What does the hermit tarot card mean? Being alone, retreat from society in order to solve inner issues and gain introspective. The solitude is temporary, soon the hermit will come back and everyone will be able to learn from his wisdom.
The hermit tarot card upright card keywords: solitude, introspection, inner seeking, reflection, hiding, hope, meditation, loneliness, going within and patience.
The hermit reversed card keywords: resistance to change, arrogant, rejection, careless, individualism, isolation, reconnect.
Table of Contents
- The hermit tarot card meaning and symbolism guide
- The hermit tarot card upright card keywords meaning
- The hermit reversed card keywords meaning
- The hermit yes or no – tarot card meaning (upright & reversed)
- The hermit tarot card meaning in love and relationship (upright & reversed)
- The hermit tarot card: Career work and finances meaning (upright & reversed)
- The hermit tarot card: Health meaning (upright & reversed)
- The hermit tarot card as feelings
- The hermit tarot card zodiac sign astrology meaning
- The hermit tarot card number and numerology meaning
- The hermit tarot card meaning: past, present and future
- The hermit tarot card combinations
The hermit tarot card meaning and symbolism guide
What does the hermit card mean in tarot reading? The hermit tarot card is really interesting, because in the image we don’t see too many symbols and elements. It’s description looks so minimal and uncomplicated but it holds plenty of meanings which we are going to simplify one bye one.
Gray color: the dominant color of the hermit tarot card is gray. We can also spots black and white hues which are complementary. This symbolize that the good and bad things are always entwined. We can not have darkness without light and vice versa. The hermit card projects to us the concept of darkness. People usually associate darkness with dangerous, evil or sadness, but there are also good aspects to this phenomenon.
Lamp: inside the lamp there is a source of light that looks like a spark star with six corners. Every point represents different direction in the wide open space: north, south, east, west, up (heaven) and down (hell). The deity or God is everywhere watching, protecting and sending messages. In addition the top point can interpret as our desire to go up to the sky, to gain knowledge about the spiritual world. And the lower star point represents the messages we received from higher deities, like angels and spirits who guide us.
We also need to point out that the yellow star is caged behind bars inside the lamp, and although it’s trapped there, it can still shine and make the surrounding brighter. In addition yellow color is associated with warm temperatures and darkness with coldness. This suggests discrepancy, meaning there is a lot of work to be done in order to combine both in perfect symbiosis which will result in inner peace within us.
The light gives us hope when things go bad it helps us walk through the uncertainty. There is also an aspect of inner light as well, meaning being awaken spiritually, but also to find our own way to achieve or goal or to make the right choice. So when the hermit is walking in the darkness of the night with a small lamp, he is not seeking for an item that he lost or the road back to his home, he is searching for the answers inside of him, deep in the soul, mind or feelings.
Walking stick: another prominent item in the hermit tarot card is the walking stick. The cane is a tool which helps him while he travels: it assists walking, maintain balance and remove obstacles in the field. Therefore the cane suggests authority and knowledge. He has experience and he knows what he wants.
In this story the hermit is going alone in the dark but he doesn’t want to stay there forever. It is just temporary phase because he wants to find answers. Once he will understand the situation and be complete with himself, he will return to his previous life, but now it will be much joyful for him.
There is no fear inside the hermit or near by. There are no scary or dangerous images in the scenery of the hermit tarot card so it teaches us that darkness is good. This fact symbolize that many people are afraid of what they might find in the dark. But in reality they are more afraid of what they will find about themselves. Sometimes the truth can hurt and when we find it, we often try to run away from it instead of facing the reality.
Spiritual journey is not always easy or fun like we might assume. Every so often it can be very challenging or unclear. We might discover new information that will transform completely the way we look at this world. It can even drive us to a temporary shock.
