The history and practice of tarot cards are now of interest to many in Russia. Brought from the West, this tradition fell in love with the people, and its popularity is growing every day. All new decks, developed and published already in Russia itself, and countless editions of thematic literature, both translated and out of the hands of domestic specialists, do not get tired of testifying to this. In this article, we will touch on only one aspect of this deep tradition, namely the card, which bears the intriguing and mysterious name "The Hermit".
About the appearance of cards
We will begin our review of the cards, which in the tradition of the tarot itself are called arcana (that is, secrets, riddles, if translated from Latin), with a description of its type. It must be said right away that today there are several thousand tarot decks. The designs of some of them are so unique and distinctive that, in principle, they do not exist.there is no way to find a description of the Hermit card that would fit everyone. Therefore, we will limit ourselves to the traditional, classic image, which serves as the basis not only for the oldest, but also for the most popular decks today.
Description of the card "The Hermit"
So, the lasso, known as the Hermit, is a card that depicts a gray-haired old man dressed in a hoodie and a long gray cloak. A hood is thrown over his head, and he himself walks along a difficult mountain road. His path is made at night, and therefore he illuminates his path with a lantern, which he holds in his left hand. A six-pointed star burns with a bright fire in the lantern. A long wooden staff serves as a support for the old man on the way. Sometimes he is accompanied by an animal. Most often it is a snake, but there are also wolves, turtles, monkeys and other representatives of the fauna.
Symbolism of the card "The Hermit"
The elder, dressed in rags, is a representation of the archetype of a monk, that is, a hermit, in a broader sense. It is separated from society and its life, from everyday life and goes its own way - difficult and thorny, then it is emphasized by mountains. However, the mountains themselves are also a symbol of the spiritual height of the hermit, his wisdom, insight, high level of development, the sphere of heaven, the divine, in which he is involved. Being an image of an intermediary between heaven and earth, the "Hermit" is also a lasso depicting a prophet, whose task, on behalf and on behalf of higher powers, is to tell people the truth aboutthemselves and exercise supreme guidance in human evolution. The "hermit", thus, being separated from society, is its spiritual leader, moral, religious, ethical guideline, which is symbolically expressed in the lantern that the elder holds in his right hand. Being a pioneer in the mountain world, he goes through spiritual darkness and the darkness of ignorance to the heights of spiritual revelations, illuminating the path for himself and others with the help of this very lantern, the light of which is the light of divine guidance and revelation, which is emphasized by a six-pointed star. The “hermit” is an old man, because in order to achieve his level of development, to conquer the top of the mountain, it is necessary to overcome the difficult, many years of daily practice of development and ascent. The experience and wisdom acquired over many years are expressed in the old man's gray hair and his stoop, fatigue. This means that the path of development, the path of ascent, requires considerable efforts, is fraught with many dangers and difficulties. To pass it, you need strength of mind, faith in yourself, as well as freedom from all human passions and weaknesses. The latter is expressed in a cloak and a thrown hood, which mean that the “Hermit” is completely separated from the world, independent of anyone and does not spray himself with glances around, does not turn back, longing for the abandoned glory, we alth and other joys of human life.
The Hermit's gaze is fixed under his feet, on the road, because he is attentive and circumspect, and his attention is entirely focused on the path, the purity of which he vigilantly monitors, so as not to deviateright or left. The strength of his spirit, inner core, firmness of convictions, as well as divine help on the way, are symbolized by the staff on which the elder leans. The cassock or robe of the Hermit testifies to the rejection of material we alth, attachment to we alth and the desire to possess anything other than the truth.
The meaning of the card "The Hermit" in antiquity
The presented image of an old hermit is the result of the development of the lasso for more than five hundred years - since the appearance of the first tarot decks. Initially, this card was called "The Old Man" and symbolized the inexorable passage of time. This was emphasized by the fact that the elder was holding an hourglass in his hands. In this role, the "Hermit" personifies the transience of life and can predict an imminent death or the end of something.
Interpretation of the map in the upright position
Some tarot card experts share the meaning of the cards upright and upside down. I must say that this tradition is quite new and not practiced by everyone. However, for those who adhere to it, the possible value of the cards, thanks to it, is doubled. Thus, instead of the traditional seventy-two basic (without regard to nuances) meanings, they have one hundred and forty-four. What is the meaning of "The Hermit" in the upright position? Tarot, or rather each of its cards, can be described in several keywords. For the card we are interested in, they will be something like this: renunciation, loneliness, knowledge, wisdom, inner growth, introspection, introspection, mentorship, spirituality,disappointment, teacher, teaching, value system and its reassessment, maturation, crisis, liberation from extraneous influence, freedom, self-sufficiency, research spirit, revelation, divinity, old age, patience, expectation, blessing, observation.
