The Hermit Tarot Card

Card Name: Hermit, Elder, Seeker, Pilgrim

Category: Major Arcana, Soul

Position: 9

Zodiac sign: Virgo ♍

The Hermit is a card of solitude and loneliness. Most importantly, do not confuse these concepts. In the first case, an unplowed field of work opens up – you can study and do a lot. When upright, the card patronizes the minds of scientists, the lights of science. This is the peak of achievements, a real breakthrough. But in the second case, the meaning of the Major Arcana changes. The reversed card symbolizes a forced departure, a process of demoralization. A person withdraws from society, hardens and runs wild. And even past merits will sink into the sands of time. The mind does its job – divides and conquers. However, do not forget that man is a social being. He just needs communication. Even if it is to share truths discovered in solitude.

Symbolism and Key Ideas of the The Hermit

In the Waite Tarot deck, the Hermit card depicts a gray-haired old man on top of a snowy mountain. The man is dressed in a gray hooded hoodie and shoes of the same color. In his left hand he holds a wooden staff, and in his right hand a lantern. The radiance from the lamp emanates in such a way that it remotely resembles a star. The old man’s gaze is lowered. All the action takes place against the backdrop of a pale blue sky and mountains covered with snow. In the Tarot de Marseille, the protagonist is dressed in bright clothes and looks straight ahead. The card is designed in life-affirming bright colors. But here Arthur Waite showed the character as if immersed in himself and reflections.

The most important detail on the Hermit Arcana is the lantern. It symbolizes inner fire, fortitude, enlightenment. The pilgrim goes to the mountains in order to know himself, to find the truth. Gray hair and, in general, the age of a man hint at life experience, wisdom acquired over the years. The staff symbolizes the support within oneself, the moral core. The hero has no one to count on among the snow-capped mountains. He takes all the responsibility on himself. Travel is dangerous, but it can bring new experiences. The mountain peak itself represents a peak that is not easy to climb. This is an allegory for the victory of the spirit over the mortal body, top over bottom.

Meaning of the Upright The Hermit Card

Loneliness, withdrawal from society, remoteness from their loved ones.
Solitude or immersion in reflection, a period of study.
Comprehension of new knowledge and doctrines; dedication to science.
Hidden truths, the need to seek and develop something.

In the upright position, the Hermit shows asceticism, solitude, and self-absorption. This is a card of wisdom as well as learning something new. The querent sets off on the road to test his strength. He does not need an environment – this path is for one person. In general, the ninth Arcana of the Tarot symbolizes precisely the inner search, growth above oneself. The hero even resembles Marilyn – according to legend, the adviser to King Arthur. This is a wise old man who has seen a lot in his lifetime. If we take real life, then the Hermit shows a physical departure from somewhere or a disidentification with past principles. In any case, this is a development, a rejection of the old.

The Hermit also symbolizes any science and doctrine. A person puts a lot on the altar of knowledge – for example, personal life. Foremost, the Elder personifies isolation from society. However, this is a decision made carefully and deliberately. The card falls on the triumph of reason over feelings. The height of the mountains hints at the energy concentrated in the human mind. Smart people are often left alone, as they are used to thinking about a lot. This is exactly what is shown on the Pilgrim card. A new opportunity will open up for the questioner, a chance to meet himself.

Love and Relationships (Upright)

Marriage with a calm person, immersed in himself.
Partner – a scientist, candidate of any sciences, researcher.
Continuation of the period of loneliness, knowledge of oneself and the heart.
Lack of interest in personal life or new acquaintances.

In a love spread, the Hermit is played as an undesirable card. Here the Major Arcana shows a relationship with a closed person, immersed in himself. It can be a scientist, a scientist, or just a humble partner. He is not focused on sensuality, passionate declarations of love. Rather, the second half is waiting for understanding in exchange for calmness and a promise to give family comfort. It is important for a partner to have time and a place for himself. The questioning person should have a sense of tact and not bother with conversations once again. But he will receive devotion and respect.

For lonely people, the Hermit predicts the continuation of the current period. This stage should teach a lot, cut off the superfluous. As soon as the querent comes out of it, he will immediately feel the renewal. Now the fortuneteller seems to have fallen into the buffer zone and does not see anything around him. But life in this way makes you plunge into the depths of consciousness and rethink a lot. The questioner is given a chance to be alone with himself and achieve results in other areas. After all, personal life should be an addition to self-realization, and not the ultimate goal.

