Tarot Card: Major Arcana IX, The Hermit

Whenever you come across the Hermit, whether in a card reading, or randomly in an article or in a dream in the form of an old wise man, know that your desire for real change is the main undercurrent in your soul. The Hermit’s archetypal powers are calling you. Here’s what you need to know before you act.

Why Tarot’s Hermit?

The Tarot is not only a psychic tool but also a mystic set of keys to different zodiacal times, universal truths, and ways to realize your true self. We recently entered Virgo, the season of grounded changes. The Tarot’s Hermit, associated with this time, is your guide on this leg of the journey. As the wise old man, his cosmic mission is to take you to your higher self.

Zodiacal Features

The time of Virgo is grounded and stable, so the Hermit isn’t about fast, practical, or small changes. Virgo energy is solid; it is completely earthly. Yet, it is one of the four mutable zodiac signs (with the other three being Gemini, Sagittarius and Pisces). Mutable signs mean change, flexibility, and adaptability. This combination gives Hermit powerful and deliberate creative powers, meaning: If you decide to make changes now, under the mystical influence of the Hermit, they will be long lasting and thoroughly meaningful.

The Hermit and Love

Your desire for real love and real change is the highest desire of your soul. The reason has to do with your powerful and eventful past, and your relationship to it. The Hermit is facing left. Left, in the Tarot, stands for the past. Like The Hermit carrying a lantern, you are now illuminating your past with newfound awareness (the lantern: current understanding), and you humbly bow your head to your past love experiences. They were great teachers, as they brought you to where you are today. But it is now time you let them go and move into the present.

Do you have fears about your present and future? If you feel drawn to The Hermit, or if it comes up in your love reading, ask yourself:

• Do you carry emotional baggage that may be affecting your current relationship?
• Does your partner have baggage or other worries he may be bringing into the relationship?
• Why aren’t you fully in the present?

The Hermit implies it’s time to forget about old emotional attachments, however significant they may have been at the time. If not, this will affect your current relationship. It is time to cleanse your relationship off shadows and negative energies. Try to understand each other’s past yet not let it shape your now.

The Hermit holds his own lantern: he is lighting his own path. This is a reminder that you need clear and honest answers to the following questions so that you can light your own path to the future. Are you and your partner both happy? Does your partner understand your deeper, real desires? Can you talk about this? Does your partner give you what you need? Can you two look at the future together?

Note that the Hermit is also standing on ice. Having to objectively answer your relationship questions may seem like an icy affair, but remember, bloom-filled spring comes only after winter. The Hermit demands profound introspection and asks you to take meaningful actions that will blossom your heart. It may be time to seek outside help, if you are not sure what’s in your heart of hearts.

The Hermit and Work

The Hermit in relation to your career means you need to give yourself time and space to think about your calling. Does your current job give you the experience and the skills you need to move in the direction you want? If not, what could help?

The Hermit’s lantern has a six-pointed star in it, combining two triangles: a downward pointing triangle (fire, masculine energy) and an upward pointing triangle (water, feminine energy). The Hermit has merged his inner fire and water – a true alchemy, meaning he acts with a passion that comes from a place of gentleness and true concern for the self and for the world. Does your current job allow you to feel this way? Do you feel that you are contributing to the world? Does it give you meaning? Is this the best career choice for you, or are you stuck because you don’t see other alternatives? These are all important questions to consider.

Emerging from the “Dark Night of The Soul”

As we are entering the month of Virgo and the fall equinox where days will start to get shorter, the Hermit is the best card to learn from. Emerging from the night of your subconscious, it is your inner light you need to find. However difficult the challenges you face are, listen to your own heart only. If you and your partner are making significant decisions, take care that these decisions reflect who you really are and what you truly need. As your heart craves big changes, make sure to light your path with the right wisdom.