The Hermit is the ninth card of the Major Arcana in occult Tarot decks. The figure in this card represents an old serene man, blessed with the wisdom bestowed by age. He is a character who is willing to share his spiritual knowledge to guide others. Discover the meaning of the card The Hermit in the Tarot, the indications it gives when it is drawn upright, reversed or combined with other cards and its possible application to the various facets of life and everyday issues.
The Major Arcana number tells you what stage you are in for a particular situation or problem. Ask the Tarot your question and interpret the Arcana according to its number and its position in the deck. These cards follow a storyline that tells of the spiritual travels taken from the innocent wonder of The Fool to the oneness and fulfillment of The World. In other words, these cards tell the story of humanity's spiritual evolution into enlightenment and individuation - when his life experiences are complete, he returns to zero, The Fool. Despite the divinatory meaning of the cards, think of the Tarot as a journey. If you look at the cards that come out in this way, with each question you ask, it becomes easier to intuitively interpret the cards and see their messages as a life story.
Index
The Hermit Tarot Card Description
- Major Arcana IX
- Zodiacal Affinity - Virgo
- Keywords - Caution, discernment, wisdom that comes from experience, discretion, withdrawal, detachment, patience, life experience.
- Key Expressions - Seeking inner wisdom; nurturing spirituality; fear of revealing a secret; being aware that wisdom can be a burden; desire for solitude; seeking a path or guidance; moving away from a particular relationship.
- Advice - Knowledge is interior.
- Reversed Meaning - Unwanted loneliness; you may feel unsupported but this situation will change.
The Illustration
In the Tarot, the illustration of The Hermit depicts an elderly man, slightly bent over, leaning on a staff in his left hand. With his right hand, he holds and raises a lantern to eye level. He is, on the one hand, a solitary figure, a pilgrim who makes his way and, on the other, a character loaded with symbolism provided by age and the many experiences he has lived through.
The Hermit card represents an old sage. It symbolizes the voice and the wisdom of experience. It is also the symbol of Saturn and time. In Numerology, the number 9 is the number of maximum spiritual vibration. It advises detachment from all that is mundane and material. Spiritual strength prevails. In Kabbalah it corresponds to the number 20 of the Tree of Life: the mercy of beauty.
The Symbology
The meaning of The Hermit card is subtle as it relates to loneliness and deep thoughts. However, this does not mean withdrawal from social life. Even when accompanied, a person can find solace within oneself. The Hermit refers to the level of spiritual knowledge that was attained, and the readyness to impart that knowledge to everyone. There is also a deep commitment he has to his goal and a solid awareness of the path that he is taking.
It may also suggest that the querent needs some time to collect himself, to think, or to get his ideas in order. This process can involve a degree of emotional and spiritual growth. The meaning of The Hermit is also linked to the wisdom gained with age and experience, throughout life. Likewise, caution and patience are recommended.
The Hermit Tarot Card Meaning
Upright Hermit Meaning
- Upright Love Meaning - Pause in love life to introspect, self-understanding in love.
- Upright Career Meaning - Contemplating next steps in career, searching for purpose in career.
- Upright Finances Meaning - Contemplating the role of finances in happiness, less focus on material things.
The Hermit is a seeker for the knowledge that comes from within. To reach it, he must disconnect from the crowds whose voices and desires threaten to overcome his own. This card implies that events will tend to flow more slowly.
If The Hermit finds himself surrounded by positive cards, this delay will ultimately be beneficial, showing that a mistake could have been avoided. This card can be an opportunity to reflect calmly and deliberately - you are currently contemplating that you need to be alone to reflect.
Reversed Hermit Meaning
- Reversed Love Meaning - Romantic rejection, loneliness, feeling distant from partner.
- Reversed Career Meaning - Realigning career to internal goals, outcast at work, working alone.
- Reversed Finances Meaning - Better understanding of material situations.
When this card is drawn reversed in a Tarot reading, it means that wisdom and caution have disappeared. The impatience and the issues related to age are prevalent. Isolation, loneliness, health issues related to old age can all be placed on the table.
The reversed The Hermit card can indicate the emergence of great stubbornness in someone of any age, as well as the forgetfulness and proud refusal of true help. The loneliness associated with this position can be the result of betrayal or a breach of trust on an emotional level.
The Hermit Combinations with Other Tarot Cards
The reading of The Hermit with other Tarot cards shows different realities depending on the cards present and the person's stage in life. In conjunction with The Strength, it shows repressed inner energy, while with The Tower it is a warning that the person may make an error in judgment. With The Moon or The Sun, it reveals that inner wisdom, harmony and spiritual growth depend only on one's own will.
The Major Arcana Tarot
The Major Arcana, or Great Mysteries, are seen as symbols of great issues, moments or people. Each card represents a human archetype, evoking the most varied feelings, moral positions and behaviors.
- 0 - The Fool Tarot Card Meaning
- I - The Magician Tarot Card Meaning
- II - The High Priestess Tarot Card Meaning
- III - The Empress Tarot Card Meaning
- IV - The Emperor Tarot Card Meaning
- V - The Pope/The Hierophant Tarot Card Meaning
- VI - The Lovers Tarot Card Meaning
- VII - The Chariot Tarot Card Meaning
- VIII - The Justice Tarot Card Meaning
- IX - The Hermit Tarot Card Meaning
- X - The Wheel of Fortune Meaning
- XI - The Strength Tarot Card Meaning
- XII - The Hanged Man Tarot Card Meaning
- XIII - The Death Tarot Card Meaning
- XIV - The Temperance Tarot Card Meaning
- XV - The Devil Tarot Card Meaning
- XVI - The Tower Tarot Card Meaning
- XVII - The Star Tarot Card Meaning
- XVIII - The Moon Tarot Card Meaning
- XIX - The Sun Tarot Card Meaning
- XX - The Judgement Tarot Card Meaning
- XXI - The World Tarot Card Meaning
Reading, Meanings and Interpretation of the Tarot Major Arcana
Tarot is used as a tool for self-discovery and self-knowledge. In this sense, more than guessing the future, it serves to read and interpret all the elements of our life: it describes the current moment, clarifies the motives, desires and intentions, pointing out the path and the energies present in our life.
The possible readings for each Tarot card are practically infinite. There is no unique interpretation for each card, for each layout of cards or for each reading method. Tarot is based on intuition. Each person who reads the message of a card, or a set of cards, intuitively unravels the meaning of the card's message and how it connects with their own reality and circumstances of life.
The word "arcana" comes from Latin and means "secret" and, in the Tarot, the Major Arcana are considered universal, symbolic and figurative: they are considered symbolic of great issues, moments or people. They are archetypes, that is, they represent the most diverse feelings, moral positions and human behaviors. When they appear in a reading, it indicates an important event or decision, whether practical, spiritual, or emotional. They also establish correspondence with the astrological signs and planets.
