The Hierophant as Feelings in Love & Relationships (Upright & Reversed)

The Hierophant is the card of traditions, education, faith, marriage, and spirituality. He is the male counterpart of the High Priestess. The Hierophant sits between two pillars. At his feet are two people who look to him for guidance and two keys representing the physical and spiritual realms. He presides over ceremony, kindness, charity, and metaphysical guidance.  

The Hierophant is conventional in his outlook on love, and he cherishes the stability of time-tested institutions, like religion, marriage, and childbirth. He serves the world in spiritual attunement by providing his flock of followers with rules and guidance. 

Upright Hierophant as Feelings

If you are asking about how someone feels about you, and you draw the Hierophant, that means that this person feels drawn to you at a deep, spiritual level. They feel positively about you, and their intentions are pure. They feel guided by you. You are inspiring as a mentor and role model, and they feel that they are learning and growing when they spend time with you. 

In terms of where their feelings sit on the romantic scale, however, the Hierophant does not necessarily indicate that these feelings have progressed to a romantic level. Their feelings may be platonic and need to be developed with time. On the other hand, if you are already in a relationship, this is one of the best cards to get for marriage and deeper commitment. 

The Hierophant as feelings means that they feel stable and assured around you. You check their boxes. Being with you is safe, and they feel that you are a good choice for them. They feel in control of their emotions. The Hierophant also speaks of a spiritual love that grows over time. They care about you and they want to nourish you with guidance. 

For singles and those embarking on new relationships, the Hierophant can be a sign that someone likes you a lot. However, their feelings have not progressed to a deeper romantic level yet, as it would with the Lovers, the next card in the Major Arcana series. It can also mean that someone sees you as a conventionally attractive and safe option. You are someone who would please their family, because you check all of the boxes. However, there needs to be more of a spark here in order for romance to blossom. This is not impossible, and may simply require spending more time with each other.

For existing relationships, the Hierophant indicates deep feelings for you. If the honeymoon phase of your relationship has passed, the Hierophant indicates that their feelings have deepened into a long-term, companionate love. They feel sure of your status together, and they are keen to deepen your commitment. If the two of you are considering marriage or having children, now is the time to discuss this further. 

If you are asking about an old flame or an ex’s feelings about you, the Hierophant suggests that their feelings for you are platonic. Your ex feels that your relationship was significant in their life journey. Your ex deeply respects you because they have learned so much from being together with you. They still love you, but not in a romantic way. Though they appreciate you tremendously, reconciliation is not on their mind.

In the context of whether or not a relationship is headed for commitment, engagement, or marriage, the Hierophant as feelings is positive. They already feel that you are marriage material, and they have deep feelings for you. You’ve demonstrated that your relationship has gone beyond the honeymoon phase. Will they propose? They see you as a safe option for marriage, because you check all of the boxes. However, the Hierophant is not a card of action, so they may still be sitting on the fence despite themselves. If this resonates with you and describes your situation, I recommend having an honest conversation with them about this, and see what needs to happen to make it happen.

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Hierophant Reversed as Feelings

When the Hierophant is reversed, it indicates that spiritual growth is blocked. For whatever reason, they feel boxed in and restricted. They feel unsupported in their growth. This could be a result of following rules obsessively, to the point where the rules are upheld at the expense of a person’s humanity and dignity. They are afraid of your judgment and criticism, and perhaps even resentful of perceived hypocrisy. They desire the freedom to make their own rules and write their own story. If this resonates with you, ask yourself if you have been too harsh or too much of a perfectionist in your demands. 

The Hierophant reversed can also be a sign that a person is being overly judgmental of you and inhibited by their own desire for control. This is often driven by a feeling of insecurity. Perhaps they feel scared by your free spirit. Even though you might not check all of the boxes, you are happy and at peace. That can be frightening, if a person does not feel secure in their own being. You challenge their identity, and that makes them feel unstable. 

The Hierophant reversed can also mean that the person feels that your values are not aligned. This prevents them from connecting with you at a deeper value. Perhaps your relationship started off with fireworks, but now they feel that there are fundamental differences in how you view the world. What is important to you? What is important to them? These questions must be answered.

For singles and those in new relationships, the Hierophant reversed is a warning sign for your compatibility. Although they may have been initially very interested, they feel blocked from connecting with you at a deeper, more meaningful level. This does not mean that either of you are bad, or have failed in some way. It can simply mean that you are two very different people who want very different things. If you want to work through this, you will need to have honest conversations about your values and what you are looking for in a partner. 

For those in committed relationships, the Hierophant reversed as feelings means that you need to explore your relationship dynamic. They feel that the soul connection is missing. It ultimately has to do with a misalignment of values. Does one of you value freedom, while the other values security? Is one of you a risk taker, while the other is risk averse? They may be questioning your compatibility. If you want your relationship with this person to succeed, you’re going to need to take a look at these hard questions and see if this match is still a fit. 

If you are asking about an ex’s feelings about you, the Hierophant reversed means that they still feel resentful. Did the two of you fight often? Was one or both of you controlling of the other? Although you may have really loved each other, they feel that you do not share the same values, and they cannot move past that. They are not interested in reconciliation, and they do not want to get back together with you at this time. If at some point their negative feelings fade, there is a chance that the two of you can become friends again. 

In the context of whether or not a relationship is headed for commitment, engagement, or marriage, the reversed Hierophant as feelings suggests a no. It is not that your partner is against the idea of commitment or marriage, or that they do not love you. However, they find it of utmost importance that the person they marry share their same values. This may simply be a sign that you need to have a serious conversation about what each of you wants in life. Do you agree on religion, kids, and money? Where are each of you willing to compromise, and what is a deal breaker? These are the big questions on their mind, and they need answers in order to feel that you are marriage material for them. 

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Conclusion

For relationships and feelings, The Hierophant is a tricky card. At its best, it represents the highest form of spiritual, platonic love. This is the critical foundation for every great relationship and commitment, but it is not enough in itself. Some relationships are not meant to progress beyond just friends. As much as that can hurt in the moment, know that you are best served by meeting someone who is aligned with you at a soul level. You will have to judge what the Hierophant is trying to tell you by the context of your reading and relationship history. 

If you find yourself needing further clarity in your relationship matters that go beyond reading for yourself, Sibyl offers unlimited tarot readings on love & relationships, as a neutral and objective third party.