Career and Finance (Upright)

Work as a teacher at a school, a teacher at a university.
The presence of an academic degree and earnings related to the sciences.
Focus on learning, acquiring knowledge, not finance.
The importance of growing above yourself in order to increase your earnings.

In terms of activity, the Hermit symbolizes work related to narrowly focused specializations. This is work in state institutions in the position of teacher, lecturer. The card also shows work on the creation of new technologies, various experiments in the laboratory. In terms of business, the Seeker shows an area in which the querent has already excelled. He is completely immersed in the processes, does not perceive his business only as a way to earn money. On the contrary, business teaches a lot, makes you develop in your chosen niche.

The Hermit hints at a lack of interest in big money. Here the card is played as humility before the world of capitalism, readiness to play by the rules. But in the soul, the questioner is not aimed at super-earnings and those exceptional benefits that capital allows. However, a double-edged sword. This means that the querent can succeed if he becomes engaged in research activities or teaching. The level of earnings will completely depend on the existing competencies, skills and practical experience.

Health and Spirit (Upright)

Advanced age of the body and the natural aging process.
Slowing down the cycle of cell regeneration or metabolism.
Calm peaceful character, unwillingness to manifest itself brightly.
Humility, emphasis on inner development, willingness to learn.

In the context of health, the meaning of the Hermit is twofold. On the one hand, the card symbolizes old age, old age. On the other hand, it does not directly show the presence of ailments. The Arcana implies a slowdown in metabolism, cell growth. It is also gray hair, decreased libido. Often, all these signs will characterize a person in years. However, sometimes the card indicates local problems in young people. So, the Hermit indicates premature aging, the extinction of any functions. The querent is often tired and therefore wants to be alone.

From the plane of the body, the meaning of the card smoothly passes to the mental state. Here the Hermit hints at the age of the soul. Even a young person can feel advanced beyond his years, wiser by experience. Often this situation is typical for those who have gone through a lot, despite their youth. Therefore, a person is more guided by inner feelings, she is not interested in noisy companies and parties. Rather, the questioner will prefer an evening with an entertaining book than dancing in a nightclub and drinking.

Situations and Questions (Upright)

Originality, a new approach, different from others.
Individuality or the ability to separate the wheat from the chaff.
Truth, the ability to truthfully answer one’s questions.
Scrupulousness or attention to what is really important.

In different situations, the Hermit shows a variety of answers. But they are all united by a common aegis called "detachment". At the moment, the inner world is much more interesting for the querent than the outer manifestations. A person has a lot of questions that need to be answered. The very desire to touch the truth about oneself pushes on the path of loneliness. Surrounding people only distract from an important goal, steal time. All the really important things in this world were created in seclusion.

The Hermit asks questions: “What is the meaning of my life?” and “Am I on the right path?”. Crisis is often an inevitable phenomenon in the process of development. It resembles a kind of revision of the experience gained. A person turns his inner gaze to all this wealth and decides what to do with it. Some beliefs can be safely thrown away, while others should definitely be kept to yourself. And the more often the querent will pay attention inward, the more qualitative his life in society will become. The light that he carries in his hands is able to give the truth to those around him, not only to the owner.

Spirituality and Karma (Upright)

Spiritual search, a journey to know the truth.
Asceticism, renunciation of relationships and idle life.
The natural desire to comprehend oneself and move away from the world.
Fearlessness, strong will, inflexibility, fortress.

The fallen Hermit Tarot gives a positive connotation to the spirituality spread. This is exactly the area in which the card is played most productively. Here the Arcana personifies the search for the meaning of life, its purpose. Even if the querent is still young, he is already thinking about high matters. It is not for nothing that an elderly man is shown on the Hermit card. Old age symbolizes the approach of a transitional moment, i.e. death of the physical body. However, the character lit the spirit lamp in time and found himself. Now he is not afraid to leave the mortal world and ascend.

In terms of karma, the Hermit symbolizes a life spent in solitude. In past incarnations, a person has played enough in social relations. Now it is time to meet yourself, to fall into the depths of consciousness. Fate now and then will leave the questioner alone. And the querent himself may feel an irresistible desire to hide from others. This is necessary for the fortuneteller to know another dimension that lies beyond the boundaries of the three-dimensional holographic world.

Meaning of the Reversed The Hermit Tarot

Escape from reality, escape from responsibility, society.
Premature decision to end something.
Fear of being alone and also the process of degradation without people.
Savagery, denial of material wealth or the influence of society.

