Tarot Card of the Week ~ The Hermit

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The Hermit card from the beautiful Haindl deck invokes higher awareness. We see an old man standing on a mountaintop, a shepherd’s staff in his right hand and a lighted lantern in his left. His arms reach out to receive inner wisdom from the large Moon above. He is surrounded by birds, primarily owls, signaling clear sight, prophecy, or inner soul awareness, as well as an elemental gnome peering out to witness his revelation. A large owl extends its wings above the Hermit, perhaps an intermediary between the physical and astral realms.

Along with the Hebrew glyph, Yod (hand), two runes are visible on the card: within his lantern, we see Hagall (Hagalaz in the Elder Futhark) suggesting the transformative ability of the soul’s light, while the rune Is (Isa) appears in the upper right-hand corner suggesting alignment in Spirit or possibly the concentration of spiritual will. And if you look closely, you’ll see a pyramid containing the all-seeing eye of the Creator nest to The Hermit’s staff.

The Hermit retreats from the chaos of the world to gain enlightenment. As card nine from the Major Arcana, he aligns with The Moon, the 18th card which also has a nine numerology and the subconscious realm. With his shepherd’s staff, he guides the message of spirituality he will offer to humanity as he raises his lantern to bring light to and transform the world.

Truly reflective of the as above, so below nature of physical reality, when this card appears, it signals the need to understand the higher truth of who we are and how we perceive the world around us.