The Hermit Tarot Card: Meaning and Symbolism
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The Hermit Tarot Card is the ninth numbered card of the Major 22 Arcana cards. This card tells of a loneliness that often comes with a spiritual journey. It is through spiritual journeys that people learn who they really are. It is rare for there to be journeys one can take with others. The loneliness is temporary but the wisdom and lessons you learn on this journey will last you the rest of your life and might even pass into your next. When going through one of these journeys, you can not afford self-denial and need to learn to accept who you are finding you are. Only then will every workout.
The Hermit is often depicted as an old man and this is because the elderly are usually thought of as wise. The elderly have been through so much life that they are used to struggling to get what they want. Now that they are older, they accept what they have and accept they are aging just as you need to accept who you are finding yourself to be. The staff The Hermit holds is said to be used to fight off the ignorance and self-isolation. The lantern he holds is to show the light inside you that you can find and learn from. Like a lantern guides people through the dark, the inner light all of us have can guide us through life.
The Hermit Tarot Card Divinatory Meanings: Upright and Reversed
When you see The Hermit Tarot card, it means that you need to start doing things for yourself. You need to stop relying on others so heavily so you can start to learn things for yourself. You can not keep having other people solve all of your problems for you. Getting help is okay but you need to solve them yourself. It can also mean that you need to go about your business with more discretion or that you need a break others to take some time for yourself so you can piece together what has been going on.
If you see this reversed, or upside down, it means that you have been in isolation for too long and need to interact with others. The reversed Hermit might also be telling you that you rejected something (like advice) or someone you should not have and reconsider.
General Meaning
Generally speaking, The Hermit card means that you are either in or are about to enter a time when you are learning about yourself in ways others can not teach you. There is something going on, some problems you are coming across, that requires you to know your inner self better than you currently do. This does not mean it is a scary time. It simply means that you should think about picking up meditation or rather than going to a party Friday night, write a stream of consciousness to see how you think on your own without the influence of others or media.
Love Life Meaning
When seeing The Hermit in a love reading, it is important to remember that this card can stand for loneliness. This does not mean that seeing this card is a bad thing. It can mean that you need some time by yourself, away from a relationship, to learn who you are on your own without depending on someone else. Maybe your last relationship was too harsh and you were with someone that only took and never gave. It is now your turn to take some time and learn to love yourself. Know that seeing this card does not mean you will never be in another relationship again. It simply means that you will not be in one right now.
Some people do simple yes or no Tarot readings when they are concerned or worried about their love life. If The Hermit appears one of those readings, then it serves as the “no”, “not now”, or “try again later”. Your crush is not going to ask out this week; your ex is going to come back tomorrow. This card simply means that you are to be on your own for a little while and there is nothing wrong with that. There are times when people need to figure out who they are by themselves. Seeing this card tells you that now is that time.
Career Meaning
When you see The Hermit in a reading about your job, it is not a prediction about your job, but rather a direction you are advised to take. Work can separate people from their families and friends really easily. That is what this card is telling you. Things are picking up and you need to make sure that you are spending enough time with your family and doing things outside of work so you do not become isolated. You are spending too much time at the office. You need to be at home more than you allow yourself. There can be an argument that you are working for your family but if you are not careful you will not have one to provide for.
Health Meaning
All in all, The Hermit tarot card in a health reading can show you that you are going to live to an old age because the man on the card is old. Otherwise, it can be a bad sign for a couple that is trying to get pregnant. If you are doing a health reading about pregnancy, The Hermit means that you are not yet with child or you are not going to be with child soon. Likewise, as the card does not mean you will never be in a relationship again, this card does not mean you will never bare children. The cards can not tell if there is something medical keeping you from having a child, the cards can only tell you that you are not pregnant at the time of the reading.
Family and Friends Meaning
The Hermit is not a card many people want to see when doing a reading about their friends and family. Something has happened, you do not feel it was yourself, and yet you will be separated from your friends nonetheless. Whether it is a sort of stigma or something, it is likely that you will be losing some friends. The best thing you can do is to keep moving, hang tough, and let the world sort itself out. Maybe your friends will see that they were wrong and they welcome you back. However, if they do not, then it simply was not meant to be.
The Hermit Tarot Card: Conclusion
The Hermit is not a terrible card to see. Most of the time, this card tells you that you are going to be going through a spiritual journey or that something is going to try to isolate you from the people you care about. Sometimes being on your own for a while can help you learn more about yourself. This way, you can be more honest with yourself and wiser. On the other hand, there are times when you should not be alone and you need to do something to stop the isolation before it even has the chance to take hold.