The Hermit (IX)
The Hermit and Its Meaning for Healing
(Keywords: Solitude, inner reflection, wisdom, personal truth)
Overview of The Hermit
The Hermit is the ninth card of the Major Arcana, symbolizing introspection, solitude, and deep personal wisdom. Traditionally, this card depicts an old man standing alone on a mountaintop, holding a lantern that contains a small glowing star—representing inner guidance and enlightenment. He carries a staff, signifying experience and personal authority. The mountain beneath his feet shows that he has climbed high to gain wisdom, often through self-reflection and spiritual seeking.
Unlike other cards that focus on external actions or relationships, The Hermit is about turning inward, seeking knowledge from within, and embracing solitude as a path to self-discovery. He is not lonely—his solitude is purposeful, giving him space to process, learn, and grow. This card suggests that healing, answers, and truth are found not in external validation, but in deep personal reflection.
When The Hermit appears in a reading, it often signifies a need to withdraw, reflect, and listen to one’s inner voice. It can indicate a period of introspection, study, or seeking deeper meaning in life. It may also encourage looking to wise mentors or spiritual teachers for guidance.
The Hermit and Healing
The Hermit’s energy in healing is deeply tied to solitude, self-discovery, and gaining wisdom from past experiences. Unlike Strength or The Chariot, which emphasize action, The Hermit teaches that healing sometimes requires stepping back, finding quiet, and allowing insight to emerge naturally.
Healing Through Solitude and Inner Reflection
One of the most powerful messages of The Hermit is that true healing often happens in solitude. While external support is valuable, there are times when the most profound breakthroughs occur when we take time to be alone with our thoughts.
Solitude allows us to process emotions, recognize patterns, and understand what is truly needed for healing. It is a time for journaling, meditation, and deep contemplation. Instead of being distracted by outside influences, The Hermit encourages tuning into intuition, dreams, and personal truth.
For those experiencing emotional overwhelm, stepping away from noise, social pressures, or expectations can bring clarity. This is not about isolation but about purposeful solitude that fosters self-awareness and inner peace.
Healing Through Gaining Wisdom from Past Experiences
The Hermit represents deep wisdom gained through experience. Healing often requires looking back—not to dwell on the past, but to learn from it. This card encourages reviewing past choices, patterns, and lessons, recognizing how they have shaped personal growth.
Some wounds linger because they have not been fully understood. The Hermit teaches that understanding past pain can be a key to healing it. This might involve exploring childhood wounds, past relationships, or major life transitions with a compassionate, objective perspective.
Wisdom also comes from recognizing that healing is a journey, not a destination. The Hermit reminds us that there is no rush—each step in the process has value, and even difficult experiences contribute to deeper understanding and resilience.
Healing Through Spiritual Seeking and Personal Truth
Healing is not just about the body and emotions—it is also a spiritual process. The Hermit often appears when a person is going through a spiritual awakening, questioning life’s purpose, or seeking deeper meaning. This card suggests that healing can come from exploring philosophy, spiritual teachings, meditation, or connecting with a higher power.
However, this journey is deeply personal. The Hermit teaches that each person’s healing path is unique, and it is okay to step away from societal norms or expectations to discover what feels true on an individual level. Rather than seeking external validation, The Hermit urges listening to the inner self and trusting that personal truth is more important than what others believe or expect.
The Hermit Reversed: Overview
When The Hermit appears reversed, its energy shifts from purposeful solitude to isolation, loneliness, or avoidance. Instead of embracing introspection, there may be a fear of being alone, resistance to inner work, or an over-reliance on external distractions.
This card can appear when someone is:
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Avoiding introspection or inner healing, distracting themselves with external noise.
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Feeling disconnected from others, isolated, or unable to find support.
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Rejecting guidance, refusing to learn from past experiences, or struggling with self-awareness.
The reversed Hermit warns that excessive isolation can lead to stagnation, depression, or a feeling of being lost. It may also indicate someone who is searching for answers but feels disconnected from their own wisdom.
The Hermit Reversed and Healing
The reversed Hermit highlights barriers to healing caused by isolation, avoidance, or disconnection from inner truth. To restore balance, it is necessary to re-engage with self-awareness and find a healthy balance between solitude and connection.
Healing Through Reconnecting with Others
One of the biggest challenges of the reversed Hermit is feeling cut off from others or struggling with loneliness. While introspection is valuable, too much isolation can lead to depression, social withdrawal, or difficulty expressing emotions.
Healing in this case requires reaching out—whether to trusted friends, mentors, or support groups. It may also mean seeking therapy or professional guidance if loneliness has become overwhelming. There is no shame in needing support, and The Hermit reversed reminds us that healing is not meant to be done in complete isolation.
For those who have withdrawn due to past hurt, this card suggests slowly opening up again, allowing safe and meaningful connections to be part of the healing process.
Healing Through Facing What Has Been Avoided
The reversed Hermit can indicate avoiding necessary inner work. Some people fear facing past trauma, uncomfortable truths, or difficult emotions, leading them to distract themselves with work, relationships, or constant activity rather than dealing with deeper wounds.
However, healing requires acknowledging what has been suppressed. This may involve shadow work, journaling, or therapy to gently bring hidden emotions to light. The reversed Hermit reminds us that avoiding pain only prolongs suffering—facing it with courage leads to true healing.
Healing Through Trusting Inner Wisdom Instead of External Distractions
Another lesson of the reversed Hermit is disconnection from personal truth. Some may seek constant external validation or follow others' advice blindly, rather than listening to their own intuition. This can lead to frustration, feeling lost, or struggling to make decisions about healing.
Healing in this case requires turning inward and trusting in personal wisdom. Instead of constantly seeking outside opinions, it may be helpful to spend quiet time reflecting, meditating, or asking, “What do I truly need?” The answers are within, but they require space to be heard.
For those overwhelmed by self-doubt, the reversed Hermit suggests regaining trust in oneself. It may take time, but by reconnecting with intuition and honouring inner wisdom, healing becomes more authentic and aligned.
Final Thoughts
The Hermit, both upright and reversed, teaches that healing requires introspection, wisdom, and a connection to one’s true self. Upright, it encourages solitude, self-reflection, and seeking personal truth. Reversed, it warns against isolation, avoidance, or relying too much on external distractions instead of inner wisdom.
Ultimately, The Hermit reminds us that healing is an internal journey—one that requires patience, quiet understanding, and trust in oneself. Whether through purposeful solitude, reconnecting with others, or confronting hidden truths, true healing comes from embracing the wisdom that already exists within.
Part of the self-designed Healing Tarot deck – coming soon.
