The Hermit Tarot Card: Solitude, Wisdom & Inner Light
After Strength teaches us to master our inner nature through compassion, The Hermit appears as card number 9 in the Major Arcana—calling us to withdraw from the noise of the world and seek wisdom in solitude. Where Strength represents inner power through engagement, The Hermit represents inner wisdom through retreat.
The Hermit is the seeker, the sage, the one who climbs the mountain alone to find truth. This is the card of introspection, spiritual seeking, and the light of inner knowing that can only be found in silence and solitude.
The Hermit Tarot Card at a Glance
Number: 9
Element: Earth
Astrological Association: Virgo (introspection, analysis, service, perfectionism, discernment)
Keywords: Solitude, introspection, wisdom, inner guidance, spiritual seeking, withdrawal, contemplation, soul-searching, enlightenment
Yes or No: Not yet—take time to reflect before deciding
The Hermit Card Imagery & Symbolism
The traditional Rider-Waite-Smith Hermit is a powerful image of spiritual solitude and inner illumination. Let's decode the symbolism:
The Hooded Figure
An elderly man in a hooded gray robe stands alone, representing the wisdom that comes with age, experience, and the willingness to walk the path alone. The hood suggests turning inward, away from external distractions, to focus on inner truth.
The Gray Robes
Gray is the color of neutrality, wisdom, and the balance between black and white, light and dark. The Hermit has transcended duality and sees truth from a higher perspective. Gray also represents invisibility—The Hermit doesn't seek attention or recognition.
The Lantern
The Hermit holds a lantern aloft, illuminating the darkness. This represents inner wisdom, spiritual enlightenment, and the light of consciousness. The lantern doesn't light the whole path—just the next step. This is the wisdom of taking one step at a time, trusting that the light will reveal what you need to see when you need to see it.
The Six-Pointed Star (Seal of Solomon)
Inside the lantern glows a six-pointed star, also known as the Seal of Solomon or the Star of David. This represents the union of opposites (upward and downward triangles), divine wisdom, and spiritual illumination. The star is the light of higher consciousness.
The Staff
The Hermit carries a staff for support and guidance. This represents the wisdom traditions, spiritual teachings, and inner authority that support the seeker on their journey. The staff is also a symbol of the spiritual teacher or guide.
The Mountain Peak
The Hermit stands on a snowy mountain peak, having climbed to great spiritual heights. Mountains represent challenges overcome, spiritual aspiration, and the solitary journey to enlightenment. He stands above the clouds, beyond the material world.
The Snow
Snow represents purity, clarity, and the stripping away of all that is unnecessary. In the cold, barren landscape, only truth remains. The Hermit has shed all illusions.
The Solitude
The Hermit is completely alone—no companions, no distractions, no external validation. This represents the necessary solitude of spiritual seeking and the truth that some journeys must be walked alone.
The Number 9
Nine represents completion, wisdom, and the end of a cycle. It's the number of the sage who has learned life's lessons and is ready to share wisdom with others.
The Hermit Upright: Core Meanings
When The Hermit appears upright in a reading, it signals:
Soul-Searching & Introspection
The need to withdraw from external noise and look within. The Hermit says: The answers you seek are not out there—they're inside you. Go inward. This is a time for deep self-reflection and contemplation.
Solitude & Retreat
Taking time alone, stepping back from social obligations, or creating space for silence and stillness. The Hermit represents the healing and wisdom that come from solitude, not loneliness.
Spiritual Seeking
A period of spiritual study, meditation, or seeking deeper meaning. The Hermit is the eternal student of life's mysteries, always asking deeper questions and seeking higher truth.
Inner Guidance & Wisdom
Trusting your inner knowing, following your own light, or accessing the wisdom that comes from experience and introspection. The Hermit represents the inner teacher, the voice of your soul.
Seeking a Mentor or Guide
Looking for a spiritual teacher, therapist, or wise counselor who can illuminate your path. The Hermit can also indicate that you're ready to become a guide for others.
Taking Time to Reflect
Pausing before making decisions, taking a break from action to gain perspective, or slowing down to understand what you've learned. The Hermit favors contemplation over impulsive action.
Enlightenment & Understanding
Moments of clarity, spiritual awakening, or deep understanding that comes from inner work. The Hermit represents the light that illuminates truth.
The Hermit Reversed: Shadow & Challenges
When The Hermit appears reversed, its energy becomes blocked, distorted, or excessive:
Isolation & Loneliness
Unhealthy withdrawal, cutting yourself off from others, or isolation that becomes harmful rather than healing. The reversed Hermit can indicate depression, social anxiety, or feeling disconnected from community.
Refusing to Look Inward
Avoiding self-reflection, staying busy to escape uncomfortable truths, or refusing to do the inner work. The reversed Hermit can indicate spiritual bypassing or running from yourself.
Lost or Without Direction
Feeling spiritually lost, unable to find your path, or lacking inner guidance. The reversed Hermit's lantern has gone out—you can't see the way forward.
Excessive Solitude
Becoming a recluse, avoiding human connection, or using solitude as an excuse to avoid life. The reversed Hermit can indicate hermit syndrome—withdrawing so completely that you lose touch with reality.
Rejecting Wisdom or Guidance
Refusing to learn from experience, ignoring wise counsel, or being too proud to seek help. The reversed Hermit thinks they know everything and won't listen to others.
