What does the Hermit card mean?

The hermit card is one of the most dynamic major arcana cards of the tarot deck due to its contrasting interpretations.

The Hermit contains religious iconology embedded within an old prophet. Throughout Tarot, the Hermit has been a card of introspection, and a symbol of isolation, but the true reason for these meanings is far beyond these two meanings.

In this article, you'll explore the Hermit card, its associations, and what it may represent during a reading.

Strength Card Associations:

Element

Earth

Zodiac

Virgo

Planet

Mercury

Keywords

 Introspection, self reflection, self discover, spiritual enlightenment, isolation, retraction.

Hermit Tarot Card Meanings Based on the Fool's Journey

As a Major Arcana Card, the Hermit is a stage in the Fool's Journey. The Hermit is preceded by Strength and the Chariot. At those phases of the Journey, the fool was charging forward in conquest.

The Fool demonstrates personal strength by overcoming obstacles in his way. He makes progress, but it is hard-fought and hard-one. This bolsters him as a person, but at the same time it wears him down.

After embodying these energies of Strength and the Chariot for some time, he begins to feel beaten down. He starts running out of steam, caving to a sense of hopelessness.

The long struggle he is enduring molds him and his outlook. He is drained of his youthful innocence and is hardened. The pleasant illusions that comforted him are no longer available, as in order to reach his achievements he had to shed anything disconnecting him from the blunt truth of reality.

The Fool's feelings of desolation lead him to search for meaning. He begins asking existential questions.

Having so much unprocessed information in his head from moving so fast and forcefully for so long, the fool needs time to withdraw and ponder his questions about the world.

Embodying the Hermit

In the energy of the Hermit, the Fool is soul-searching. He is looking not only for spiritual enlightenment but also to understand the world from a practical perspective.

He needs time away from the competing energies of the world to fully immerse himself in his own thoughts. He needs to make sense of the experiences he has had.

In his deep introspection, he begins to accept uncomfortable truths and unlock greater levels of consciousness. This stage of his journey is the one that sets him up to reach far greater heights. It gives him the opportunity to come in alignment with his inner self and establish what his values ultimately are.

Keep this in mind when the Hermit emerges in a Tarot card reading.

Imagery

When the hermit appears, the imagery may evoke a sense of coldness or the absence of energy.

The picture itself is illustrated in a neutral tone.

The hermit stands on snow-covered ground, and seems to have his eyes closed, almost as if he's soul-searching for his spiritual enlightenment.

He holds a staff in one hand, and a lantern in the other.

The six-pointed star symbolizes the spiritual guidance that the hermit gains through cultivating his inner wisdom.

Behind the man is a blue-gray sky, that appears to be empty.

There is also a dead tree off in the distance.

How the Hermit Tarot Card Meaning is derived from its imagery

It's believed that the literal hermit appears as an older man to symbolize wisdom, which is often found through experience.

The hermit's path appears to occur in stillness.

The coldness of the snow and empty blue sky symbolizes that he isn't moving forward in backward, he is simply moving inward.

The staff of the hermit signifies the journey of his self discovery, and the action taken forward towards this self examination.

The dead tree in the background isn't a negative thing, it may suggest that the hermit is in a period of regeneration, or a shedding of the old.

Once the tree begins to spread leaves again, the hermit rises from his shell and embraces his new found perspective.

The Hermit Upright

The upright hermit tarot card symbolizes a time where you would benefit to listen to your inner voice.

You're being called towards embarking on a spiritual journey, one where you'll find an inner guidance that can help push you forward towards your higher path.

If you've felt lost, conflicted, or have given too much of yourself away to the mundane world, the hermit's message asks you to tap into your spiritual side and remind you that not everything external is worth giving your energy to.

In fact, the hermit reminds you of the power of investing your own energy back into your self.

Through going inward, the hermit in the upright position shows you how to live life in your own right, how to walk as your true self, and teaching you the spiritual work needed to continue expanding your awareness and consciousness.

If you've been searching for answers and have yet to find them, it's time to look within rather than without.