Mountains: in the tarot card scenery the hermit is standing at the peak of the mountain. He has very little space to maneuver. One wrong step and he is going to fall all the way down. This is not a good time to rush into decision. It is a time to look down and examine all possibility before taking the next step, especially when his sight is limited by the dark of the night. This is opposed to the fool’s journey card, the fool is standing on a cliff and don’t care about the next deadly step because he has faith.
Moreover the mountains are snowy, it was very hard to the hermit to climb upon them. Now he is looking down, reflecting on the long way he had to cross in order to find the meaning he looked for.
Snow: the snow in the hermit tarot card symbolize message from heaven because it come from the sky. Moreover if we want to be more spiritual and understand the rules of divination, we need to transform our thoughts like water can change its physical form: water, ice and air. In tarot cards, water is a visual element that represents emotion and feelings. So when we see snow it denotes frozen feelings. In order to understand them we need to make an effort, it doesn’t come easily.
Cloak: symbolize discretion the hermit is hiding himself with the cloak, he doesn’t want to be seen as he has inner issues to solve. He is also alone at the top of the mountain and in a dark place a night. He wants to be left alone and deal with the situation that is bothering him. Wearing a cloak or a cap is a practice that very common in religious ceremonies and rituals, it aid to connect better with higher energy and open awareness state and create inspiration.
Beard: the hermit’s beard in the tarot card image is long and white, symbolize his old age and vast life experience. But although all of these strong points he still doesn’t understand completely the circumstance and chose temporary solitude to figure it out.
The hermit tarot card upright card keywords meaning
The hermit tarot card upright card keywords: solitude, introspection, inner seeking, reflection, hiding, hope, meditation, loneliness, going within and patience.
Reflection upright keyword: When it comes to spiritual issue it indicates that you have lots of knowledge and even psychic abilities. You spent lots of time to learn about many aspects of this world and beyond. This proficiency assists you to recognize your inner issues related to the soul, the mind and feelings.
Solitude upright keyword: solitude is not only about being alone or hiding from society, it can denote that you have your own ways to carry through life too. Maybe you like to do things a little bit different or unusual than others. You don’t have to always fit yourself to rules and regulations that doesn’t applied to your needs. You can find new creative ways to express yourself.
Loneliness upright keyword: loneliness can sometimes be a good thing especially to introvert person. When you are a lone like a hermit you have the time to rest, think and charge yourself with good energy. It doesn’t say that you are lazy, on the contrary it gives you more time to recharge before you go out and interact with the outer world. The hermit tarot card might show that you don’t have too many friends, you don’t go out and socialize with many people, and you prefer to be at home most of the time.
Inner seeking upright keyword: many people in the modern world don’t know who they really are. There are so many opportunities and lifestyles to choose from. The hermit tarot card tells us that we have to stop participant in this endless cycle. We relay too much on external factors when we define our personality, our identity and what’s make us happy. The answer to all those definition can be found only inside ourselves.
Patience upright keyword: every journey you participant will take time. The hermit tarot card is emphasizes patience. The hermit didn’t gain his knowledge and spiritual wisdom like Qabalah in one day, it took some time and most likely few years. By looking at the picture of the card we can also see that he climbed to the top of the snowy mountain, the dangerous travel to the top spot took a long time. Most of our learning process is done by self experience, we need to be involved and exposed to new ideas and challenges, and this doesn’t happen in one day. Finding a teacher or a guide to show us the way is a good solution but not always, and in this instance the card is a big omen that we should do it on our own, you will become your own guide.
Hope upright keyword: the hermit tarot card gives us a feeling of loneliness but it is just temporary and doest lead to sadness or depression. Therefore there is a hope that things will be sort on the positive side, even though it might perceive as negative right now. The hope is symbolized by the shining yellow Star of David.
The hermit reversed card keywords meaning
The hermit reversed card keywords: resistance to change, arrogant, rejection, careless, individualism, isolation, reconnect.
