Description:
A man stands in front of a wall clock facing straight out of the card. He has his arms crossed and appears to be saying something. The facial expression is intend as if he is trying to stress some point. His clothes are a pale blue shirt with a white collar and cuffs with cuff links, brown suspenders, and a yellow tie. His hair is short and brown. The time on the clock reads 11:40. The wall behind him is a solid medium green.

Quoting from the LWB:
"You will know him by his natty wardrobe and excellent hair. His arms are crossed, as if to say he knows more than you do, and he might just help you out - if your're nice to him. The clock is his friend and familiar; he bills by the hour. He stands against a money-green backgound; he has other clients.

Skill, experience, mastery.
Reversed: Imcompetence, waste, arrogance, expensive lunches."

My thoughts on the card:
The first thing that strikes me is the shirt. It is the type of thing that employees of IBM use to be know for. The white or pale blue shirt, black or gray suit, and short hair were the de-facto uniform of IBM. I don't know if this still holds true.

This consultant appears to be one brought in to solve a problem or to provide expertise that the company doesn't have. As such he is a source of knowledge and a guide. He is not a part of the normal workforce, as his clothes indicate.

It has just occured to me that in the Silicon Valley Tarot that the world of the spiritual has been replaced by the quest for riches. This is a coment on the culture of the Silicon Valley where it is money that occupies ones time and attention (which is largely true). Note that in this case Silicon Valley does not refer the the geographical area and all that live here (I live in the middle of Silicon Valley), but to one segement of the population here, i.e. those who work in electronics. When one thinks of Silicon Valley this is the segement that comes to mind. The reality of course is much more complicated and interesting.

With this in mind, the Consultant as the Hierophant makes sense. He is the one who can connect us to the world of making money if we pay attention to his knowledge. The connection to time is interesting, since he is the one who has mastered time to gain the realm of riches, by being a consultant, being paid by the hour, and by being recognized as knowing valuable info-mation. There is even a parallel between the talks consultants give to companies and sermons given by priests. Heed their warnings and follow there advice, else you'll end up in hell or the poorhouse.

I hope that this didn't ramble too much. I write this as I think about the card, so it can be a bit of stream of conscienceness at times.

Tom Granvold