Liminal/New Liminal Tarot - Hierophant

[Bodhiseed]

 

5 – Hierophant

 

With branch-arms raised, a sentient face peers out from the bark of a large, old tree. Several similar, smaller trees surround the older one.

 

Cline’s choice for the Hierophant immediately made me think of Peter Wohlleben’s book, The Hidden Life of Trees. The forester describes how trees communicate to each other through chemical release signals when something eats one, resulting in the others releasing a toxic substance in their leaves. They also communicate through an underground fungal network that connects their roots, allowing an exchange of ‘news’ and nutrients. Wohlleben writes: “A tree is not a forest. On its own, a tree cannot establish a consistent local climate. It is at the mercy of wind and weather. But together, many trees create an ecosystem that moderates extremes of heat and cold, stores a great deal of water, and generates a great deal of humidity. And in this protected environment, trees can live to be very old. To get to this point, the community must remain intact no matter what.” Humans have a natural need to belong. Their search for knowledge and connection often leads them to a wise teacher who represents a spiritual or intellectual tradition. Being a part of such a group can give people a sense of stability and purpose as well as an opportunity for personal development and growth. The shadow side of the Hierophant is that sometimes such groups can become closed communities. Traditions can turn into truths and guides for conduct can become dogmatic creeds. Trust doesn’t mean we have to check our brain at the door.

 

“... we all come into this world with a need for connection and protection and with a need for freedom. And from the first moment on, we will be straddling these two needs: what is me, and what is us? … this constant dance between me and you, between I and thou, is at the core of being human.”

―Esther Perel

Edited July 10, 2021 by Bodhiseed