Tarot Card Meanings

The Hermit

Give yourself time for contemplation. Don't allow others to stand in your way.

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General Meaning

The challenge of The Hermit card is to be able to recognize a teacher in a humble disguise. This font of mysterious knowledge will not make it easy for the student to acquire his wisdom, as it takes time and long contemplation to fathom what he knows. He often speaks wordlessly, or in ancient and barbaric tongues, communicating with the elements, animals, and nature herself.

While an hourglass was an identifying feature on the earliest Hermit Tarot cards, more modern cards have shifted the metaphor, showing more or less light released from his lantern. In either case, the Hermit card reminds us of the value of time away from the hubbub of civic life, to relax the ego in communion with nature.

In the Reversed Position

When the Hermit card is reversed, you may be resisting the process of evolving towards a level of wisdom that sets you apart. Fear of the path is haunting you; it could be a fear of loneliness.

Try to remember that the shamanic method for facing fears is to relax and open. Let them in and allow them to have their way for a while. This way you know them fully and will see them pass of their own accord. When there are no more surprises, you can move into a place of empowered action.

In the Advice Positon

The Hermit advises that you think things through carefully. The demands on you have been high, giving you scant time for reflection. While you have a gift for understanding the larger implications involved, you need some private time to consider the steps to take in the future. You can't just lock yourself in your room for fifteen minutes and expect to come up with profound solutions. You need more seclusion and time to assimilate and process.

Now may be the moment for you to tell everyone to leave you alone. When you are fully ready, you will be able and willing to give others what they need.

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