In the upright card keywords the hermit tarot card articulated a connection to higher beings or deity, very much like a monk who is going alone in nature or lives inside a cave with one mission only, which is to be closer to spirituality. But when the hermit card is reversed we should read and interpret it vice versa.
Resistance reversed keyword: you don’t want to face the truth about who you are. Although you might not be very satisfied with your current situation, you chose not to do anything. Please note that change is not easy but it is necessary if you want to evolve. Another reason for resisting is the fear of what you may discover about yourself. It is not comfortable for you to go and do the work, but you need to overcome this initial pain.
Individualism reversed keyword: the hermit can also represent that you take care only for yourself, only for your needs and not for other people. It is like you are neglecting the community, because you have something better to do for yourself. People might see you as a selfish person and that can create guilty feelings.
Rejection reversed keyword: you reject society and its rules, but more important you don’t want to learn. Maybe you think that you already know everything and maybe there is a little tendency to be arrogant. You are tired of being controlled by others and you don’t want to listen to stories and ideas that don’t interesting you. This kind or rejection is counter productive of focus. It’s OK that you are currently self centered with your personal development, but keep an eye that you won’t neglect other parts of your life, such as the community you live in.
Isolation reversed keyword: retreat from society or daily modern life in order to conduct a self discovery process is positive. However when the hermit card is reversed it has a negative meaning of isolation. This kind of habit can result bad outcomes such as not communicating with people and cause sorrow. If you will continue with this practice the people that are closed to you like friends and co-workers, will distance them selves from your presence.
Careless reversed keyword: when the hermit tarot card is reversed (upside down) it explained as not caring about other people, society and their values or believes. You are not balanced with the public and actually not a part of it. To fix this situation you need to define for yourself what you can trust, how can you work with people in harmony. Maybe not every group of people is suitable for you, so try to find like minded people who share the same interests as you like hobbies.
Reconnect reversed keyword: a rare meaning of the hermit reversed tarot card is re connection. This is one of the most positive keyword in the reversed interpretation. It reveals the need to come back to the light or to society. The isolation and hiding at the dark are over. Now it’s the end of a cycle and you required to go back to how you were before but wiser and stronger. The most effective way to do it is by teaching others, you have lots of knowledge and it is recommended that you will use it to help others.
The hermit yes or no – tarot card meaning (upright & reversed)
Is the hermit a yes or no tarot card? It doesn’t matter if the card pulled upright or reversed from the deck, the answer is “maybe”. If you asked a yes or no question then the respond is unclear. Like the voyage of the hermit, he travels to unknown territory and doesn’t have a clue what he will find. Will it be good or bad? Will it be worth it or just a waste of time? All he knows is that he wants to find a solution to his problem.
So instead of asking yes or no question focus your energy on the process, on doing what you want, create your future at the present moment and it will open doors for your wonderful future. If you are still insisting on finding precise reply, take more tarot cards from the deck and figure out how the combinations effect the meaning when the cards are together.
The hermit tarot card meaning in love and relationship (upright & reversed)
The upright meaning of the hermit tarot card when we pick a card and ask questions about love and relationship:
If you are single right now then it will take you a long time to find a husband or a wife. It will not happen anytime soon because you need to define for yourself few issue. For example: you are not ready for a commitment relationship, you don’t know exactly what you are looking for, you have past issues that needed to be resolved first, or just work on your communication skills with the other gender.
Furthermore it is incredible time to be alone, because you will be able to understand your wishes, form a plan and then execute with the right steps you have to take to find your perfect soulmate. This progress will result positive outcomes as it is more likely that you will find someone who is compatible.
Another meaning of the hermit tarot card is that things take time. So when you will find your twin flame, it will not happen fast. It probably will develop slowly in a form of friendship or colleague.
For couples in relationship it means that you need to take a little break, because you always take care of someone else but you don’t have time for yourself.
If you find the hermit tarot card in psychic reading about love, it can give you a clue that a lover from the past is interested in you. This information will surely confuse you and you will have to decide what you are going to do about it.
