Major arcana · V
The Hierophant
Upright
tradition · teaching · the proper form · belonging
The Hierophant sits between two pillars with two acolytes at his feet, holding the keys to a tradition. The card means learning through what already exists: teachers, institutions, ceremonies, the way things are done because they have been done. Upright, it advises conformity for a reason - there is wisdom in the inherited form, and belonging to something older than yourself has its own strength. Seek a mentor, follow the method, join.
The ritual made no sense and worked every time.
Which inherited rule are you keeping without having checked it?
Reversed
dogma · rebellion · the hollow form · your own path
Reversed, the Hierophant is the form without the meaning: dogma, empty ritual, rules obeyed by people who have forgotten why. It can also be the breaking of that - leaving the institution, questioning the teacher, making your own practice. The card asks whether you are rebelling against the rule or against the fact that it was handed to you.
She left the temple and found the same silence outside.
What do you believe because you were told to, and what because it is true?