The Hermit

The Hermit is one of the most profound cards in the Tarot. Look at The Hermit in the deck—you will see what the Path is for its creator, what self-discovery is to him, what truth is to him. The Hermit is sacred. Man's first task on earth is to know, understand, and accept himself. Almost all troubles in life stem from the fact that people know themselves poorly and do not know how to handle themselves. They substitute internal truth with externally induced notions, and generally treat this with immense presumption on the grounds that "this person" (meaning, I myself) belongs to them from birth, and therefore they seemingly know themselves well and understand themselves correctly.

"Diogenes with a lantern" is an image of the search for inner wisdom, and the need for light to achieve the goal. He has nothing but what he carries within himself, and the only thing he wants is to find the truth. Almost all religions contain legends about the travels of the spirit, about great teachers or prophets who wandered the world in search of divine truth. This truth has nothing to do with ideology, momentary needs, or our preferences.

This is a moment of spiritual self-improvement, when one must detach from temptations and mundane needs and go into the desert in search of one's own soul, the meaning of existence, and one's God. Divine power rarely speaks clearly to a person drowning in cares and everyday attachments. Honest searches for the truth take place in solitude—and bring divine inspiration. "The spirit led you into the desert, the spirit will lead you out of it." The lantern symbolizes our own knowledge, which must be used to illuminate the path of the search. The staff symbolizes God, support in the search, and protection on the path. Inaccessible to temptations and seeking only the truth, The Hermit is an allegory of the experience of self-initiation. Across the threshold of the Hermit's sanctuary, even if it looks like a barrel, runs the border of all kingdoms. The wise Alexander understood this in his twenties, and when on the way back his friends made fun of the philosopher from the barrel, he said: "If I were not Alexander, I would be Diogenes."

The Hermit has acquired the reputation of a card that foretells loneliness and "generally nothing good," while for spiritual development this card is a true treasure. However, this is again the dimension that rather frightens the average person than inspires them. Therefore, The Hermit is rarely a welcome guest in spreads. But in essence, it speaks only of being true to oneself. Its appearance may hint that the attitude toward life has become entirely too involved and emotional, and now "healing" is required, a return to the true path, a little closer to oneself, to one's authentic nature. This is not only and not so much a matter of beliefs or conscience—The Hermit differs from The Hierophant precisely in that it is not about "concepts" here. Here it is about our core.

This is authenticity living in the bones, this is the spirit, not the letter, here it is not about how one "should" be, but about who you are and why you cannot be otherwise. This is not simply the ego, not the super-ego, this is the real, absolutely authentic Self, without any adaptive fakes. Nothing separates us from others, from this strange world to which we have adapted with some difficulty over the first ...teen years of life, as much as our authenticity, our trueness to ourselves.

The Hermit emphasizes the urge to withdraw and the need for introspection, finding inner peace and one's own truth, following one's own path. It says that the time has come to re-evaluate one's life, goals, and connections. It is time to step back a little from social life, leave behind petty worries and accustomed entertainments: they interfere with thinking about the soul. Every person needs a period of solitude ("hermitage") to finally figure themselves out. However, this is not just a time-out; in general, the vibrations of The Hermit significantly surpass the Four of Swords. They herald finding one's own center and finding one's own light. The main thing the Ninth Arcana heralds is the refusal to be guided by others' opinions (only one's own!), the refusal to do anything contrary to oneself, to one's inner sense of what is true and right, to please others or simply in accordance with universal concepts. This is a card of spiritual independence and immense personal power, sufficient to walk one's own narrow path, despite the lack of companions (or at least public approval).

In a spread, this is usually a person who has refused to participate in something, is "backpedaling," and is defending against any outside influences. Time is needed to clarify everything for oneself, to establish oneself in one's decision. Hurrying him, pushing him is pointless. He will still do everything how and when he deems it necessary and right. If Justice is also nearby, he will not make a mistake about what is good and what is bad. The ethos of The Hermit is knowing oneself and standing up for oneself, immunity to outside influences, be it pretty words, threats, persuasions, manipulations. If they do not align with his understanding of things, then the reaction will be, as the saying goes, "like water off a duck's back." Spurring events, making efforts, exerting pressure is senseless, it will yield nothing.