Impatience with the Process
Wanting immediate enlightenment, rushing spiritual growth, or being frustrated with the slow pace of inner work. The reversed Hermit has lost patience with the journey.
The Hermit in Different Life Areas
Love & Relationships
Upright: Taking time alone to understand what you truly want in love, healing from past relationships through solitude, or meeting someone through spiritual or introspective pursuits. The Hermit can indicate a period of being single by choice to focus on personal growth. In relationships, it suggests the need for space and independence.
Reversed: Isolation preventing connection, fear of intimacy, or using solitude to avoid relationship challenges. Can also indicate a partner who's emotionally unavailable or withdrawn.
Career & Finances
Upright: Careers in teaching, counseling, spiritual work, research, or any field requiring deep study and expertise. The Hermit favors solo work, consulting, or positions where you guide others. Financially, it suggests careful planning and conservative approaches.
Reversed: Career isolation, feeling disconnected from colleagues, or avoiding necessary networking. Can also indicate burnout from too much solitary work or refusing to seek mentorship.
Spirituality & Personal Growth
Upright: Deep spiritual practice, meditation retreats, studying sacred texts, or periods of intensive inner work. The Hermit represents the spiritual seeker who withdraws from the world to find truth. This is a time of profound spiritual growth through solitude.
Reversed: Spiritual confusion, feeling disconnected from your path, or using spirituality to avoid dealing with real life. Can indicate need to balance inner work with outer engagement.
Health & Wellness
Upright: Healing through rest and solitude, taking time to recover, or addressing health issues through introspection and understanding root causes.
Reversed: Health issues related to isolation, depression, or neglecting physical needs while focusing on spiritual pursuits. May indicate need for social connection for healing.
The Hermit as a Person
When The Hermit represents a person in a reading, they are:
- Wise, introspective, contemplative
- Solitary, independent, self-sufficient
- A spiritual seeker or teacher
- Experienced, mature, knowledgeable
- Possibly a mentor, counselor, or guide
- Someone who values solitude and inner work
- Quiet, reserved, private
- Potentially isolated or withdrawn if reversed
This could be you, someone in your life, or the energy you're being called to embody.
The Hermit's Advice
When The Hermit appears as guidance, the message is:
- Take time alone. Solitude is not loneliness—it's sacred space for self-discovery.
- Go inward. The answers you seek are within, not outside yourself.
- Seek wisdom. Study, reflect, and learn from those who've walked the path before you.
- Trust your inner light. You have your own guidance system—listen to it.
- Be patient. Spiritual growth takes time. Trust the process.
- Withdraw when needed. It's okay to step back from the world to recharge and reflect.
- Illuminate your path. You don't need to see the whole journey—just the next step.
The Hermit in Combination with Other Cards
The Hermit's meaning shifts depending on surrounding cards:
- The Hermit + The High Priestess: Deep spiritual wisdom accessed through solitude and intuition
- The Hermit + The Hierophant: Seeking traditional spiritual teachings or finding a wise mentor
- The Hermit + The Star: Hope and healing found through introspection and spiritual practice
- The Hermit + The Moon: Deep shadow work, exploring the unconscious in solitude
- The Hermit + Four of Swords: Necessary rest and retreat for healing
- The Hermit + Eight of Cups: Walking away from what no longer serves to seek deeper meaning
- The Hermit + Ace of Swords: Breakthrough clarity through contemplation
Journaling Prompts for The Hermit
Deepen your relationship with The Hermit through reflection:
- What truth am I avoiding that solitude might reveal?
- When was the last time I spent quality time alone with myself?
- What wisdom have I gained from my life experiences?
- What does my inner voice tell me when I'm quiet enough to listen?
- Where do I need to withdraw and create space for reflection?
- What am I seeking, and where might I find it?
- How can I be my own guide and teacher?
Working with The Hermit's Energy
To embody The Hermit's power in your life:
- Take a solitude retreat—even just a day alone in nature or at home
- Start a meditation practice or deepen your existing one
- Journal deeply about your life, your patterns, and your truth
- Seek a mentor or teacher in an area where you want to grow
- Study spiritual or philosophical texts that call to you
- Create boundaries around your alone time and protect it
- Light a candle and sit in silence, asking for inner guidance
The Hermit's Lesson: The Light Is Within
The Hermit teaches that the greatest wisdom doesn't come from books, teachers, or external sources—it comes from within. When we're willing to withdraw from the noise of the world, to sit in silence with ourselves, to face our own darkness and light—that's when we find truth.
This card reminds us that solitude is not something to fear or avoid. It's sacred. It's necessary. It's where we meet ourselves, where we hear the voice of our soul, where we discover the light that has been within us all along.
The Hermit shows us that we don't need to light the whole path—we just need to light the next step. We don't need all the answers—we just need to keep seeking. We don't need external validation—we need to trust our own inner knowing.
Final Thoughts
The Hermit is the card of sacred solitude and inner illumination. It appears when you're being called to withdraw from the world, to seek wisdom in silence, and to trust the light within you to guide your way.
You don't need to climb the mountain with a crowd. Some journeys are meant to be walked alone. And when you reach the peak, when you've done the inner work, when you've found your own light—then you can return to the world and share what you've learned.
The lantern is lit. The path is before you. The wisdom you seek is within. Will you climb the mountain?