Of course, this is only a rough list of keys and should not be taken as an exact list. The basic meanings of the cards are only indications that serve the cause of interpretation during the session. But the real, actual meaning of "The Hermit" (tarot as a whole, to be more precise) is established by the master himself during practice. True understanding of cards comes from within, not from books, reference books, or articles. All this only helps to show the newcomer the way and direction. So it is necessary to treat both the listed values and those that will be given below.
Interpreting the card upside down
There are several options for what "Hermit" upside down can mean. Tarot, the meaning of the cards of which is quite multifaceted in itself, has three options for interpretation in the upside down position: inversion, own meaning, underlining.
As for the inversion, it is simply giving the card exactly the opposite meaning to that which it has in the direct position. Thus, it is quite easy to establish what the “Hermit” means (the tarot, however, as already mentioned, does not provide for any inversion of card values in its traditional system) in an inverted form. This is the end of loneliness, communion,stupidity, infantilism, pride, mediocrity, earthiness, lack of spirituality, extraspection, internal regression, spiritual and cultural decline, worldliness, loss of freedom, pressure, fussiness, immorality, materialism, rest, end of expectations.
The second approach to reversed cards is to give them their own meanings, in no way dependent on their direct meaning. Here, each tarologist independently, on the basis of his own associations, invents and establishes what this or that card will mean. Here is what, for example, the meaning of “The Hermit” can mean (tarot, or rather, its interpretation, also depends on the characteristics of a particular deck and its cultural and symbolic code. So the proposed keys are just a few of the many possible options): depression, despair, failure, loss of self, new job, end of financial crisis, confrontation, lie, illness, unexpected trip.
Finally, the third way of interpreting the inverted arcana is not based on giving them special meaning, but on emphasizing the importance of the card, which has fallen upside down, in the context of the entire layout. Sometimes this position is considered as emphasizing the most negative meanings of the card. Thus, in the first case, the interpretation will remain generally the same as in relation to the direct position of the card. As for the second, painful loneliness, exile, isolation, excessive self-confidence, selfishness, suspicion, arrogance, self-pity, breakup of relationships - all this can mean an inverted "Hermit". Tarot, the meaning of the cards of which is multivariate, inrelation to the Hermit can, apparently, provide for both positive and negative meanings. Which of them is relevant in each particular layout will help establish the context of the layout itself and, of course, the experience of the master.
Love meaning. "The Hermit" (tarot) in love layouts
As for the topic of gender relations, then, as a rule, this lasso is understood in the following way. It is very important to note that isolation and loneliness is the base meaning of the Hermit card. The Tarot, whose meaning in the love of cards is determined not only by its own interpretation of the card, but also by the context of the layout, provides for a number of additional interpretations for the Hermit. Firstly, this is an indication of a break in relations. Secondly, temporary separation, a test of relationships by distance. Also, the search for an ideal and an ideal relationship is one of the options for what "The Hermit" can mean. Tarot value in the relationship of this card matches with such a quality as self-doubt and in one's feelings. In addition, it is a sign of alienation and coldness, as well as resentment and cooling of passion. In rare cases, the card indicates betrayal or, conversely, devotion and overcoming one's own selfishness in order to maintain and deepen relationships. Another aspect is rejection by the object of passion.
"The Hermit" (tarot) - meaning in finance
As for the sphere of material values, this lasso postulates the rejection of the desire to possess them. In other cases -the need to neglect them in order to achieve the goal. In addition, forced poverty and poverty are also things that "The Hermit" can mean. Tarot establishes the meaning and interpretation of its arcana on the associative series. Therefore, this card can also mean debt, business collapse, broken partnerships, contracts, job loss and career stagnation.
The meaning of the card in yes-no questions
Now two words about what the Hermit card (tarot) means in questions that require one-word answers. The meaning of "yes-no" arcana acquire depending on the context. So the answer depends on what question is asked. For example, in relation to questions about money, career and love, this lasso will rather mean “no”. But the answer "yes" he will get in questions about academic success, research, internal growth and he alth.
Astrological attribution
Many associate tarot arcana with astrological categories, planets, zodiac signs and so on. The "Hermit" is most often associated with Mercury and the constellation Virgo.
Hermit Card Tip
If this lasso fell out as tarot advice, then it should be understood as the need to look inward, do introspection and devote time to your spiritual and personal growth. It is also advice to rethink values and reevaluate priorities.
