The Hermit is the 9th card of the Major Arcana.
It depicts a bearded, cloaked old man holding a lantern in one hand and a staff in the other. He stands on a snowy mountain peak, at either dusk or dawn.
Inside his lantern is a 6-pointed star, known as the Seal of Solomon, which represents wisdom and knowledge â thus, his lantern symbolizes that his path is being illuminated by what he knows, both through education & personal experience.
His staff represents authority and power, exemplifying his ability to walk through this dimly lit landscape alone.
He journeys onwards, guided only by his intuition and accompanied only by his own thoughts.
The physical journey he is on mirrors his internal journey. He is the spiritual seeker, wandering the landscapes of the subconscious and the unconscious, searching for truth.
Earlier in this series, we discussed the significance of the Hermit card in relation to the Hierophant card. To reiterate: the Hierophant represents external definitions of right & wrong, and institutional spiritual beliefs. The Hermit represents internal definitions of right & wrong, and individual spiritual beliefs.
In this way, we can view the Hermit as an indiviudal who has been failed by the energy of the Hierophant. Perhaps his beliefs differed from those of the church, or societyâŚ.perhaps he found fault in things that were widely accepted. And so he bravely set out on a journey to seek truth from within himself. To discover his own definitions of right & wrong, and spiritual meaning.
This is a very brave journey. As humans, we naturally want to be accepted, because to be rejected means losing securityâŚif everyone sees you as bad, theyâre not going to feed you or give you shelter â youâll be left entirely to your own devices, and surviving this way is very difficult.
But the Hermit took on this rejection in stride. He didnât plead and beg to be taken back by society â he chose to leave, to carve out a path for himself, a path that no one had taken before him. He dared to go to the darkest places of his psyche with no one there to hold his hand. He dared to face everything that he might or might not be. He dared to journey deeper and deeper with no one there to tell him âin spite of your darknesses, you are still good.â
This is the deepest form of indivdual powerâŚ.to not need external approval. To define oneself by personal definition as opposessed to by the definitions of others. Without the ability to do this, we are disempowered, completely hindered by the definitions of others.
The ability to define truth for oneself is integral for both personal and societal balance.
Embodiment of the Hermit energy is how revolution happens â both personal revolution, where we begin to define ourselves on our own terms, as well as societal revolution, where groups of people rebel against the establishment.
The Hermit card asks you to be brave in your journey inwardsâŚ.to not shirk from your darknesses, and to not give in to societyâs definitions of right and wrong. It tells you that truth is complex, perhaps as manifold as there are people on earth. It tells you that through introspection you can reach a place of greater stabilityâŚa place of wisdom, knowledge, and deep personal strength.
In the story of the Foolâs Journey, The Hermit card marks the time in the Foolâs life where he begins asking âwhy?â. He asks deep questions such as Why are we here? Why do we suffer? Why do we die? And what is truly right and wrong?
The Loverâs card had a similar influence over the Fool, as it was during that time that he began to define things for himselfâŚhowever, that card marked teenage rebellion moreso than deep spiritual seeking. At that time, he was branching out into society and defining himselfâŚbut he was defining himself in relation to other people, and thus only skimming the surface of his personal truths at that time.
When the Fool meets the Hermit, he is told to turn inwards, completely away from the influence of society. He is taught to introspect in solitude, and find answers to questions from within. In doing this, he gains a far deeper understanding of both himself and of life.
~~~~~KEY WORDS FOR THE HERMIT CARD:~~~~~~
UPRIGHT: Introspection, Voltunarily Isolation, Soul-Searching, Truth-Seeking, Meditation, Self-Reflection, Wisdom, Knowledge, Inner-Strength
REVERSED: Negative Withdrawal From Others, Exile, Loneliness
~~~~~~~~~~~NUMEROLOGY: 9~~~~~~~~~~~~~
On a mathematical level, the number 9 is unique because whenever you multiply a  number by 9 and then reduce the digits, the answer is 9.
387x9 = 3,483âŚ.. 3+4+8+3 = 18. And 1+8 = 9.
Thereâs no other number that does this, which sets the number 9 apart as unique and rather mysterious.
This mathemetical truth is reflected in numerology, where the number 9 is said to have unique characteristics. It is representative of the end of the numerical cycle, and those under the influence of the number 9 are said to be old souls, well-versed in the lessons of the numbers that preceded it. In this way, they are uniquely mysterious, because they posesses a deep understanding of life.
The number 9 is associated with spiritual enlightenment, humanitarianism, emotionality, wisdom, art, culture, romance, generosity, and strength of character.
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