XI. Hermit

Solitude, introspection, inner light, retreat

“I find light in the power of silent reflection.”

 

While the Hermit is on his own, he is not lost. His 'being alone' is intentional. That is why he invites you to step away from the noise outside, just to hear your own voice again. 

The lantern he owns isn't the one that lits up an entire room, but it illuminates the space around you. Enough to take the next step. This characterizes the Hermit. His wisdom is not loud and present, but a much more quiet kind of wisdom. The one that comes to you when you stop searching on the outside and start looking in.

The Hermit is about taking a moment of stillness when everything else pushes you to keep going. It’s not about running away, but about pausing to reconnect with what really matters. This card often appears when you're at a crossroads. The old ways no longer serve you but a new path has not come up yet. 

So you may not know where you’re going. The lantern won’t show you the destination, but it will show you the possible next move or your next choice. It helps you figure out what is yours and what isn’t. What matters and what doesn’t. 

To walk with the Hermit is to trust that clarity doesn’t come from having all the answers, but from having the space to ask better questions. It’s about learning to tolerate not knowing and to find peace in uncertainty. It’s about learning to recognize your own lantern. He makes you wonder what you could do to travel lighter on your path or what tone should be lowered so you can hear the other notes as well.

This card is a reminder that solitude is not failure. That turning inward is not a sign of weakness. There is a courage in choosing silence when everyone else is shouting. A strength in standing still when the world is passing you by at 100 miles per hour.

So if The Hermit has appeared in your life, consider it an invitation. Slow down, get quiet. Seek not more information, but look for deeper wisdom.

Step a step back, even briefly, and listen to that lantern. The light may be small. But it is more than enough.

 

Reflections

  • What lesson or insight has come from my recent period of solitude?

 

  • When do I feel most connected to my inner wisdom? How can I create more of that?

 

  • How can I tell the difference between isolating to protect myself or retreating to grow?