Under The Hermit, a person is seriously engaged in defining their position and their boundaries. At the same time, outwardly there may be neither hide nor hair of him—no calls, no letters, no proposals, no refusals. He is deciding what all this means to him, why he needs it, and how far he is ready to go in all this, whether it's love or business. This is perhaps the most important thing.

The Hermit, like The High Priestess, to a certain extent speaks of the existence of some hidden truth. Justice seeks correctness, The Hermit seeks the truth, making it clear once again that factual correctness and absolute truth are not the same thing. And he finds it, because what you seek is what you find.

Like The High Priestess, The Hermit often points to something hidden, in this case rather concealed or lost than secret. The Hermit likes to lay low, hide from eyes, dive deep. He likes wells and fountains, caves and dungeons, cellars and stairs, closets and chests, secret drawers.

Sometimes, under The Hermit, there is a search for (and finding of) a teacher, mentor, spiritual guide; it can speak of receiving valuable advice.

Old interpretations indicate that The Hermit can predict not only a spiritual but also a quite literal wandering, a journey, especially to some spiritually significant places.

It is believed that as a significator of the past, The Hermit speaks not so much of loneliness as of a desire to draw a line under something, to forget something. Whether the temporary loneliness it foretells will lead to a better life will be shown by other cards in the spread.

The Hermit provides the strength and composure to concentrate on the main thing, but only this "main thing" can easily turn out to be achievements of a purely internal nature, and does not relate to those goals scheduled in a business planner. The Hermit is not a card of external activity—rather, a card of withdrawing from it. Under it, one can rarely expect advancement in vain affairs. Although Guggenheim points out that "this is a card of wisdom, achievements, and accomplishments."

The Hermit is an unhurried fellow, and therefore his appearance in a spread can indicate a slowdown of the process.

In general, when appearing in a spread, The Hermit hints that the time has come to cast away petty problems and vanity, as they hinder concentration on one's own soul. And it is exactly the soul that now demands close attention. Every person needs a period of withdrawal from everyday life and other people. This Arcana seems to say: try being a Hermit for a while to finally understand yourself and your needs, to ponder over your problems. This is necessary to learn to see yourself from the outside, realistically assess your level of development, and love yourself. Remember that he who does not love himself is unable to love anyone. Do not consider the time spent in inactivity, solitude, and contemplation as wasted. Calm analysis and comprehension of your plans will allow you to avoid mistakes in further actions.

For ordinary people, for example, a girl who has broken up with a man ("Will he return?" Or: "Will I get married soon?"), it simply means loneliness, at least in the near future, meaning the answer to "everyday questions" will be negative. Although the same card gives her advice: use the loneliness allotted to you for good, try to grow during this time. For "non-everyday questions," The Hermit is a strong and important card; it is truly like a lantern illuminating a difficult path. However, for esotericists and generally people who care about their spiritual growth, The Hermit can mean a feeling of loneliness because his former comrades and loved ones have stopped understanding him: he has moved forward, and they have stayed where they were. Therefore, he can now communicate only with similar Hermits, but there are few of them, and there may be none nearby at all. He can, of course, go back, but his spiritual development will end there. Better go forward, says this card, conquer the next peaks, and you will find new friends.

In the reversed position, on the contrary, The Hermit says that the girl will not be left alone. For esotericists, it means that, alas, the peak has not yet been reached (perhaps the path was wrong), that there is no creative solitude and none is foreseen yet.

Serious and independent (provided that the person is not a complete beginner on the path of the spirit and is somewhat adapted to the energies of The Hermit, otherwise—depressed and confused). "Thinking. Do not disturb" (writing a diploma, attending psychotherapy, finishing a project, making a blog post...). The Hermit is life by one's own rules. An aspiration towards the inner world rather than the outer, pursuing exclusively inner goals and indifference to external achievements. This is not The Chariot, who seeks himself in the outer world by committing acts, but a solitary exploration of the well of one's soul and a hermetic existence.

