Blessed 2021 to Everyone!
I don’t think I can remember another year where people were so happy to move on. And yet, we have several challenges facing us in 2021. Still, the attitude seems different. We’re not going to be blindsided by a world-changing pandemic this year; no that was last year. But we are still dealing with the pandemic and have a long way to go before it will be over. Nonetheless, progress is being made.
As we look back at 2020, I think we will have learned many lessons. We, as a species, are quick to adapt our lifestyles and habits. We can invent new ways of being social and running our businesses. The silver lining to last year: The environment benefited tremendously from the ramifications of the human species dealing with a global pandemic. Reduced commerce and reduced traffic (whether by air, land, or sea) means less stress on the environment and all its lifeforms.
2021—The Year of the Hierophant
The collective tarot card for this year is card V of the major arcana, The Hierophant (2021 → 2 + 0 + 2 +1 = 5). The Hierophant in its highest aspects signifies social structure, community, the benefits of religion, a connection between the material and the spiritual, teachings and lessons, and societal values. The shadow side of the Hierophant can be abuse in the name of religion, indoctrination for egotistical aims, fanatic cults, and extremism.
The Rider-Waite-Smith deck is full of religious imagery. Personally, I’m not a catholic, so at first, I had a hard time connecting with this card. That is why my favorite versions of this card are depictions of a tree. In many ways, the tree and the pope have several things in common. From my understanding of the catholic faith, the pope is the people’s connection to god. The congregation speaks to god through the pope and listens to god’s message from the pope’s mouth. This is very much like a tree. A tree takes the nutrients and water from the lowly soil and brings it up to the heavens where it produces delicious fruits, and a tree shelters us from the harsh blinding light and heat of the sun by providing us with shade.
Also, the tree as an image is central to many religions. The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil leads to the Fall (the introduction of sin) in Christian faiths. The Norse called their tree of life Yggdrasil. The Qabalah is the tree of life that stems from Judaism and has been adopted by many esoteric practices, as well as Christian mysticism. (The Qabalah is also a central theme in tarot, but that is a topic for another time.) The Assyrians in ancient Mesopotamia had a tree of life, and Islam has a Tree of Immortality.
Trees can also grow to become very old. Some can live for over 5,000 years. Trees store information too, the most obvious example being in their rings. Just think about all the knowledge one could accumulate in the amount of time tress live! Trees really are ancient sources of wisdom. And trees also form a great branching network. Their roots are connected by mycelium, or fungi. The mycelial networks allow trees to communicate with other trees in the forest.
Lastly, here’s one way to think about the number Five. Once we have made it to the material world of the Four and have become manifest, we have established the point of reference, the point of origin. From there, we can take it to the next level and go somewhere, somewhere grander, reach for the skies.
In 2021, I invite you to take a journey with me in honor of the Hierophant. This year provides us an excellent opportunity to reexamine our belief structures by answering questions like what are my beliefs and how did I come to them. We will also be called upon to strengthen our personal connection with the spiritual aspects of life. One of the ways I will be doing this is to spend time cultivating my relationship with trees and plants, which means simply spending more time with plants and becoming more aware of their presence in my life. We live on such a beautiful planet, and I find that connecting with nature is one of the easiest ways to experience the sacred in the world we belong to.
Happy Tree Hugging to You All!
Many Blessings,
Violet