golden staff with Triple Cross; a symbol of faith, hope and love. The Triple Cross signifies needs for a fulfilling spiritual life – a love of nature, a love of ones neighbours and the love of God. Gold-yellow is a masculine colour and symbolic of a both the precious metal and of the Third Chakra. It symbolises wealth and abundance, power, supreme spiritual qualities, unconditional love and a deep understanding of the self and the soul’s purpose.
​The Hierophant V: Rider and The Pope V: Marseilles share many common elements. They are both almost completely covered by their extravagant ceremonial garments; leaving only their hands and faces exposed. The Hierophant V: Rider’s resplendent red cloak with white trim, bearing the Cross motive, reminds us of both the The Magician I: Rider and The Emperor IV: Rider. The Pope V: Marseilles wears an impressive red ceremonial cape with golden trim over a royal blue tunic. Red is a masculine colour and signifies physical vigour, force, excitement and passion. Red is the colour of the 1st Chakra and stands for the courage to live one’s (earthly) purpose with persistence, personal strength and a passionate and balanced approach. The underlying energy of the First Chakra is that of physical-emotional connection to family, tribe, country and nation. 

​Under his red cloak The Pope V: Marseilles wears a substantial tunic of royal blue; the colour royal blue signifies devotional study, the quest for religious truths and personal integrity. The Hierophant V: Rider wears a pale blue neckerchief which signifies peace, calm and healing. Lighter shades of blue are associated with the throat and Fifth Chakra; and symbolise communication, the ability to express oneself clearly and to manifest one’s goals in life.
The white undergarments worn by both figures suggest an underlying purity and capacity or healing through expression compassion with words. White is the colour of mental clarity, pure thoughts and actions and stimulates feelings of renewal.

The Hierophant V: Rider and The Pope V: Marseilles also differ in rather interesting ways. The Hierophant V: Rider is often considered a spiritual teacher and has a face that appears youthful and delicate; his eyes however, hold a steady, determined gaze over the heads of those who gather before showing focus and clear direction. His hands appear small, graceful and even effeminate even as his arms are open wide in salutation. The Pope V is God’s representative on Earth and a man in his senior years with a thick grey-white beard and long hair. He has an experienced, worldly face. The Pope’s gaze seems softer and more contemplative; focused on those gathering around him to receive his teaching and blessing.  ​

To develop the confidence and skill to integrate our intuition and imagination into our tarot readings for ourselves and others we must take the step to learn and to understand what we 'see'. The fundamental 'language of tarot' is the historical, traditional and
essential meanings of each of the 78 cards.
It might be compared to the importance of learning the symbols of the alphabet - our  'abc's'; of basic grammar and punctuation; and the ability to comprehend
or 'interpret' what it is we are seeing.  
These skills are learnt before we can truly enjoy
the story of a good book! ​
Martha Adams