Spiritual independence, following one's own path where there are no companions, searching for one's own truth (and not the socially desirable one). The Hermit is characterized by the desire to escape from life, to withdraw into himself, but the reason for this is not fear, but a thirst for knowledge and finding oneself. This is a productive loneliness, immersion in one's inner world, detachment from material reality, from the vanities and cares of ordinary life, the needs of civilization. This is inner focus, but not for worldly life, but for the search for the imperishable. What would we do in the outer world if each of us had not been given our own inner world?

The Hermit jealously guards this world—almost in the same way The Emperor guards external possessions and conquests. Often this card describes the fear of revealing secrets (if The Moon is also nearby, then strong and justified). The Hermit "encrypts" well, and it is useless to look for him on social networks—at best, a non-binding and formal profile will be found there. This person carefully hides his face from others, does not seek to make contact with them, fearing that his solitude will be disturbed. He seems to be born with the knowledge of the existential truth that we are all alone; birth, death, pain, revelation—all this leaves one alone with oneself. At the same time, loneliness awakens his thoughts, brings depth and peace, and is one of the most inspiring states. To someone who is not adapted to the energies of The Hermit, this seems simply impossible. The most mystical element of the Arcana is the lantern. To discern its light, that is the spiritual task of the ninth Arcana. Helplessness, disappointment, or despair are alien to The Hermit. He understands who he is, and knows what he is doing and why—or, at least, it is exactly this state that the Arcana calls one to reach.

Important qualities of The Hermit: prudence, circumspection, insight, seriousness of thought, rationality, the ability to pull oneself together in time (especially with Strength), the ability to manage one's emotions. Security, independence, spiritual autonomy, and self-sufficiency. Wisdom, stealth. Strictness, seriousness. Patience, equanimity. Emphasized inconspicuousness (such a person, even possessing outstanding physical attributes, will consciously do everything to "dim" the effect). The Hermit is generally not particularly concerned with socialization. His adaptation to society can be very superficial altogether—like a "desktop" wallpaper. It looks somewhat conventional, but when trying to open any file it turns out that the extension is non-standard or it either does not open at all, or the language is not quite readable, and the user clearly lacks some connections to download all this... and load themselves with all this. Such is The Hermit, and gender, age, rank, and fortune do not change things here. The Hermit's cloak on the Arcana symbolizes the blurring and closure of his physical and social essence during the lonely path of spiritual ascent. But his lantern, occasionally, becomes a guiding star for others.

Working with one's own soul, self-reflection in solitude, seeking loneliness for inner work. Self-being is another keyword of The Hermit. But sometimes it reaches the stage when a person has locked himself so much in his own egoistic little world that it is almost impossible to get through to him anymore. The Hermit is in principle very independent of others and reacts weakly to their approval or disapproval, as the only measure of everything and everyone for him is his own life philosophy.

The Hermit symbolizes an experienced initiate who has well absorbed previously learned lessons of life's wisdom. Often this is a person whom fate has for some time and in some way "taken out" of the bustle of life—for example, he spent a lot of time in a hospital, lived off the beaten path, or worked in a closed institution. The Hermit loves spiritual practices and fasting. He never becomes part of the crowd. The calling, curse, and gift of The Hermit is the subordination of the will to inner truth. And to it alone. Not to whims, not to decisions made from the mind (they might be in conflict with this truth), not to externally induced concepts, and not even to the weaknesses and strengths of his own character. Only to the unknown force leading him. The Hermit is almost The Fool, the difference is that all paths are open to The Fool, but to The Hermit—only through hardships to the stars. The Narrow Path. Its borders can be lined with precious stones or entwined with barbed wire, it does not change the essence of the matter. From the point of view of symbolism, The Fool's pole, on which the bundle is attached, becomes The Hermit's staff, helping to travel and giving the only support on the path.

This person may be characterized by alienation, pronounced introversion, restraint, and aloofness. The Hermit is simply old. Moreover, old age can be measured not at all by passport age, but by ossification, inflexibility, alienation from people, spiritual decrepitude, and categorical rejection of the surrounding modern world. There are people whose midlife crisis begins directly after the puberty crisis. In the best sense, The Hermit can symbolize a person of such internal riches that the external world seems to him no more than tinsel and costume jewelry—it has weight, but it does not represent value. He truly sets exclusively internal goals for himself, and sometimes for more than one lifetime.

