The woman who stands before him holding the crescent moon and a sword is Venus, ruler of Taurus. She holds the symbols for wisdom and emotion, a sign that these are in balance. The Hierophant has united the female and male within himself, and evolved each fully.

When the male and female are united, the child Horus is born. He is naked, unprotected, vulnerable, full of openness and trust in Existence. He represents true wisdom, expressed in the natural innocence of a child. Anyone who spends time in the presence of the Hierophant is touched by this quality. All defense mechanisms must be dropped in order to come fully into contact with his Being.

His head is surrounded by five white rose petals, symbolic of love in its purest, most perfect form. This is the love which can see the other, and give what is really needed at that moment. It may not always be something the other wants or wishes. A true master does not fulfill the disciples’ wishes. Truth is a provocation which can shake us out of the heavy sweet sleep of unconsciousness. Only those who are free of self-seeking motivation can wield the truth in this way, like Jesus whipping the money-lenders out of the temple.