After the service I have pulled a card today to honour the life of my father, who died three years ago. I have used the Voyager Tarot, and received the Hierophant.
The Hierophant characterizes the life of my father in a big way. He was a teacher all his life -he taught English- and the Hierophant functions a teacher. One of the teachings of the Hierophant, pictured as the Buddha in the Voyager Tarot, is ‘compassion’. My father was a teacher but also counsellor at his school. In this function he helped pupils in trouble and he had a great heart for them. Further, the Hierophant is someone who has a central figure in the teachings of a religion. Although my father was not a vicar, he had an important and central role in the religious community he was a member of, not only in the organisation, but also in developing thoughts which road this community should follow. My father was a loyal person, another aspect of the Hierophant (loyal to culture, to rules). This can be a rather disastrous trait (in my life it sometimes is), but not for my father. He worked as a volunteer in a organisation for refugees. Even when the people in charge changed the organisation radical, against my fathers ideas, he stayed loyal to them, and liked working with them. His tool in that was the ability to put things into perspective, also one of the teachings of the Hierophant in the Voyager Tarot. The Hierophant as Buddha here puts things into perspective, that belongs to the Buddhist philosophy. Last but not least, my father was a great chairman. He chaired meetings with humour, because of his already mentioned ability to put things into perspective. Humour, again, is an aspect of the Hierophant in the Voyager Tarot. The Buddha in the upper-left of the card, is smiling.
His life will be remembered and is kept in the hands of God.