"Bear in mind that those who are finer and nobler are
always alone-and necessarily so-and that because of
this they can enjoy the purity of their own atmosphere."
-Albert Einstein
The tarot card of "The Hermit" presents us with the overpowering
sensation of Wisdom and aloneness. The Hermit stands atop a lone
mountain peak clad in his long gray robes. He holds his Wizard's
Staff in his left hand while in his right hand he holds a lighted
lantern. He is looking downward.
In contrast to the tarot card of "The Fool", in which The Fool still
has higher mountains to climb and higher realms of consciousness
to achieve, The Hermit stands alone atop the highest mountain peak.
Mountains Symbolize higher realms of consciousness. The higher
the mountain, the higher the realm of consciousness. Having
reached the highest peak, The Hermit has attained the highest
level of consciousness.
The Hermit is also standing upon a blanket of white snow. The
color White symbolizes Purity and Enlightenment. Therefore, The
Hermit, in addition to achieving the highest level of consciousness,
has also attained Enlightenment.
The Hermit is heavily cloaked in long gray robes. Symbolically,
when something is cloaked, or Veiled, this informs us that either
an Eternal Truth or Divine Principle is being concealed from
anyone who is not Initiated or well-qualified. Therefore, we can
only imagine, and wonder, what Ancient Wisdom and Hidden
Secrets reside within this Lone Wanderer.
The color gray is the combination of the colors white and black.
When held in contrast to one another, white and black represent
Duality: white represents the masculine consciousness and black
represents the feminine subconscious. When Blended together,
white and black create the gray color of The Hermit's robes. This
signifies that The Hermit has mastered, and fully understands,
both the masculine and feminine Principles of Duality.
(For further insights on mastering Duality, please refer to:
Union of Duality and Transcending Duality.)
Next, we come to the Symbolism of the Wizard's Staff and the
lighted lantern:
Symbolically, the left hand represents the act of accepting or
receiving. Therefore, it is in his left hand that The Hermit holds
The Wizard's Staff. The Wizard's Staff represents the contents
of Sacred Books and Lessons which The Hermit leans on in order
to receive Divine Guidance throughout his many Journeys.
Symbolically, the right hand represents the act of bestowing or
offering. Therefore, it is in his right hand that The Hermit holds
a lighted lantern, which contains a Shining Golden Star, which he
offers as an "Untarnishable Guiding Light" to other Seekers.
And finally, The Hermit is looking downward from his lofty
mountain peak. He is looking down from whence he came while
at the same Time standing as a Beacon for any who may Choose
to follow. In effect, he is saying to those below: "Here I am. So,
too, you can be".
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Disclaimer: None of my articles should be considered to be
either advice or expertise. They are simply personal opinions
and no more. Everyone is encouraged to seek competent
advice from a licensed, registered, or certified professional
should such advice or service be required.
© copyright Joseph Panek 2009
1 comment:
I don't usually believe in tarot cards, but when I read your definition of lone wolf, and was able to encounter that hermit card, I was intrigued, and here I was amazed by your definition, more like how I wanted to be in my life. Thank you for this
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