The Hermit withdraws from the world, the solitary lantern held aloft in darkness wills on consciousness even in exile. Bearing the primordial letter Yod, the hand of God, this card counsels prudence. Yet Waite warns it also veils treason, dissimulation, corruption, roguery. Solitude can become a cloak for darker purposes. Reversed: Concealment (hiding), disguise (pretending), policy (scheming), fear (paralysis), unreasoned caution (overthinking).

UPRIGHT: Prudence, Dissimulation, Corruption, Roguery

REVERSED: Concealment, Disguise, Fear, Unreasoned caution

The Hermit is in isolation, holding a glowing light, and head is down in austere contemplation. This card indicates myriad interpretations; The Hermit may be a mystery even to himself (that may be why he’s gone into hiding). Solitude can be healthy, but it can also reveal misalignment with the world or prospective “roguery.” What is the nature of your cloak, what is the reason for your concealment? Which kind of light are you wielding, or seeking, inside the dark? When encountering The Hermit in descent or emergence, one must practice prudence in how they interrogate their private journey. It is likely you will only be discovering the tip of the iceberg.

On the journey, the hero must go underground, or into solitude, to learn of themselves or be mentored by an elder, who may have left the world behind years before…

Bottom Line: When you see The Hermit, it may be time to enter seclusion for a spell, or challenge why you have been so for long.

Tree of Life Path: Chesed to Tiphareth -- Mercy ⟷ Beauty. To truly know your inner beauty, you must give yourself grace independent of social relations.

A.E. Waite quote: “The variation from the conventional models in this card is only that the lamp is not enveloped partially in the mantle of its bearer, who blends the idea of the Ancient of Days with the Light of the World. It is a star which shines in the lantern. I have said that this is a card of attainment, and to extend this conception the figure is seen holding up his beacon on an eminence. Therefore the Hermit is not, as Court de Gebelin explained, a wise man in search of truth and justice; nor is he, as a later explanation proposes, an especial example of experience. His beacon intimates that ‘where I am, you also may be.’”

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