If you turn the card over, then the hero of the Hermit Arcana slows down even more and falls asleep forever, like a butterfly under a glass dome. The opposite position denotes an escape from reality in order to hide from responsibility. And this is not the same as solitude. The reversed card represents forced loneliness, which even wild animals can hardly endure. The person becomes angry. Unfulfillment presses, makes you delve deeper into yourself and look for the reasons for failures. However, this approach will not lead to anything good. The reversed Hermit promises the loss of all feelings, nobility and valor. If a scientist wanted to make discoveries for the well-being of the world, now he simply hides among books.

If you turn the card over, then the hero of the Hermit Arcana slows down even more and falls asleep forever, like a butterfly under a glass dome. The opposite position denotes an escape from reality in order to hide from responsibility. And this is not the same as solitude. The reversed card represents forced loneliness, which even wild animals can hardly endure. The person becomes angry. Unfulfillment presses, makes you delve deeper into yourself and look for the reasons for failures. However, this approach will not lead to anything good. The reversed Hermit promises the loss of all feelings, nobility, and valor. If a scientist wanted to make discoveries for the well-being of the world, now he simply hides among books.

Love and Relationships (Reversed)

Prolonged periods of loneliness due to illness.
Difficulties of a psychological nature, fear of society.
A partner with a heavy disposition, avoiding feelings, people.
Uncompromising and fixated, leading to withdrawal.

In a love spread, the reversed Hermit shows the absence of any relationship at all. At the same time, a person deliberately denies the very possibility of finding a partner. This situation may be dictated by physical ailments or mental disorders. The position of the card sometimes hints at spiritual asceticism, the rejection of personal relationships. However, the reversed view of the Arcana indicates the wrong choice, acting depressingly. A person needs a second half, but in his head he denies it. Thus, he only undermines himself from the inside.

But the reversed Hermit can also talk about a difficult partner. In this case, it falls on the characteristic of the second half. A loved one is emotionally cold, does not invite guests to a common house. He diligently avoids contact with the outside world, which bothers the questioner. The connection with such a person is a constant attempt to pull the turtle out of its shell. Only now the partner himself is not attracted by such an outcome. Therefore, you will have to either come to terms with the character, or leave completely.

Career and Finance (Reversed)

Lack of demand and a long period of unemployment, poverty.
Lack of activity due to old age, illness.
Self-doubt that interferes with earnings or development.
Lack of necessary knowledge and skills to find a job.

In the field of employment, the Hermit in the reversed position symbolizes unemployment. Even if the questioner has certain talents, he still will not succeed. He is prevented by fear to communicate, to express himself in society. Low socialization will not allow you to move up the career ladder. In some cases, the position of the card also hints at receiving pension funds due to age or disability. Therefore, in this position, the Hermit does not talk about work processes and involvement in them.

In matters of money, there is a clear tension. The questioner cannot cope with current tasks, does not know how to get out of a difficult situation. The reversed Hermit represents need and lack of money. Often this situation occurs in people of retirement age. Sometimes the reversed Arcana hints at the responsibility that must be borne for a sick relative. In any case, the querent will face problems regarding the material sphere.

Health and Spirit (Reversed)

Arthrosis, arthritis, intervertebral hernia, severe thinness.
Loss of memory or ability to learn and remember.
Distrust of other people or fear of society.
Autism, complete isolation from the world, the current moment.

If the Hermit fell upside down, then the Arcana shows “age-related” diseases. This is the destruction of bone tissue, dehydration, loss of collagen from the skin. A person is too thin, can not get better. Moreover, such ailments are often found in young people. Here, the position of the card does not directly indicate the effect of age. The reversed card also represents dementia. The flame of consciousness slowly goes out, leaving a person to live out his life in an unconscious state. In some exceptional cases, this will be a coma or death of brain cells.

Also, the reversed Hermit denotes excessive shyness. A person is afraid of everything and everyone, therefore he prefers proud loneliness. But this is just an escape, not a qualitative solution to the problem. The illusion of stability and peace will be destroyed at the first collision with reality. Phlegm, apathy, drowsiness are the eternal companions of an emotionally broken person. Leaving in his fictional world only exacerbates the already difficult situation.

Situations and Questions (Reversed)

Misconceptions, wrong guidelines or phobias.
Absence or concealment of necessary information.
The inability to receive, take and give something.
Slowness, "stale air", lifelessness.

In all cases, the reversed Hermit shows unnaturalness, withering. Life slips through our fingers, the best moments have disappeared in the fog of days. The cloak with which the character hides represents the protection of the inner world from the outer. However, in this case, the influence of society is necessary. In loneliness, a person languishes, all desire to live and create is extinguished in him. It looks like a flower bud that did not open and died in the first frost. All the best passed by while the querent hid from potential adversity. But life is not all about failures. It also has white stripes.

