This is the fifth in a series of conversations between the Birth Card pairs and Jason C. Lotterhand, through “The Thursday Night Tarot”, (edited by Arisa Victor). The host for this series is the Fool, representing the individual taking the journey. The fifth Birth Card pair up is Temperance/Hierophant.
Fool: Welcome to this series of conversations. Information discussed here is based on Jason C. Lotterhand’s work, as presented in “The Thursday Night Tarot”. Something to keep in mind before we enter into the following conversation is the theme for the Temperance/Hierophant duo: “Bringing balance to life, balance between freedom and adaptability, and the need for roots, security and structure within the realms of society, community, and spirit.” To my left is Temperance, to my right is the Hierophant, and to the Hierophant’s right we have Mr. Lotterhand. Thank you all for being here. Temperance, you may begin.
Temperance: I would like to thank Mr. Lotterhand and the Hierophant for being here, and the Fool for hosting this series. As we all know, Birth Cards work in pairs. However, we all carry our own identity. Through Mr. Lotterhand’s work, we hope to clarify who we are to those who carry our energy.
Mr. Lotterhand, you state that I represent the principle of guidance. What exactly does that mean?
Jason C. Lotterhand: It means that as you walk the Path, you are not alone. Your Inner Self is right there with you, acting as a Guide. The Archangel that represents our Innermost Self is the Archangel Michael. Whenever you are lonely, commune with your Inner Self. The availability of the Inner Self as a guide is the main message of Key 14 (Temperance).
Temperance: On the Tree of Life, I go straight up the middle pillar and resolve into the High Priestess, which joins Kether (One Self) at the top. Why is this important?
Jason C. Lotterhand: The High Priestess represents mind and memory. We need to remember at all times who we truly are, in relation to all of life.
Temperance: What is the significance of my gold background? Can we equate this with illumination?
Jason C. Lotterhand: Symbolically, gold reprents value, and is the metal of the Sun, which corresponds to light. The zodiac sign associated with Temperance is Sagittarius, the Archer. Here we see energy and idealism focused on religion, philosophy, and higher education. The path of Temperance takes an individual beyond who they are, beyond their own immediate environment, beyond separate ego and into universal mind.
Fool: Thank you, Temperance, and you, Mr. Lotterhand. Hierophant , you have the podium.
Hierophant: Thank you, Fool. I would like to thank Temperance and Mr. Lotterhand for being here, and the Fool for acting as host. You refer to me as an “inner teacher”. Can you talk a little bit about that, please.
Jason C. Lotterhand: We all need an inner teacher, and you certainly fit the bill, Hierophant. You connect us with the invisible world of spirit, which is an invaluable gift. All the guidance that we really need, that is essential to our well being, comes from our intuition. This same intuition leads us to better things in our life. Key 5 (the Hierophant) follows Key 4 (the Emperor) for a very good reason – we must exhaust our powers of reason before we can call on our intuition. Intuition then helps us through the big questions in life. Intuitive guidance brings us to wanting what we need, on both material and spiritual levels.
Hierophant: What do you mean when you say that Key 5 is the “still, small voice”?
Jason C. Lotterhand: In order to listen we need to still our mind. The voice that comes out of this stillness is the voice of intuition, the voice of our inner self.
Hierophant: I get asked this all the time! Please tell our audience what the gesture that I am making means!
Jason C. Lotterhand: LOL I imagine that you do get asked that a lot! Your gesture is called the gesture of esotericism. This symbolizes the fact that you are teaching the mysteries.
Hierophant: Why do you call the Voice of Silence the most eloquent voice of all?
Jason C. Lotterhand: The Voice of Silence is the most eloquent voice of all because it allows you to listen. The Inner Voice never overrides reason. The intuitive ability inherent in the Hierophant brings together bits and pieces of information and shines a light on the intellectual process. In essence, intuition opens up the mind.
Hierophant: Do you have any final thoughts for our audience?
Jason C. Lotterhand: The Tarot is in essence an inner path, which emphasizes intuition. Our inner teacher is trying to help us live the best life possible. We can appreciate life only when we know what it is all about.
Please note: These are, of course, imaginary conversations. The information has been taken from “The Thursday Night Tarot”, Jason C. Lotterhand, edited by Arisa Victor, Newcastle Publishing Co. Inc, 1989. Any errors in translation are mine, and mine alone.
Images are from the Tarot Lovers Tarot (Karyn Easton, http://paranormality.com/) .
© September 2012 Bonnie Cehovet
Perspectives On Tarot 