The Hermit Tarot Card

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The Hermit

The Hermit

Key words: Solitude, retreat, meditation.

Image: The Hermit stands on top of a mountain holding a lit lantern to show him the way forwards. He steadies himself with a staff as he contemplates his next move.  The Rider-Waite version depicts an old man carrying a staff in one hand and a lit lantern containing a six-pointed star in the other. In the background is a wasteland. Just beyond the wasteland is a mountain range.

A stylised version of the Hermit tarot card can be seen in the illustration on the inside sleeve of the Four Symbols album by the rock band Led Zeppelin.  It is rumoured that the artist is band leader Jimmy Page.

The Hermit card indicates a time for personal reflection. It is a card requiring peace and quiet, and offers you a chance to think and regroup if you are feeling overwhelmed by the pressures of everyday life. New opportunities are waiting for you, but if life has been too busy for you to  see your true potential, then listen to the Hermit’s message.

This is a time in your life when the answers you are looking for cannot be bought, as they are little to do with the material world. There are changes going on within you that can only be found by looking inwards. Introspection is what is needed when the The Hermit features in a tarot spread. 

The Hermit’s energy requires you to observe and take your time before making decisions. Don’t do anything in haste at this time; there is no urgency. If you are feeling overwhelmed by other people’s demands, then it is time for you to step back and encourage them to find their own path, which does not place any burden upon you.

The term ‘soul searching’ is often associated with the Hermit, a time of revaluation of where your life is right now. Perhaps you have been doing too much lately and need to take some time out? This card can relate to studying, the ability to lose yourself in something that interests you. This is a good time to take on new interests, particularly those that allow you to indulge in your own company.

The Hermit card suggests you are wise beyond your years, even if you don’t always feel that this is so. The frantic life you are currently living needs some balance. This would be a good time to meditate, to reconnect with your inner soul and with the stillness within, which will allow you to focus and move forwards.

One thing for sure is that you need to have space and time to yourself. If a change of scenery is not possible at this time, a long walk in the park or on a beach will have the desired effect. Read, listen to music and most importantly, listen to what your body needs.

Reversed: Introspection, loneliness.

Affirmation: ‘Taking time out is an option, I need to create calm in my life.’

Reproduced by kind permission of Kim Arnold, Tarot Master and Founder of the UK Tarot Conference, editor of Tarot Masters and author of Tarot – Learn How to Read and Interpret the Cards published by Hay House. www.hayhouse.co.uk