The Hermit
Tarot card meaning, upright and reversed.
The Hermit represents introspection, solitude, and inner guidance.
Reversed, The Hermit points to isolation, avoidance, and loneliness.
The Hermit upright meaning
The Hermit has climbed above the noise to a bare snow ridge and lifted a lantern, and inside the lantern is a single star, his own light carried by hand rather than borrowed from the sky. He faces slightly down the mountain, holding it out, not hoarding it. Solitude here is not exile, it is the altitude where you can finally hear yourself think. Step back from the crowd long enough to see what your own small light actually shows.
The Hermit reversed meaning
Reversed, the ridge tilts toward isolation and the lantern turns inward until it lights nothing but the inside of the cloak. The star is still burning; the trouble is a withdrawal that has stopped restoring you and started hiding you. Even the Hermit came down the mountain eventually. A little honest contact with one person may show you more than another night alone on the peak.
AffirmationThe light I need I can carry in my own hand.
Is my lantern lighting the path down, or just the inside of my hood?
Common questions about The Hermit
What does The Hermit mean in tarot?
The Hermit represents introspection, solitude, and inner guidance. The Hermit has climbed above the noise to a bare snow ridge and lifted a lantern, and inside the lantern is a single star, his own light carried by hand rather than borrowed from the sky. He faces slightly down the mountain, holding it out, not hoarding it.
What does The Hermit reversed mean?
Reversed, The Hermit points to isolation, avoidance, and loneliness. Reversed, the ridge tilts toward isolation and the lantern turns inward until it lights nothing but the inside of the cloak.
Is The Hermit a yes or no card?
It depends. The Hermit is balanced, so it answers with a question rather than a yes or no. Look at the cards around it and what you already feel.
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