The Hermit is a card about finding confidence and resilience within.
Hit play below to listen to the lesson in audio form, or scroll down for the text version.
To give you a bit of context whilst you reflect on your own relationship to the card, here’s a few key things to know about the Hermit.
In the Rider Waite Smith tarot, the Hermit is illustrated like this: A bearded and cloaked masculine figure stands in profile on an icy surface, a dark sky behind them. In one hand they carry a walking stick, and with the other hand, they raises a lantern high. Inside the lantern, a star burns bright.
This card represents the fundamental truth that journeys to deeper wisdom have to be undertaken alone. While the Hermit doesn’t necessarily represent someone who fully withdraws from society, it does capture an independent energy - this is someone who is comfortable and capable of going their own way.
When the Hermit comes up in a reading, it’s important to reflect on the path that you’re on, and whether or not you feel it’s right for you. Are you going in a direction because everyone else is, or are you walking in your own authenticity? The star in the Hermit’s lantern is a reminder to find strength in lighting your own path - to trust where your light is leading you, and to be brave enough to take that journey - even if it means going on your own.
But remember that isolation and independance are the not the same thing. The Hermit emphasis your capability to follow your own path, but not once does it instruct you to cut others out of your life unnecessarily. Yes, take the alone time you need to know your own mind, and yes, find the inner strength to do what’s right for you even if no one follows, but never punish yourself by ignoring relationships that are meaningful and supportive.
In your tarot journal, you’re asked to reflect on what this card means to you, now, in this moment, and what actions and thoughts it inspires in you. As you journal, pay attention to what you’re personally picking up in the card, but also consider what the key themes and symbols in the card might be telling you. Are you lighting your own path? When’s the last time you reflected on your own capabilities? What makes you feel independant?
This mini-tarot lesson was brought to you by me, Chelsey Pippin Mizzi, founder of Pip Cards Tarot. I hope you gained a little context to help you continue reflecting on the card in your own way, and I’ll see you tomorrow for another mini-lesson.