Welcome to day two of Tarot Week here at White Rose of Avalon my Darlings! Today’s post is about the Hermit card in Tarot. The Hermit is the ninth card of the Major Arcana of the Tarot. I have a personal connection to this card, as it is astrologically aligned with the sign Virgo, which is both my Sun and Moon sign. The alignment between the Earth sign of Virgo and the grounded and introspective nature Hermit card certainly makes a lot of sense!
The key energy of the Hermit is the energy of the wise elder in the woodland, the intelligent and introspective wizard who is often sought for knowledge! The imagery of the Hermit is most often in the form of an old man holding a lantern, guiding the way in the darkness. My favorite version of the Hermit card is from The Llewellyn Tarot where the card is depicted with Myrddin, which is a Welsh name for Merlin! I adore this Welsh mythology-based deck, and the choice to use a Merlin figure on the card is a great idea, as it encapsulates Merlin as the mentor to Arthur and Merlin during his wild man in the woods phase all rolled into one.
This is a card of the sojourn of the soul, going on an internal quest to find the depths of your Shadow. I find that the Hermit is often an indicator of the need to delve deep into yourself and integrate the Shadow. That is why this card can also be linked to the Shamanic Journey, as the Hermit does have that deeply reflective nature, desiring to know all that can be learned. There is a quietness to the Hermit, but that quietness gives the card depth. The Hermit is a card of drawing away from society in order to delve into learning, learning about yourself, learning about the world around you, and even learning about the esoteric and occult mysteries! All of this introspective learning should ideally lead to teaching others.
When the Hermit comes up in a reading, he is signaling that it is time to take a step back and go within yourself. He is the light in the darkness guiding your way to a deeper sense of self. The Hermit card is almost always a card that tells you something having to do with self-care, as he is signaling a time to listen to your own inner wisdom to journey into a period of stillness! However, I always do warn that there is a darker side to this card, and that is one of alienation. If you self-isolate too much you are going to feel a sense of loneliness, which will overtake you in time. That is why the healthy Hermit archetype is also the wise teacher in the woods, happily guiding others on their own spiritual journeys!
I hope you have enjoyed this short exploration of the Hermit card in Tarot. What is your favorite thing about the Hermit? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
Note on Image: The image at the top of the post is a lovely take on the Hermit card. I found the image on https://www.hannahgreentherapy.com/blog/2021/10/4/the-hermit-archetype.
Tarot Note: I have a page offering tarot and oracle readings for those interested in these services! I am very happy to be offering these readings to my treasured readers at White Rose of Avalon! Link to page: https://whiteroseofavalon.life/tarot-and-oracle-readings/
Further Reading
- The Only Tarot Book You’ll Ever Need by Skye Alexander
- The Llewellyn Tarot by Anna-Marie Ferguson
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