The negative meaning is a complacent stay in the little world of one's knowledge, albeit age-old and esoteric, but not used in practice. Bitterness, isolation, depression, an aura of sorrow and loss, gloom and joylessness. Alienation from people, bitterness. Through the theme of withdrawal and secrecy grow such negative traditional meanings as pretense, concealment, hypocrisy, and even betrayal.

A stage in spiritual development symbolizing Saturnian self-deepening, withdrawing into oneself, into the desert, into the monastery of the spirit, into the XII house. The Hermit seeks God within himself; he searches high and low for that invisible basis of his existence in which the sources of life and the future lie. In essence, he seeks a goal—what it should be in general. Knowledge leads to action, and for the time being, The Hermit's face is hidden: he is silent until his aura is cleansed and shines with a new light. The Hermit must first illuminate his own soul with beauty before it becomes a beacon for others. In complete solitude, he accumulates and concentrates those potential energies on the basis of which a different existence will be created in the future. This Arcana symbolizes the synthesis of possibilities, "the sacrament of true, but hidden birth, in which only spirit and soul participate."

In the Kabbalistic sense, The Hermit is the ninth sephira, the foundation for all previously presented attributes (Names) of God and the prism concentrating them before entering the material world (the tenth sephira). Energies, patiently and silently accumulated in isolation from all extraneous and distracting influences, are released with tremendous power when the time comes for this. The Hermit goes into the darkness to find the inner light. And it happens that the light of their visions and revelations serves as a spiritual guiding star for others for many centuries. The mystery of this Arcana is the search for truth, existential reflections, finding inner treasures, the searching and finding of knowledge and wisdom in one's inner world, self-initiation. Contemplation and the greatest comprehension of the essence of things under the wise guidance of the inner mentor.

All religions contain legends about the travels of the spirit, about great teachers or prophets who wandered the whole world or went into the desert in search of insight and truth. Self-initiation, the comprehension of secret wisdom, centuries-old knowledge (and not the wisdom of surviving in this world).

The card reminds us of the connection between the heavenly and the earthly, symbolizing the merging of the higher and lower worlds, their similarity and unification. And since the higher and lower, inner and outer worlds are similar, in order to tune oneself to that light which is in the heavens, a person is sometimes forced to retire into the depths of their inner world.

"This is the desert. But in this desert God speaks to me. Therefore, I live in silence—to hear Him." Absolute fidelity to one's life principles and inner knowledge. Indifference to the opinion and assessments of others, to generally accepted stereotypes of thinking and behavior. Deep analysis of the situation, comprehension of past experience, taking spiritual inventory. The card of one's own truth, following one's own path. Going deep within, temperance, and confidence. Self-limitation, visible defectiveness, but also gaining a core and wisdom. The real path of the self, being in solitude, in the 12th house, where there is only the light of inner truth and no one else. Refusal to work with external information, as the gaze is turned inward. This can be a time when one should re-evaluate one's life, connections, goals. The changes that can occur with this are shown by other cards in the spread.

The XII house is the house of secrets. The deep motive for self-isolation and alienation often consists precisely in guarding one's secrets. These are not the secrets you can share over a drink—this is the secret of authenticity, of who you really are. Falling out in a spread (especially if the Nine of Wands is nearby), The Hermit, like The High Priestess, hints that a person has something to hide, that he is not what he appears from the outside. This card testifies to caution and detachment from worldly vanity. It is also a sign of victory over one's own passions and the desire to comprehend the inner nature of all occurring events.

The card usually depicts an old man leaning on a staff and dressed in a hooded monastic cloak. In his hand, he has a lantern, partially hidden by the sleeve of his cloak. This is a symbol of the light of the occult sciences, which always remains partially hidden. In a symbolic and esoteric sense, The Hermit hides ancient wisdom from the profane. The staff in his hand is a symbol of knowledge, which is the only support for a person. Sometimes the mystical staff is divided by knots into seven parts—a subtle analogy with the seven sacred centers of the human spine. The Hermit follows the path of Initiation, Sacrament, and Knowledge.

