The Hermit is a card of deep thinking. His presence in a
reading marks a period of inner reflection and quiet solitude. This often follows an incident or period of
time when an individual has encountered some serious challenges.
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines the term Hermit as: A
person who lives in a simple way apart from others especially for religious (or
philosophical) reasons.
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| The Hermit - Anna K Tarot |
We have all had periods in our life where we have embraced
the energy of this card. In fact, at some point I am certain you used the term
Hermit to refer to either yourself or another.
One look at the Hermit card, and you immediately get the
feel of isolation. Granted, this is a self-imposed isolation, but nonetheless,
isolation. When this card comes up in a reading, it is often met with mixed
reactions. The card itself, tends to be shrouded in darkness or a background of
grey. A light – often in the image of a candle, lantern or star - is the sole
source of illumination. An aged man, sometimes dressed as monk or in very
simple garb, sits quietly in contemplation.
To put it simply, the Hermit card makes most people nervous.
They often point to is cautiously and ask in an apprehensive voice, “What does that mean?” When I explain that it is a
time of reflection, contemplation and evaluation – sort of like a personal time
out – I am often met with a simple, “Oh.”
At that point, one of two things will happen. The person
asks what I mean by this and waits for detail or they will completely ignore me
and move on to another idea pretending not to have heard what I said. More
often than not, it is the latter that happens.
Interestingly, it is this lack of inner perception – or
down-time – that has resulted in the very situation with which they find
themselves vexed. I have to be honest, a lot of people don’t like to think
deeply. Actually, they hate it and avoid it like the plaque. It is not until
they receive a powerful smack-down from the Universe that they become willing
to contemplate alternative methods of living. (By the way, as hard as it may be to believe this “smack-down” is
not arbitrary or vicious. It is in your life plan and may even follow several previous, more-gentle attempts at
redirecting you because the course you have taken in life is not the one
aligned with your higher self.)
When the Hermit comes into a spread it is a message that the
answers you seek can only be found within yourself. It is a turn away from the
materialistic and societal pursuits for a deeper truth. Only through intense
soul-searching will you find these answers.
The Hermit is also a sign of spiritual enlightenment. You
are on the verge of very important break-through. Once you have come out the
other end, you will be changed for the better. No longer will you be able to
blindly follow your previous path. In addition, you will serve as a beacon of
light to others when you share this hard-earned knowledge with the world –
whether on a small or large scale.
When the Hermit card shows up, your best approach is to
accept there are lessons to be learned and work earnestly to comprehend them.
Take time to see things as they truly are, but don’t get lost in the isolation
or pursuit of the lesson. Be an active observer and learning while being present
in the circumstances that brought you to this period of great reflection.
