The Hermit as a Tarot Birth Card
The Hermit is the Soul card for everyone whose date of birth reduces to nine. It is always paired with The Moon, card 18, whose digits add up to the same nine. Outwardly these people seem mysterious, sensitive, a little otherworldly; inwardly, an unhurried search for truth is under way.
The Rider–Waite card shows an old man in a grey cloak standing on a snowy peak. He holds a staff in one hand and in the other a lantern with a six-pointed star shining inside. It lights the path only one step ahead, but that is enough. It is the image of wisdom that comes in silence. If The Hermit is your birth card, your path runs through self-knowledge.
The Hermit as a Soul Card
The Soul card speaks of a person's inner motives, of what leads them through life. For The Hermit it is a need to truly understand themselves and life, not secondhand. They need time alone, quiet and room to think.
Such a person often seems older than their years. They ask the questions others put off and reach answers their own way. In time people start coming to them for advice. The Hermit's lesson is to share the light they have found rather than hide the lantern under their cloak.
Strengths
- Depth of thought. You see the essence rather than the surface and aren't satisfied with easy answers.
- Independence. You are comfortable in your own company and don't depend on others' opinions.
- Wise counsel. Your words are precise because long reflection stands behind them.
- Focus. You can lose yourself in your work and reach mastery in it.
The Shadow Side
The weak spot of The Hermit is isolation. The person values solitude so much that they drift away from loved ones and stop letting people into their life. Silence that once healed turns into loneliness.
Another pitfall is the sage's arrogance: the feeling that others are shallow and wouldn't understand. What the card teaches is that The Hermit's lantern is meant not only for him but for those who follow.
In Love and Relationships
In a couple you are a deep and loyal partner, but not a hasty one. You need time to open up and space to stay yourself. You value a meeting of souls more than outward displays.
Explain to your partner that your need for solitude isn't rejection. Then the pauses will strengthen the relationship rather than frighten it.
Work and Calling
Natural fits include work that values depth and independence: science and research, philosophy, psychology and psychotherapy, writing, programming, analysis, restoration, spiritual practice, teaching small groups. Noisy open-plan offices and endless meetings drain you.
Recognition comes to you late but lasts: as an expert in your field.
The Moon and Hermit Pair
The Moon, your Personality card, faces the world. People see a vivid imagination, fine intuition and something elusive that is hard to put into words. Sometimes you are misunderstood, and sometimes you are exactly who people come to when they need to understand the incomprehensible.
The Hermit, your Soul card, gives that sensitivity solid ground. Where The Moon sees shadows and mirages, The Hermit's lantern lights the road. Together they describe someone who passes through the fog of doubt and comes out of it with clear knowledge.
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