Taurus Tarot: The Hierophant
We’ve got about a week left of Taurus season 2021, which is a perfect time to analyze the connection between the Tarot and the second sign of the zodiac. If you recall from last month, each sign is associated with a card in the traditional Tarot deck. And to make matters even more relevant, I also have a non-traditional deck where the cards are replaced with baseball tropes. So for those of you who are doubly-mystically inclined, here’s another trip into the connection between Tarot and Astrology.
According to the research I have on hand, the Tarot card associated with Taurus is The Hierophant. This card is #5 in the Major Arcana, which comes sequentially after the card associated Aries (#4, the Emperor). In fact, as I look at my document again, I realize that all the cards go chronologically, starting with #4 and ending with #18 (skipping #10, #12, and #16). This removes some of the mystery from this feature going forward, but on the other hand, now you know what to expect. Which is fitting for series of posts involving a form of Divination like Tarot.
As a card, The Hierophant is the male counterpart to The High Priestess (#2), similar to the Emperor (Aries) and The Empress (not affiliated). According to Arthur Edward Waite in his Pictorial Guide to the Tarot, the Hierophant is “the ruling power of external religion” and “the leader of salvation for the human race at large.” It’s a heavy responsibility to be sure, but one for which the slow, methodical personality of a Taurus is well suited to bear. Or should I say bull. Not an animal known for being slow OR methodical, but I guess the picture drawn by the stars doesn’t necessarily connect with the personalities of people born under that sign.
In the Baseball Tarot, the Hierophant becomes The Manager, which represents tradition, conformity, and ethics (my concentration as a philosophy major in college). In the book that accompanies the deck, Mark Lerner and Laura Phillips explain that “the Manager holds the key s to victory of defeat, rallies the players to stay on course even when the outlook seems bleak, reminds down-on-their-luck individuals that they are part of a team. The Manager has the position of final responsibility.” This last insight is no secret if you’re a baseball fan, but it’s both a clear summary of the manager’s role, and a good reminder of what to keep in mind when this card appears in a reading.
As far as active Major League managers go, only three are Tauruses. (Taureans?) Terry Francona of the Indians has had the most success, with 21 years of experience and two World Series titles. Don Mattingly of the Marlins had the most impressive playing career, with nine Gold Gloves, six All-Star nods, and an MVP award to his credit. And A.J. Hinch of the Tigers somehow escaped the Astros sign stealing scandal unscathed, as he’s back in the skipper’s chair after a weak one-year suspension – he didn’t even have to return his ill-gotten World Series trophy. On a side note, the sign most represented amongst active managers is Libra, which has eight. Leo is next with five, and Gemini and Virgo are tied with Taurus, with three apiece.
Next time, we go back to 2002, a year where a Taurus pitcher won the American League Cy Young Award, while playing for the real-life team whose uniform most resembles what Taurus would wear on the field.