The Arcana of The Hermit is closely connected to The Moon. His knowledge is not rational and logical postulates or beautiful mental images. They are much more instinctive and truer than any schemes, and extend deeper rather than wider—to the mystical sources of being, deep into the underworld, where Persephone (Virgo) dwells, Orpheus finds and loses Eurydice, and Dante contemplates the reverse side of immortality. Being connected with The Moon, The Hermit describes supra-tantric enlightenment practices based on sublime masturbation, which later transformed into a cult of religious zeal fueled by abstinence (the practice of celibacy).

The Ninth Arcana is comparable to the sign of Virgo—the sign of ordering the internal resources of the present in order to create a favorable soil for the future, with its thirst for service and selflessness and sometimes—incredible depravity. Sometimes these properties are combined in one personality. Connected to The Hermit are the comprehension of the order of life's manifestations and the mind of the will, that mind which prepares each being individually for conviction in general universality and which prompts one to learn to control their consciousness and know the sequence and order of the world's manifestations. The Hermit is the card of detachment from the world, the path to oneself.

This is a period of introversion, when we "close ourselves off" from external influences in order to find peace away from the hustle and bustle and people, and, most importantly, to find ourselves. Thus, The Hermit symbolizes important events that show us who we are, what we strive for, and how to achieve it. It unites within itself two poles: the deepest experiences and the highest cognition. He who is ready to follow the call of The Hermit does not lose himself, but finds, gaining clarity, strength, and the ability to get along with himself.

Crowley also emphasizes The Hermit's closeness to Virgo, considering him as the "hidden Persephone," the queen of Hades, who in autumn leads the soul of the world to the other world, and in spring—to rebirth (it is no coincidence that the next Arcana is the "cyclical" Wheel of Fortune).

The Hermit is indifferent to honors and prosperity, but is fully concentrated on the goal. Professionally, he corresponds to freelancers who are not subordinate to any organization and who harbor a certain dislike for collectives.

The card is good for scientific pursuits, analysis, writing works and memoirs, or at worst—running a blog. It has consistency and perseverance, but only when a person sees meaning for himself in what he is doing.

Under The Hermit go people whose profession is somehow connected with searches and research. This can be a scientist and archivist, or it can be an investigator of the criminal police, following the trail with his lantern, highlighting what others missed or hid (prosecutors, lawyers—that's for Justice), a teacher, a consultant.

The Hermit is quite favorable for studying (his lantern symbolizes the light of knowledge) and business trips (The Hermit is usually on the road, and his staff is a walking stick). Under The Hermit, professional skills are perfectly honed, independently or under the guidance of an older mentor. Ziegler reports that this is the card of wise leaders. But still, in all likelihood, not in the field of business clearly oriented towards profit.

For a businessman, The Hermit is unfavorable. In essence, it indicates the fruitlessness of the business he is currently engaged in. It can be seen as advice to get rid of the current enterprise and switch to something else.

There is an opinion that this is a card of completion and harvesting, but the thing is, The Hermit stands more for the path and the process; besides, the acquisitions he is interested in are mainly internal.

Under The Hermit, a person may question the meaning of their own activities and their professional aptitude. Sometimes, under this card, there is a withdrawal from professional activity, retirement, and/or the transfer of accumulated experience to others.

The Hermit is an unfavorable indicator for financial matters. He lives in detachment from worldly goods, and invites the querent to practice the same. This is a card of financial restrictions, receiving less than what is due, lower salaries and pensions, a simple and ascetic life. If agreements are involved, they can be annulled. The Hermit might advise the querent to simply abstract from financial issues and look at the matter from a different angle, making it clear that money is not the main thing.

Loneliness is a very expensive commodity. It is equally hard to acquire it when it is needed, and to get rid of it when one is tired of it. Appearing in a spread, The Hermit informs that the querent, even if they are in a relationship, is now more concentrated on themselves and their own development than anything else. The Hermit is traditionally considered an unfavorable card for relationships. Relationships largely rest on adapting to another person.

