The Hermit IX
Keywords & phrases
- Look within
- Inner wisdom
- Retreat, meditation
- Mindfulness
- Spiritual connection
- Peace
- Enlightenment
- Teacher, therapist, guide
Keywords & phrases
- Look within
- Inner wisdom
- Retreat, meditation
- Mindfulness
- Spiritual connection
- Peace
- Enlightenment
- Teacher, therapist, guide
First impressions
The Hermit emits a strong but gentle energy. Benevolent but remote.
What is happening in the card?
A hooded, cloaked and bearded old man, lights the way for others with a lantern on a dark mountain pass. He also holds a staff.
How can we relate to this card?
The Hermit is the light in the dark. A guide lighting the way. He represents the guide within ourselves as well as someone wise on the outside.
There is something very calming and reassuring about the idea that if we stop and are quiet we might listen and hear what is in our hearts. That the voice we might hear has the answers.
The difficulty, of course, for many of us with busy lives and too much to do and too many distractions, is the stopping to be quiet and listen bit…
When The Hermit appears, it may be time to be silent and to pay attention the wisdom of others and of the inner voice.
Elements, numbers, symbols & imagery
- Element 🜃 Earth
- The number 9 – fulfilment, fruition, nearing completion
- Lantern – spiritual enlightenment, search for truth, source of light
- Staff – power, support, guidance, spiritual connection
- Mountains – goals, challenges
Emotions expressed
- Peacefulness
- Self-isolation
- Spiritual connection
- Compassion
Other associations
Tree of life:
Yod– Hand, closed to hold
Path 20 Chesed – Flow of lovingkindess → Tiferet – heart centre, balance, harmony, compassion
Golden Dawn title
Prophet of the Eternal, Magus of the Voice of Power
Astrology:
Ruled by Virgo
Minor Arcana:
The Hermit rules the 9s
Message & affirmations
Today, I make space and time for quiet reflection. I listen to the still small voice within and let it guide me to be compassionate in my thoughts, words and actions.
“In quietness are all things answered, and is every problem quietly resolved.“
“Peace is an attribute in you. You cannot find it outside“
~ A Course in Miracles
“Go deeply into the urge to be silent and not the mental interference of how, where and when. If you follow silence to its source you can be taken by it in a moment.”
~ Jean Klein, Who Am I? The Sacred Quest
“Meditation will not carry you to another world, but it will reveal the most profound and awesome dimensions of the world in which you already live. Calmly contemplating these dimensions and bringing them into the service of compassion and kindness is the right way to make rapid gains in meditation as well as in life.”
~ Zen Master Hsing Yun
“One of the great gifts of growing older is to discover the exquisite art of being alone. What used to be an uncomfortable silence, is now a luxury. The house is peaceful, and I can dance in the kitchen without being judged or just doing nothing. My best company is myself, with a coffee, a good movie and the freedom to be, because solitude is not absence, it is fullness and peace of mind.”
~~~
“At 70 years old, if I could give my younger self one piece of advice, it would be to use the words ‘fuck off’ much more frequently.”
~ Helen Mirren
My personal experiences of this card
In the traditional Rider Waite style Tarot, the Hermit has the appearance and demeanour of beloved fictional characters like Dumbledore and Gandalf the Grey. Wise and strong, stern, even terrifying at times, enigmatic, full of compassion and love, and most definitely not without flaws.
Events, situations & readings
In a spiritual/personal development spread:
The Hermit urges you to spend some time alone, in peace and quiet to hear yourself think, away from all the noise and distraction.
Reversed:
In reversal, The Hermit may represent a withdrawal, isolation and loneliness. Search for some kind of source of light to lead you back to the world.
People & interaction with other cards
With the 9s, The Hermit urges you to pay attention to your dreams, listen to your inner voice and let it be your guide in the decisions you have to make.
With the 4 of Swords The Hermit would suggest that meditation might well be the key for you to access your inner wisdom.
Questions, prompts & insights
Are you allowing yourself time and space to process and contemplate?
What answers are you seeking? What path do you want to take?
Who is available to guide you? Who looks to you for a guiding light?
How can you connect with your higher self? Meditation, walking in nature, consulting the Tarot?
Featured decks:
Main image from The Rider Waite Tarot.
The other featured image of The Hermette is part of an ongoing creative Tarot project by Still Small Voice Tarot combining digital collage and AI generative art.
Explore the Tarot deck with me
This is a work in progress, a project far from complete. I’m exploring traditional and personal meanings for the Tarot cards in a semi-orderly fashion. Please take a look by clicking on the cards below. Or you can pick a card to see what comes up for you today.
