The Hermit
Major Arcana · IX · Earth
Solitary illumination — the light that is found only by turning inward.
Upright meaning
The Hermit stands alone on a mountaintop in the dark, holding a lantern with a six-pointed star — the Seal of Solomon — inside it. He does not seek the crowd's warmth. He has climbed to where the air is thin and the view is honest. This card marks a necessary withdrawal from the noise of social and professional life into a period of genuine inner inquiry. The answer you are seeking cannot be found in more activity; it requires the silence that only solitude produces.
Reversed meaning
The Hermit reversed marks either excessive withdrawal that has become isolation, or a resistance to the necessary solitude that the current situation demands. If the withdrawal has gone past productive introspection into disconnection from all relationship and warmth, something needs to draw the hermit down from the mountain and back into the world. If the resistance to solitude is the issue, the world cannot give you what only you can find in yourself.
At a glance
| Suit | Major Arcana |
|---|---|
| Number | IX |
| Element | Earth |
| Yes or no | Maybe |
Frequently asked questions
Is The Hermit a yes or no card?
The Hermit is read as "maybe" in a yes/no reading. Reversed, its message softens or turns toward isolation and loneliness.
What does The Hermit mean upright?
Upright, The Hermit stands for soul searching, introspection, being alone, inner guidance, solitude, retreat.
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