V-The Hierophant / Der Hohepriester Tarot Original

search for hidden truths and quest for meaning
keyphrase: "know your true self"

symbol: wisdom through experience
sign: taurus
astrology: sun in sagittarius
path of vau from chokmah to chesed

archetype: the light bearer, the bridge builder between micro-, and macrocosm, Horus/Seth

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The Hierophant represents the bridge builder between god and man and therefore the crowned child. The symbol of the child (Horus/Seth complex) is dual in it's nature so he not only is the liberator but also the destroyer.
"Destroying" is a negative term but think twice about this. Nothing can last forever - it would be a timeless condition of insanity and stagnating order. Evolution is only possible through destruction. This law applies equally to cosmic systems, empires and cultures but also to our own body, mind and ego. 
The Hierophant in the middle is the balanced self within the chaos of outside forces or orders. In the corners I have drawn the four cherubim representative for the 4 elements (water - scorpion/eagle, earth - taurus, fire - lion, air - aquarius) eating their own tails like the ouroboros. This means that every extreme eventually leads to the beginning without escaping the cycle. Only balanced between these four forces the Hierophant can emerge inside the pentagram and be more then the sum of his parts (4->5 within 6).
The keys in his hands represent the knowledge of the laws and forces of the universe as well as the balance between negative and positive forces within his own self.
At the base you can see a meditating person, surrounded by the phases of the moon. Obviously the key of transcending into a higher state of consciousness or evolving into a better self is making peace with the female forces, the dark mother or the inner wells (subconsciousness). The mother-son symbolism is very deep and has many layers.
Christianity absorbed this very important building stone of the multiverse from archaic cultures and expressed it into their mother mary with her baby- child. Which leads to the symbol above - the infant within the womb. Between this two incomplete archetypes (above and below) the Hierophant represents the independent but understanding son who redeems the mother. The symbol of the nails (=vau) also found their way into christianity with the crucified Jesus. (salvation through suffering) Of course this is an important part of the mystery but not the main aspect of becoming one's own saviour. The nails are necessary to fix the position of the Hierophant and keep him in focus within the diversions of the cosmos.
You can see that within the Hierophants circle there are no stars but only blackness. His own light blazes into the darkness around him. This symbol for the inner illumination in contrast to the distracting flashes of light from outside forces/ the archonts / the stars is probably the most important one.