You may have been in motion lately, but at the same time you may be running away from yourself. Instead of constantly moving, working, partying or whatever else, take some time to be still. This is where spiritual enlightenment comes from and is what the upright Hermit suggests.

The upright Hermit Tarot card meaning boils down to removing yourself from the chaos of the external world to clear up some of the chaos in your internal world.

The Hermit in Reverse

The hermit reversed encourages you to step back out into your daily life.

Sometimes, searching for answers and spending long periods in self examination and reflection can cause more harm than good.

If you've been searching for answers inwardly but haven't found them after long periods of time, and haven't feel the presence of true growth, it's time to start searching externally once again.

The hermit may call you inward to help provide you with an understanding that is separate from the problem or issue at hand.

But, it's not meant for you to stay in the hermit mode long-term, as isolation can cause your spiritual nature to deplete.

Find an intimate group, such as your close friends or family and spend time connecting with others again.

Take a break from your spiritual activities and simply exist in the world once again even if it is mundane at first.

The greatest spiritual truths you will discover come from living life. They come from life experiences, victories, defeats, and the full spectrum of emotions in between. So, while the Hermit Tarot card description points to withdraw from society, note that that is only effective after lots of time spent "in the game." The Hermit reversed is telling you that you may be spending too much time introspecting and not enough time out in the world.

The outside world is full of other people who have their own unique journey and path that may contain the guidance that you truly need.

Just when you least expect it, you may discover a turning point that stems from both your internal reflection and a teaching you gain from someone in your life.

When reversed, the hermit tarot card is telling you that you've spent too much time in the darkness, and the light from the lantern is beginning to fade.

It's essential now to step back out into the sun before the darkness consumes you completely.

Your Personal Interpretation

In a reading, when the hermit card appears, it's a reflection of energy expressed by your spiritual self.

If you've contemplated embarking on a journey of soul searching and spiritual development, the hermit expresses whether to not the time for this is now, or later.

For readings that ask a question for guidance or moving forward, the hermit can suggest whether you should work through the problem on your own, or use your external life for assistance.

On a spiritual level, the hermit appears when you are approaching a time of advancement.

Your spirit guides may speak to you through this card, calling you inside yourself, which allows them to speak to you more easily and effectively.

Depending on the position of the hermit, decide whether or not you will benefit from spending time and energy meditating, or if making time to connect with friends is more beneficial at this time.

The Journey Within

At some point in time, you will be called by the soft voice of the hermit, beckoning you inward.

Self-reflection can help you understand not only your inner world but also the current state of your external world.

As within, so without, these two states correspond with each other. Our internal reality creates our external reality.

Everything we believe, our emotions, and our underlying perceptions shape everything we do. It influences our interpretation of events, the way we respond to struggles, and the way we interact with others.

If we never stop to evaluate these things, we are running on "auto-pilot." We move forward in a state of low consciousness that does not give us the power to shape our existence.

As reflected in the Hermit Tarot card, it takes time, effort, and focus to make the changes we need. In fact, it takes quite a bit of time to recognize where we are veering wrong!

The important thing to understand is that the change first initiates from within. It's not something that happens to you, but rather something that you create.

If you're ever struggling to find answers or understandings of anything happening within your life, travel within and try to identify the root cause.

Find the answers embedded within your subconscious mind, that can help show you the deeper meaning of an experience. They help you realize what you can do differently to be a more positive force in the world, both for yourself and for others.

In the words of Socrates, "the unexamined life is not worth living."

But, don't get lost in a state of introspection. When you understand what you need to understand, find your way back out into the world and use what you've learned to transform your life.

Final Thoughts

Society today is chaotic and demanding.

Modern work culture is so demanding that we constantly find ourselves busy, overwhelmed, and exhausted. There are so many forces fighting for our attention, everything from social to mainstream media. In the midst of all this, it's easy for us to lose ourselves.

The Hermit Tarot card reminds us to take time for ourselves. To tune into our own vibrations.

In moving through the life journey, we accumulate experiences. In order to evolve our perspective, we need to make sense of our experiences. We need to "connect the dots" so to speak. The Hermit encourages us to take time to do just that.

Sometimes, taking a step back is what empowers us to move forward.