In reversed the hermit tarot card meaning is that you are not doing enough effort to meet someone new. You are thinking too much about past relationships and fear of failing again or being hurt. Negative thoughts are flooding your mind without a substantial reason. Spend some time to reconcile with your memories and soon after that start a new page, go out and search for a new love because it out there within your reach.
For married couples and those who are in serious relationships, the reversed hermit tarot card points that you two don’t give much attention to each other. You are taking each other for granted and every one is going to a different direction. You are not acting as a couple who is doing fun activities like going on dates, vacations and events. It is like you two are just roommates. The hermit reversed card is massive indication that the relationship is starting to fall apart and might end in a breakup. The simple solution is to go out together and do interesting activities together.
The hermit tarot card: Career work and finances meaning (upright & reversed)
The upright hermit tarot card in career, work and finances denotes success but you have to do it right, don’t let circumstances get out of your hands and especially don’t take high risks.
If you are unemployed it is a good time to learn some new abilities which will refine your value in the work marketplace. The hermit tarot card keyword is to reflect, get new point of view and think again which career path you would like to choose. It usually indicates that the answer will be found within yourself. But if you don’t have a clue than think about talking to an expert in this field like a guide or mentor who has many knowledge on career path choices.
The hermit card keyword is mostly interpreted as temporary isolation, this denotes that you have been left alone at work. Meaning you are doing everything alone without any help. You are too busy and miss compliance with work schedule. Try to get more people to assist you.
In career work and finances the hermit tarot card in reversed suggests that you have a lack of knowledge in your profession or work. It can happen because you need to learn more about topics that related to your job. It is advised to take a course, find information on the internet or some guide who can teach you new methods and capabilities. This situation also applied if you are new to a certain work place, or got a promotion and now you are in another position and don’t have a clue what you supposed to do.
In finances and money matter the reversed setting tells you to reconsider how you invest or spend your money. It seems like right now you don’t handle your financial issue up to the optimum. Maybe this is because you are spending lots of money on unnecessary items or having bad investment. Attempt to cut out your expenses and save more. If you don’t understand or know how to do it, get a consultant or talk to someone who knows about this issues.
The hermit tarot card: Health meaning (upright & reversed)
The hermit tarot card health meaning when we pick a card in upright position: physical pain can be an indicator of mental or emotional stress. We usually don’t notice but our body and mind are connected and form together one unit. If there are problems in our thoughts or emotions it will impact our physical body. Sometimes the healing for physical illness can be found in the mental state of our mind. For example when we are worrying too much we can’t sleep well or we are losing the appetite.
A second interpretation of the reversed hermit tarot card is that our body need to rest. Consider to temporarily retreat from your daily life if you can afford it.
When we ask the cards about health issues and the hermit tarot card is in reversed it is not a very good sign. You need to consider some changes, the key point is to start doing small steps towards your goal. For example you can’t lose plenty of weight in one day or one week, but taking small pace daily will add up to a substantial reaction, the important thing is to be consist with your action.
The hermit tarot card as feelings
The hermit tarot card as feelings implies that you feel you want to distance yourself from other people. You want to be left alone for a while because you have too much on your mind right now. If you are in a relationship it can be that your spouse want to take a little break, but he or she will come back eventually.
The hermit is a seeker and this symbolizes your desire to connect with your feelings. There are certain situations in life that can confuse us, and we don’t normally know how to process the information we are getting. Maybe logically we understand it but not emotionally.
The hermit tarot card zodiac sign astrology meaning
The hermit tarot card zodiac sign is Virgo. In astrology and personal horoscope reading for hose with Virgo birth date symbolizes wisdom, spiritual enlighten and psychic powers. This goes together with the hermit characteristic as a person. The hermit is someone who gained profound perception about the psychic world while he was isolated. Now he is back to society and wants to share its special gift to help others, and to make the world a better place to live in.