The Hermit does not adapt. He goes his own way and truly belongs only to it. Therefore, the card often heralds walking one's own path, separation, breaking up relationships, or at least a search for greater autonomy, independence from a partner. Among other things, weddings are canceled and engagements are broken off under it (there must, of course, be some other indications for this). The Hermit ponders over the meaning of relationships, his role in them, why all this is needed and whether it aligns with his inner sense of the path of life. In any case, the plus of The Hermit is that he takes things seriously. He will not turn a blind eye to problems in relationships and be guided by the principle "maybe it will sort itself out" (he perfectly understands that things tend to "sort themselves out" mainly by way of The Tower).

The minus of The Hermit is that he will hardly rush to actively solve the problems he sees—rather, he will withdraw ("to figure out his feelings") and when he figures them out, he will go his own way. Generally, you can drain swamps, clear debris, and build bridges across chasms with him, but only on the condition that he is helped to see some profound meaning in all this. Then you can go into reconnaissance with him—he is a serious and reliable comrade. But the feeling of meaninglessness finishes him off, and this makes him a difficult partner—in the end, it is much easier to provide care of all sorts, material well-being, and sexual variety than to turn a meaning-key of unknown configuration in a lock located who knows where. However, when this key turns and meaning shines forth...

The Hermit is capable of enduring the absence of the first, second, and third (see above) and much more—he thinks in existential categories and will not act capricious in the event of inconveniences.

The Hermit is secretive. In some ways he is like The High Priestess. A certain part of his intimate life always remains a secret. He can point both to a partner who is secretive by nature, who does not pour out his soul (at best—once a year by the teaspoon), and to the fact that he has something to hide (for example, infidelity). This is a card of withdrawal, detachment, distance.

The Hermit is silent. You will not get unnecessary expressions of feelings out of him. He takes relationships seriously, but in general, even monogamy is too much of a crowd for him. It happens that a lonely person does not strive to go home, where he will be left alone with the walls, but as for The Hermit—he extremely cherishes solitude and closes the door behind him into his lonely sanctuary with deep relief, catching his breath and finally becoming himself. The thought that he will lose this rest and refuge for his soul by marrying frightens him much more than it inspires him ("you tumble around so much all day, you come home - and there you sit!"). The Hermit perceives the inconveniences and anxieties of loneliness philosophically, without attaching any special meaning to them—one's own burden does not weigh one down. The famous lines of Omar Khayyam "It's better to go hungry than to eat just anything, and it's better to be alone than together with just anyone" acquire a special intonation in the case of The Hermit—the word "better" is superfluous here, because he is not really capable of doing otherwise. Loneliness for him is not an event. It's just being. This card often shows a conscious desire to be alone. Honesty with himself and harmony with himself are extremely important to The Hermit. Until he has achieved them, it is useless to rush him, and he accepts no one's influence on himself. Everything that does not correspond to his nature and individuality will sooner or later be destroyed by him and crossed out of his life (and even more likely—not allowed into it at all). Traditionally, The Hermit describes celibacy, reclusion, withdrawal from the world, a closed, solitary life, incomprehensible to others.

It is very indicative if The Hermit falls to a person in love. This is a clear instruction to take a step back, not to rush to tie oneself with strong bonds, to test one's feelings. This card symbolizes alienation, circumspection, and caution in choosing a partner, staying in one's own space. Most likely, the person approaches the relationship seriously, but he needs time to understand what he really wants, because there is no clarity now. It is clearly not the time to jump into the pool headfirst.

The card may speak of a lack of sexual desire, but this is not always so straightforward. For example, it is possible that in a sexual sense The Hermit is also "knowing himself," and the help of another in this is not always implied. It happens that a person himself is the best sexual partner for himself, and with all others does not experience what he does with himself. "Solo love" can be mastered by him to a greater or lesser extent, be primitive and refined. And if with The Hanged Man and The Tower this is rather a gross act of self-gratification, preceded by a suppression of libido, then if nearby, for example, are Strength and the Seven of Cups—hardly anyone will be able to deliver him such exhaustive pleasure as he is able to deliver to himself.

Dragging The Hermit into bed for shared pastime is no easy task, and you shouldn't expect an extravaganza here either. This is a restrained partner not inclined to show initiative. Such qualities may appeal to someone. Often the card indicates coldness, the ability to do without sex, the lack of an intimate life.

