The Hierophant, Commitment, John Trudell, and Using Our Best Flaws

The Hierophant is dogmatic and hierarchical and a hoarder of knowledge. None of this can be denied, of course, but she is more than just her flaws. And besides, her flaws feed the best she has to offer, which is something we are likely to find is true in ourselves.

When The Hierophant is at her best, she uses her hierarchical vision to streamline vital interactions or effectively distribute resources. She is the absolute best at performing complicated feats of social organization. The key, she tells us, is to keep your hierarchies temporary, non-personal, and rooted in justice. 

The Hierophant can enjoy knowing things that others do not, this is fundamentally true of her archetypal nature, but remember, the ability to keep secrets is what makes us trustworthy and capable of friendship, too.

The toughest quality we find in The Hierphant is her bullheadedness. Though if any one of us is to become deeply committed to a way of life or a cause or a family or a community, a little dogma will go a long way. There must be a capacity for the unwavering if we are to make commitments last. Any pursuit or relationship will require us to operate on faith alone at certain points on our path.

Every archetype has magical rights. The Hierophant has the power to create shifts in the human soul using only her voice. The Hierophant is able to write poetry and deliver it to audiences and congregations with a spirit that can be neither named nor taught. The beats of the words, be these original prose or ancient scriptures, combined with the ineffable quality of oration, is what makes The Hierophant both a leader and a healer. 

An example of The Hierophant can be seen in the life of John Trudell, who was a powerful artist, orator, and activist who lived his deep commitment to his purposes upon earth.

His poetry, his words, and his voice could penetrate the barriers to knowing. He was a leader and a wayshower who embodied the best aspects of The Hierophant and put them to use over the course of a long and inspiring life.

To really understand my meaning here, you must listen to him speak.