Virgo zodiac sign is ruled by planet mercury which is all about awareness and being focus. This is exactly what hermits and monk are doing everyday, they devote their attention to one thing only at any given moment in time. This is why they meditate, to help them ignore the train of thoughts in their head, and to think much clearly about spiritual and philosophical affairs.
The hermit tarot card number and numerology meaning
The hermit tarot card number is 9 (ix). Number nine in numerology indicates the end of a circle. It symbolizes final resolution and conclusion. Just as described in the tarot card, the hermit has been very solitary in order to deal with certain issues. Once he achieved the mission the cycle is ended and he can get back to society.
Number 9 often associated with leaders like commanders, bosses, mangers and principles. The common ground of these people is that they always looking to improve themselves. What they have right now is not satisfied them they want to keep getting better at what they are doing. Number nine also symbolize teaching and assisting others.
The hermit tarot card meaning: past, present and future
Past: the hermit tarot card suggests that it the past you were unhappy with your life, something was missing and you wanted to find why does it happened to you. It took you to a self discovery mission and it wasn’t that easy. As a matter of fact you had to leave everything behind, change your view and believe in order to find the truth.
Present: you need to be alone currently, there can be good reasons and bad reasons to go on a total solitary. But the most important point is that you will come out of it stronger and wiser. Invest the precious time to ask yourself hard question, it will help you to make sense of the condition you are in. Remember that the truth is something you need to discover alone, don’t rely on tutors and other kinds of masters to know what is best for you. No matter how smart and how much knowledge they have, they can’t make the right decision for you.
Future: you have too many things that are going in the wrong way. If you will continue to do the same things over and over again, nothing will change and in fact might get worse. The world is calling you to choose the path of the hermit or the monk. This is not meant to be a fun vacation, trip or travel to another country. You need to be alone for some time to review and study what you need to change for better outcomes.
The hermit tarot card combinations
The hermit tarot card combination with the lover tarot card is a sign to be caution. Someone in the relationship wants to take a step back. It doesn’t immediately say that you two will breakup but it is possible. It also advocate that you are not read to make a decision and you need more time to think about it.
The world tarot card and the hermit tarot card combinations: the cycle has been completed on a successful note. After all the time you have spent in introspecting you finally found acknowledgment.
Strength tarot card highlight the fact that your inner reflection should be about controlling your emotions. Be calm and don’t rush into conclusions.
The moon and the hermit tarot card meaning together is that the mystery path yet to be reveal. It is recommended you will be patience, trust your self and the world.
The sun tarot card is the big light at the end of the tunnel. Remember the lamp the hermit was holding at the dark? So in the end he found what he have been looking for.
The hanged man tarot card combination is very strong. The hanged man is very similar to the hermit, but there is a difference, the hangman didn’t chose to go away, it is the circumstances that moved him from his place. If you want to be practical don’t pay attention to why it happened to you, just figure out how to get out of the obstacle.
Justice tarot card add the information that you are looking for balance or an advice to your current situation. It is very difficult for you to see solution when you are alone.
Wheel of fortune tarot card indicates that you are going to have changes in your life. For an example if the hermit is alone and thinking about inner matters, soon he will join back to the world and offer his knowledge. He will have lots of success and many people will follow him.
The hermit and the empress tarot card meanings simplified: things are going to be much more optimistic. Everything is going to flourish. Also the hermit symbol being alone and the empress symbolize creating family.
Significance of the hermit tarot card and emperor tarot combination: those people are alone but everyone on its own unique way. You are torn between two options: one is to wait and the other one is to go forward.
The hermit and death tarot card symbolize together a certain end. It can be an end of relationship, work or even spiritual. It also implies that you left behind things that doesn’t served you anymore, you cleared the past for a better future.
Ace of swords and the hermit tarot card denotes that you have come to conclusion and now you have the power to go and take the necessary deeds.
Fun fact: the hermit drawing art was published on one of led zeppelin music albums.