The reversed Hermit asks questions: “What am I hiding from?” and “How to give the world a second chance?”. Of course, the conscious withdrawal into loneliness is due to something. And these reasons are most often frightening. But if a person accumulates anger in himself, he makes himself worse. An attempt to close the heart and live with one mind gives a string of gray days. Yes, now the person does not feel pain, but one can also forget about joy.

Spirituality and Karma (Reversed)

The inability to gain wisdom even when old.
Unlearned lessons, an attempt to deceive karma or fate.
Eternal punishment – to be an outcast in any society and team.
Fear of death, transition to another dimension or incarnation.

In the context of spirituality, the reversed Hermit is revealed as meaninglessness, a mistake. A person lives to gray temples, but still does not understand anything. He kept postponing such questions until later, but the time had come. At the decisive moment, life will put everything in its place. Here, the position of the card hints at a fruitless search for meaning, the inability to self-determine and go back. The seeker got on the wrong path and his choice finally finished off. The path only exhausts, takes away the last strength, but in no way grants what is sought.

The Hermit in the opposite position in terms of karma symbolizes the problem of socialization. In this life, the questioner will not be accepted by any denomination, a large group of people. He will not develop relationships with relatives, close people. All attempts to enter a certain circle, to become one’s own, are doomed to failure in advance. The individual will have to accept the role of an outcast. Perhaps in the last incarnation, he made a fatal mistake, betrayed his family. Now it’s time to pay the bills.

The Hermit as a Significator of a Person

If the card lies upright, then the Hermit denotes very wise, emotionally mature people. Such individuals, despite a secluded lifestyle, are ready to help. Their advice is worth a lot. The card is associated with Virgo – a balanced scrupulous sign of the zodiac. Artist Isaac Levitan, chess player François-André Philidor, auto designer Walter Bentley are vivid examples of this. All these people were distinguished by a rational approach to solving any problem. Virgos first make a detailed analysis in their head, and then they begin to implement the action plan.

But when turned upside down, the Hermit changes its meaning. Now the position of the card indicates overly meticulous people, real paranoids. They are afraid to take an extra step, to take the initiative, so as not to make a mistake. That is why nothing is achieved in the end. Fear paralyzes and deprives the ability to see the colors of life. If there is any terrible curse, then it is called "idealization".

The Hermit: Combination with other Tarot Cards

Advice and Warning of the The Hermit Card

The upright Hermit advises to include rational thinking. The situation requires a preliminary analysis, to weigh all the pros and cons. You can turn to the older generation for help. To solve the problem, you should focus on logic, not feelings. The Hermit warns of the danger of emotions. In the heat of the moment, you can break firewood, so it’s better to control yourself. In this regard, the Arcana advises to adhere to the established rules, the framework in society. Such landmarks will be kept in tight rein and will not allow you to leave the race. Weakness will act to the detriment of the questioner himself.

In the reversed form, the Hermit generally advises to abandon the decision made. The chosen path will not lead to the desired goal. Of all the proposed options, the querent chose the most unviable. In the head, the goal is solved very simply. But in reality, things are a little different. As a warning, the reversed Arcana speaks of the danger of standing your ground. Excessive emphasis on “reasonable” decisions can lead to loneliness, a break with loved ones. At the same time, you need to understand that the questioner is mistaken. And at the price of a wrong decision, obstinacy, really important things can become.

The Hermit: Daily Card Meaning

The Hermit promises a day spent in thought alone. Today the querent will be able to rest, dive into the depths of the subconscious to find a grain of truth there. On these days, a brilliant idea will flash through the mind, requiring a phased implementation. You should trust logic and cold reason – they will not let you down. Also, today it is possible to communicate with people of advanced age. They will share their experience and give valuable advice. You need to listen and act as prompted. In addition, the card can talk about learning, reading books, studying information. On this day, it will be easy to memorize a large amount of material. It’s worth taking advantage of this.

The reversed Hermit in the spread of the card of the day, on the contrary, shows a departure from the dogmas and rules that are so necessary for the questioner. Today, all the advice of fathers and grandfathers will be rejected. There will be a desire to leave society altogether, to escape into the forest. But this is only a superficial solution. In fact, the problem lies deep inside, and on these days it will simply become aggravated, it will float to the surface of consciousness. Also, the reversed Arcana represents a forced departure, exile. You can not hope for the mercy of fate and not join some kind of community. The current system will push the querent out of any relationship.