A Modern African Tarot

The sixth card in A Modern African Tarot shifts the journey from personal authority to public influence. Where IV EMPEROR represents legacy and leadership, V PASTOR explores spiritual power in the modern age—how faith, charisma, and community converge in one figure. This card reimagines the traditional Hierophant through the lens of African religious life, media visibility, and social aspiration.

In classic tarot, the Hierophant is a religious leader seated between two acolytes, holding a staff and wearing ceremonial robes. He represents tradition, doctrine, and spiritual authority. The imagery evokes Catholicism and medieval hierarchy—papal crowns, temple pillars, and rigid orthodoxy. For many Africans, this feels disconnected from the vibrant, complex, and often controversial role of spiritual leaders in contemporary life.

V PASTOR, by contrast, is unmistakably modern. He stands confidently in a church-like setting, dressed in a blue suit and tie, holding a microphone and smiling. Behind him, arched windows suggest sacred architecture. Around him, hands reach forward offering gifts: a ring in a velvet box, stacks of money, a CV envelope, and a smartphone. This is not a distant priest—this is a public figure, a magnet of hope, ambition, and projection.

The microphone in his hand is symbolic. It represents voice, influence, and performance. In many African churches, pastors are not just spiritual guides—they are motivational speakers, community leaders, and media personalities. This card captures that energy. The Pastor is not cloaked in mystery—he is amplified.

The offerings extended toward him are layered with meaning. The ring suggests romantic or spiritual devotion. The money speaks to prosperity gospel culture and the transactional nature of modern faith. The CV envelope reflects aspiration—people seeking jobs, validation, or breakthrough through spiritual connection. The smartphone symbolizes visibility, livestreams, and digital ministry. This Pastor is not just preaching—he is shaping lives, careers, and identities.

His smile is charismatic, but ambiguous. Is it benevolent, strategic, or performative? The card invites reflection. In African contexts, pastors often occupy complex roles—healers, prophets, entrepreneurs, and sometimes controversial figures. V PASTOR does not judge—it reveals.

The suit and tie reinforce professionalism and respectability. He is not dressed in robes—he is dressed for influence. This reflects how many African spiritual leaders blend religious authority with corporate aesthetics. They are CEOs of congregations, curators of image, and architects of belief.

The church setting anchors the card in tradition, but the energy is dynamic. This is not a quiet sanctuary—it is a stage. The Pastor stands alone, but the crowd is implied. He is the focal point of projection, hope, and power.

V PASTOR invites us to reconsider spiritual leadership. In African contexts, faith is often communal, emotional, and deeply tied to survival. Pastors are not just interpreters of scripture—they are interpreters of life. They offer meaning, direction, and sometimes miracles. This card honors that complexity.

As the sixth card in this series, V PASTOR marks a shift from private mastery to public engagement. The Fool begins with openness, the Magician with focus, the High Priestess with insight, the Empress with creation, the Emperor with structure—and now the Pastor with influence. He teaches that spiritual power is not only sacred—it is social, performative, and deeply human.

This reinterpretation reframes the Hierophant archetype as a figure of modern African faith. He is not distant or dogmatic—he is present, visible, and responsive. He is the reminder that belief is not static—it evolves with culture, technology, and need.

With V PASTOR, the deck continues to speak to African identity, modern life, and spiritual depth. It offers a mirror for those who have long searched for themselves in the cards and found only foreign reflections. The journey now enters the realm of public faith—where charisma meets calling.

Images in this series, including “V Pastor,” are AI‑generated. They are used here as creative visual interpretations to accompany the written narrative. The intent is to blend modern technology with African symbolism, offering readers a fresh lens on the tarot archetypes.