Studying the Cards: Five-- The Hierophant

Interpretation given by my Everything Tarot book states:
When the Hierophant appears in a reading, there is the suggestion that the person has chosen a specific religion or a particular life philosophy with which to guide his or her life. In such a case, there is usually a great deal of loyalty to it, whatever the person's concept of "God" may be. there is also the possibility of disentangling one's self from such an association.
In some organized religions, the supreme deity does not speak to the individual directly, or to the general populace. Therefore, institutionalized religion makes use of human "interpreters" who preach or teach the "word of God" or the divine will to their followers.
the Hierophant symbolizes any organized institution, be it religious, philosophical, or educational, spiritual or temporal, that exerts authority over its followers or participants, a kind of "mind control." In such groups there is always a person, or a group of people, doing the controlling. They always insist that their way is the only way, that theirs is the ultimate truth: either you obey them or you will be damned to all eternity.
Therefore, when the Hierophant appears, the idea of choice is posited. At this stage of your spiritual development, you are challenged to remain a follower or to break out and find your own individual spiritual truth. This card suggests that you have the opportunity--and often the desire--to choose your own road to salvation, to interpret the "word of God" in your own way. The Hierophant presents this challenge: will you continue to depend on an outside authority, or will you learn to think for yourself? The answer is yours alone, and there may be considerable conflict concerning the issue, but what you decide will affect the rest of your life and how you live it spiritually. This is not always a positive card, for it can indicate those who wish to exercise authority over others for their own purposes.

In a reading:
There is a traditional factor active in your life, whether it is a religion, a philosophy, a social organization, or any other authoritative group. You feel a great deal of loyalty to this tradition or group and find it supportive. You choose to live in accordance with the beliefs you have in common with the group or organization. You may aspire to become a leader, or you may have a close relationship with the leader. This group or tradition serves you in many ways, inspirationally, as a teacher, as emotional support. There may also be a judgmental quality involved where you are expected to follow a certain set of beliefs and, if you fail, you are called to account.

Description:
My book describes the Hierophant as "a figure of the same authority and power as the Emperor, with the difference that the Hierophant's power is of a spiritual nature while the Emperor's is temporal." Because of this he is depicted as a religious leader, some decks actually labeling him as "the Pope." He is seated on a throne, in a priestly garb, crowned, and holding a scepter. The religious theme of the deck will alter exact details around that. In my deck, he is in priestly clothing and he is seated on a simple throne, though rather than being "crowned" I see it as just being part of the priest attire, since it is--as best I can describe--a pope hat. He isn't holding the scepter in my card, though the same scepter is sitting in a stand beside him. His scepter symbolizes the three worlds: physical, astral, and etheric. His free hand, as on my card, is held up and in a position of blessing.
Most cards show a few people, acolytes, facing him as supplicants or students. This represents his wisdom and understanding as a religious authority. Like the Emperor, my books says he is a passive figure containing in himself the wisdom of a spiritual calling, and like the High Priestess he sits between two pillars representing the duality of the spiritual and physical worlds. Like my own High Priestess, there are no pillars on the card. He is much like an actual priest in his title as pontifex, meaning "maker of bridges" as it is his duty to form the link between the spiritual and physical world, the world of the gods with the world of men.
He is much like a teacher, offering knowledge and wisdom to those who seek the keys to the sacred Mysteries. He has two crossed keys, representing intellect and intuition and the need  to use them in tandem, in a morally conscious context. This includes the desire and responsibility for making spiritual decisions for others and blessing them. "Unlike the High Priestess, whose world is primarily internal and ephemeral, the Hierophant's influence is of-this-world and his spirituality can be achieved through conscious choices made on an intellectual basis."

Details I've noticed:
On my card, the Hierophant is a simple, passive man sitting on a simple throne. He is wearing priestly attire, and has an eight-spoked wheel behind him with each point leading to a spiritual symbol, representing multiple different religions and beliefs. He has a pair of crossed keys on his headpiece, and seems to look directly at me while offering a blessing with his right hand. He has a candle on the left of him and the scepter on the right of him.
Based on what I know, I would say that the Hierophant is a man of passive power and authority. However, unlike the Emperor who reigns over the current time and world, the Hierophant rules over the spiritual realm. He is a spiritual leader and teacher, and a connection between our physical world and the spirit world. He can represent a religious establishment, though mostly I think the purpose of him is just to represent whatever philosophy or belief system you hold, and to encourage you to be firm in your faith. He cautions that actual religious establishments can become corrupt, with the priest becoming too powerful, and taking other people's spirituality in his own hands, telling them that his word is law and that they must obey or be damned! It's at this point in time that the Hierophant offers a choice. Do you follow blindly like sheep, or stand firm and make your own decisions and choices?
This card is also represented by the number five. This number is about freedom and creativity, excitement and challenge and adventure! It's active and impulsive and physical. I don't see the Hierophant as being quite impulsive, but he is certainly about freedom, creativity, and challenge. He is about taking charge and doing what you know is right, sometimes taking risks but knowing that you're doing it for the right reasons.

Update:
Today is February 8th, 2014. I am going back over the cards I have already studied and looking to see if I can learn anything new from them. The Hierophant is perhaps the hardest card I have studied, and will probably continue to stay the hardest card for me. Though it does make sense, I am trying to connect the four aspects between High Priestess, Empress, Emperor, and Hierophant. I understand the four aspects and how they connect, but somehow I think it is supposed to have a bit more duality and opposite to it. Even though it is all about that. Oh well. The Hierophant stands as a teacher, and a midpoint between the physical and spiritual realms. Whereas the Emperor relates to the religious order in the physical world, the Hierophant is the same leadership position in the spiritual world. He is your own personal belief system, and reminds you to hold to yourself and your beliefs regardless of what happens in the physical world. It is in this aspect that he gives us a choice. And he is indeed a card of choice. His duality with the High Priestess comes into play here as a teacher of the spiritual world. Her more feminine intuition side works in tandem with his masculine intellect, to lead us along our spiritual path and religion. He is our pontifex, our maker of bridges, between the worlds. It is through the Hierophant that we can balance our intuition and intellect to come to informed and morally conscious decisions in life. He does not have to represent an actual pope or priest, but can represent the pontifex within ourselves, our own way of connecting our spiritual life to our physical. So in a reading I would see this card to mean someone who is perhaps a teacher or guide, but also to remind us that there is a choice to either blindly follow those we view as leaders, or to make our own decisions about what we want to do.