At best, The Hermit can point to an emotional (but hardly sexual) connection with an inspired and very wise person. This is a union of a profound level.

The Hermit is not the most favorable card for health. Under it, the body becomes ephemeral ("Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return").

This is a decline in energy, a decrease in vitality, a gradual winding down of the activity of vital functions. This is a card of descent into the depths and movement inward. In its most classical form, it corresponds to the processes of natural aging and decrepitude. But it can also be exhaustion after overload and the need to conserve remaining strength.

Depression. Insomnia. Hormonal deficiency. Menopause. Rheumatism. All chronic health problems typical of old age. Digestive problems.

Under The Hermit, anesthesia, narcosis, the "winding down" of mental activity often pass.

Advice: asceticism, rejection of the accustomed lifestyle and many everyday habits that have turned into pseudo-needs.

It is sometimes considered that the reversed card does not change the meaning, but intuition suggests that this is unlikely to be true. At times, it speaks of the impossibility of preserving the solitude that a person cherishes. He is not allowed to retire and concentrate, his meditations are constantly disrupted and interrupted. The suffering described by this card is well known to an introvert trapped at a corporate party from which one cannot leave early. The Reversed Hermit is poured drinks, drawn into conversations, invited to dance, and he endures all this, stoically counting the minutes and asking in the depths of his soul "God, why me?"—he would gladly be on a desert island right now.

This is a card of insufficient prudence, indiscretion—or, on the contrary, unfounded precautions and suspicions. By and large, under the reversed Hermit, a person does not shine with intelligence. The card can also indicate that he is learning the wrong things, looking in the wrong places, and generally going in the wrong direction. False ideals and foolish advice, presented as great wisdom, also fall under this card. Its traditional meanings are deception, lies, secretive fraud, corruption, concealment.

Depending on neighboring cards, it can also mean a refusal of help, stubbornness, suspiciousness, continuation of an unproductive lifestyle, as well as unnecessary secrecy and caution.

Sometimes this is an indication of great knowledge that is difficult to put into practice—all the wisdom previously accumulated is simply unusable in this situation. Before us is an imperfect perfectionist, an ascetic breaking down into self-indulgence, a mentor who does not know how to do what he teaches himself, a defrocked monk, a representative of a "helping profession" who himself needs help due to burnout, or someone who should have retired a long time ago, but clings to laurels.

The reversed Hermit is sometimes motivated for a relationship, but, alas, far from by love—rather it is fear of lonely old age or other similar calculations. He feels bad alone, but it is absolutely not a given that he will feel good with someone. Loneliness for two.

The Hermit and The High Priestess – a bad sign, associations from the realm of another woman and infidelity, a secret connected with it.

The Hermit and The Sun in this sense – uncovering infidelity, exposing secrets.

The Hermit and The Empress – an indication not to rush events; even if something is unsatisfactory, everything will take its course.

The Lovers – weaken the effect of The Hermit, speak of sexuality, the emergence of relationships, sometimes contrary to a person's desire. Also – deep inner concentration before a step into the new. Great inner composure is needed, relying on one's personal concepts, and nothing else.

With The Devil – a struggle of motives, the temptation to act contrary to oneself, to do something against one's nature.

The Hermit and Judgement – an unjust trial (from an old interpretation book). Receiving important news. A major event, the beginning of a new period in life.

The World – weakens the meaning of isolation that The Hermit carries, draws one into the flow of events.

Four of Swords – strengthens the inertia and contemplativeness inherent in The Hermit

Seven of Swords – strengthens the effect of The Hermit, loneliness, solitude

Two of Cups – weakens the effect of The Hermit, involves one in connections

Eight of Cups – strengthens the effect of The Hermit, self-deepening, searching for the deep meaning of events

With Nine of Cups – selfish pleasures

With a reversed Ten of Cups – a lot of trouble.

The Jungian Wise Old Man, senex.

"For in much wisdom is much grief".

"What you seek is what you find".

"The victor's sword is forged in solitude".

Immanuel Kant, St. Jerome, and the like

Actors, writers, and other famous personalities who preferred a reclusive and solitary lifestyle

Clergy by vocation