The Hermit represents a profound period of introspection, solitude, and spiritual growth. This card has a neutral force in the Papus Tarot system which marks a transition into a more enlightened consciousness. The Hermit’s energy is not about action, but rather reflecting inward, accepting self exploration, and permitting life to be prioritized in different perspectives. When events in life slow down, it is time to focus on inner self.

Unlike the rest of the Major Arcana cards, which depict an outside change, the Hermit’s energy is internal. It is a period of reflection for the thoughts, an invitation to pause and shift your focus. The card acts as an invitation to seek deeper understandings of oneself, rearrange the importance that is greatly put to these understandings, and shift perspectives to see life’s meaning in a more functional way.

The Hermit Tarot Card

The Hermit symbolizes a sacred retreat, a time for silence, and a deeper understanding of oneself. This is quite the paradox, for whether this period is forced upon, the time is still etched out for personal growth, arising changes on a spiritual level, and even transcendent transformation.

This card tends to show up sporadically when the querent is introspective, detached, or looking for a greater purpose. It can also represent the assistance from a mentor or teacher who has done their part in helping the querent.

The Hermit Keywords

Upright:

• Introspection
• Solitude
• Self-reflection
• Spiritual enlightenment
• Reevaluation
• Inner peace
• Detachment
• Wisdom
• Life transition
• Patience
• Self-discovery
• Higher learning
• Divine timing
• Soul searching.

Reversed:

• Restlessness
• Forced action
• Impatience
• Resisting solitude
• Avoidance of inner work
• Unnecessary distractions
• Burnout
• Feeling lost
• Ignoring intuition
• Fear of being alone.

The Hermit Description

The Hermit is most often depicted as an elderly man who travels alone down an overgrown path. In one hand he carries a staff and in the other a lantern. The light parallels self-awareness as well as inner guidance whereas the staff is more symbolic of support, stability, and a personal strength. In the Papus system, the lantern embodies inner enlightenment.

This card shows up pretty commonly when an individual is at a closing point step removing a limb or forward momentum. The quest of the Hermit has nothing to do with self, but deeper truths that can only be accessed when the distraction is turned off.

The Hermit Upright Meaning

The Hermit General Interpretation Upright

The Hermit’s upright position signals a time that invites self-examination, which the individual feels prompted to conduct. This card ushers stillness, but it is not passive; instead, it is remarkably active in providing insight and guiding an individual to clarity and peace.

At this stage, the individual might feel lethargic, which results in a lack of desire towards any kind of external activities. This, however, does not translate to stagnation, but rather, excessive internal recalibration. This process is something the individual might attempt to resist, but rather, the Hermit would encourage them to embrace this inner struggle. It allows one to connect deeply with their inner self, which is something truly invaluable.

The Hermit in Love Upright

In the context of love, the Hermit symbolizes self-reflection and self development. It may indicate that one or both partners are emotionally unwell and need space to think about themselves.

For singles, the Hermit suggests pausing any attempts to find a partner and reflecting on oneself. We should first focus on self identity and how we want to be seen before entering a romantic relationship.

For relationships, the Hermit suggests a time for personal work which will aid in nourishing the bond. If any conflicts have occurred, it is healthy to withdraw for a moment and try to approach the situation in a level-headed manner.

The Hermit in Career Upright

In the field of work, the Hermit suggests the necessity for extreme consideration and reflection to ensure a person’s current career trajectory is well suited. Major career alterations should not be made without first having proper skills learning and refinement.

In cases of people who are pervasively dissatisfied with their jobs, the Hermit suggests looking inwards to determine how the present employment aligns with their fundamental beliefs. The wanting feeling often suggests the need for a career alteration, but that shouldn’t be approached with a sense of urgency. This card is a prompt for an individual to start listening more closely to their own inner voice.

The Hermit in Health Upright

In health readings, the Hermit indicates the need and time for self healing at a much deeper level. It suggests that recuperation is needed along with realignment with the emotional and physical needs of an individual which signals the need to rest. Moments such as these are critical to listen to the body, rest, and prioritize health. Slow, mindful routines are fundamental to those who are burned out or stressed. It is important to step back, and more importantly, meditation, therapy, and yoga can also work wonders.

The Hermit in Personal Growth and Spirituality Upright

In a spiritual aspect, the Hermit’s chair reveals a blazing period of inner transformation and enlightenment. This card motivates one to undertake self exploration and reflection deeply to unearth the wisdom locked away through writing, meditation, or even introspection deeper than usual. It reminds us that it is time to connect with the higher consciousness, philosophize ideas, and question previously held beliefs.

The Hermit Reversed Meaning

The Hermit General Interpretation Reversed

The reverse of diverse shows that the Hermit encourages reflection instead of an action oriented approach. This leads to feelings of discontent, frustration, and lack of positive self appraisal. Neglecting such emotions could ultimately build up to feeling emotionally drained, making insufficient choices and feeling disoriented. The reversed aspects of the Hermit emphasizes on the importance of self distraction and stillness.

The Hermit in Love Reversed

For relationships, a love life where one partner is showing hints of detached emotions and misunderstandings could mean that they have developed a callous relative to the world around them, which is termed as a reversed Hermit. This might stem from one partner having a real need for space where silence is terrifying as opposed to uplifting. It gives way to codependency dynamics, avoidance of necessary discussions or even not addressing emotional truths.

The Hermit in Career Reversed

This card, in relation to the professional world, is simply a warning not to barre headfirst into new roles in your career without taking ample time to think it through. Moving too quickly could set off burnout, feeling disoriented, or being highly unsatisfied with one’s role. This card makes you look in the mirror and change your dimming focus to what really should motivate you so rational plans can be formulated to get out of this fragmentation of self-induced mental chaos that one willingly plunges into without thinking it through first.

The Hermit in Health Reversed

Operating without rest is a hazardous approach and for health, this card signifies overworking, ignoring the body’s idle signals which cause long-term stress or physical issues down the line. There comes a point where one feels sick but for some absurd reason decides to ignore it, this will only take days out of your life. But initially, this will dwindle your physical state, so this card urges action and slows down from work while deciding when to take up exercising again. Prioritize intertwining exercise with rest and you’ll be good.

The Hermit in Personal Growth and Spirituality Reversed

On a spiritual level, the Hermit reversed suggests a lack of willingness to do the inner work, as well as a preference for seeking validation externally instead of trusting one’s intuition. In this case, there could be an avoidance of personal truths which results in distractions or fears of being alone. This helps to remember that growth results from embracing profound wisdom derived from deep inner contemplation combined with letting go of trivial issues.

Conclusion

With the Hermit, there also comes profound wisdom, internal realignment, and shifts. It makes one aware that a person grows when they are in moments of stillness. One should learn to not fear isolation but embrace it as an opportunity for self reflection.

If you feel overwhelmed or struggling with the direction you want to pursue, the Moonly app will help you work through it with focused introspection, Tarot, and spiritual work. Moonly aids you in walking through the soft, yet powerful feelings of life by offering daily readings and meditative practices revolving around the moon cycles.

In order to align with your higher purpose and find clarity in the silence, download Moonly today to embrace the Hermit’s wisdom. Delve into advanced spiritual work, obtain daily guidance, and foster mindfulness in every moment of life. Moonly can guide you to the answers you are hoping to seek – help you uncover the truths that lie within you.

FAQs