78 Weeks: Hermit

[coyoteblack]

78 weeks Hermit Druidcraft

Description:
An old man stands on top of a hill facing out. He has a lamp that sheds no shadow , and he has a staff in his left hand the cowl covers most if his face. There is a wolf next to him.

It is night time and the clouds are green there is a river in the valley below. He is facing the same direction as the river.

First Impressions:

He is a wise old man; there is a saying “Knowledge is read about wisdom is lived” this fits him. He goes it alone with his trusty animal helper the wolf. He is facing in the same direction as the river and I think it means his emotions and intuition and he as a person are in line. It is night time but not dark and the lamp sheds no shadow. This tells me with wisdom you will never be “in the dark”

This seems like the fool has all grown up and decided not to jump off a cliff and this wolf will not let the man jump off he will guard and guide him as well.

Mode, Element, Number

Mode: He asks you are ready to trust your inner guide

Element: Earth this is fitting as he is grounded, even with the best gifts of luxury and health this will not be attainable without some help along the road, and without some kind of spiritual guidance it probably won’t be as enjoyable.

Number : 9’s are the end of a cycle we have developed self learned about rules and now we learn to trust that inner voice and also to become ready so the teacher can appear.

Talking with the card:
I asked him what the green sky was about. He said it was partially green to remind us it is not just in the 1st level of reality that the guide walks sometimes it is in the dream realm.

The wolf is there to show us what a guide is. As we need the hermit the hermit needs the wolf.

Bringing it all together:
He has his guide the wolf and we have him as a guide. He has discipline to walk a solitary path he understands the world around him. not really understanding the green clouds but I am sure it will come to me one of these days. Him and his emotions and intuition are flowing together.

Good: a guild will appear to help out or I need to follow an inner guide
Bad: loner a me against the world attitude anti social
Indifferent: when the student is ready the teacher will appear fits this well

 

[jmd]

St Antony, following hearing from a reading from Matthew 19:21 "If you want to be perfect, go and sell your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me" did just that - he sold his extensive inherited estate and left to lead a anchorite's eremitic life.

The 'possessions' are not to be kept, but given freely, for only by this can light be spread, and treasure produced to enrich others around each of us.

 

[Jewel]

DECK: CELTIC DRAGON
HERMIT:

DESCRIPTION OF THE IMAGE:
A green scaly dragon, with white wings and belly has his front talons on an open book. He has long thin white horns that angle back and have a slight arc-like curvature. He has a bold beard. He has four white spokes that run from between his horns (which seem to also serve as eyebrows) down to the center of his neck. A cave mouth is behind the dragon. There are two trees growing from the rocky mountainside above the dragon, and roots running along and entertwined with the rocks forming the bottom part below the dragon cave. In the distance are mountains covered in ice.

Below the dragon’s right elbow, there is a closed red book. The rocks above, surrounding and below him are shaped like draconic (above) and human (below) faces, with some shaped like draconic skulls at the very base of the mountain. There are also three distinct spiral designs – one in a rock by the dragon’s right wing and the second almost directly below it on the ground, and the third on a small rock adjacent to the spiral on the ground. There are other designs carved in some of the rocks on the mountain face interspersed between the ones already described.

There is a scroll leaning on the edge of the red book and tucked under the dragon’s belly. The dragon is looking at the open book.

DESCRIPTION OF EMOTION:
The dragon’s lair feels like an ancient, sacred, secret place. There is an intense sense of peaceful, introspective solitude – not loneliness. There is a sense of quest. The environment is charged with the energy to support and encourage a quest.

NUMBER 9: Hermit: solitude, security, self-determination, realization, repose, isolation, wisdom, patience, unconscious, astral, dreams, consciousness, awareness, interpretation, foundation.
NOTE: Please note that key words were selected from a list based on their relevance to the image on this particular Hermit card.

I am studying the Strength card. Nines are about solitude, repose and wisdom.

MODE/SUIT/ELEMENT:
MODE: Major Arcana – answers “why” the “who” is in the “what”. They are the lesson to be learned in the situation or the archetypal energy being expressed.

SUIT: N/A

ELEMENT: Earth – grounded, cautious, persevering, possessive.

MEANINGS:
The CD book focuses on seeking solitude to quiet the conscious mind and connect with the world of spirit. The draconic and human faces in the rocks are astral teachers and passed lives. The spirals are constant energies (creation and destruction) which are the “foundation and stability of spiritual growth.”

In relation to 78 DW, my primary source for this 78 week study, the Hermit card is described as a withdrawal from the outer world in order to activate the unconscious. He is also a teacher and a guide. He also symbolized a transition through the use of meditation, psychic disciplines, and analysis to access and be able to speak to the psyche. The Hermit’s withdrawal from the world is not only physical but also emotional. This withdrawal is deliberate in order to be able to work on self-development. This card symbolizes maturity and knowledge of what really matters in a person’s life.

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER:
The imagery of this card is completely different from that of the RWS. It does clearly depict the isolation and wisdom of the Hermit. It also shows his connection to the earth in the landscape imagery into which he has withdrawn, as well as his connection to the otherworld or the unconscious from which he draws wisdom and knowledge in the faces on the rocks both draconic and human. That also shows his connectedness to humanity. He is simply taking a respite from the world.

 

[The Guided Hermit]

VIA Tarot

Card name—The Hermit

First impressions—The VIA Hermit is a major departure from the image associated with the traditional tarot Hermit. Rather than the man in robe and hooded man with a lantern, in the VIA, the Hermit is comprised of two men—the sacrificed man from which comes the man of awareness.

From the top of the card, the viewer gazes at a top down view of a man suspended (nailed) from a cross. Strong rays of yellow light emanate from the core and the outer edges of the cross forming a vanishing point of concentrated light that penetrates the head of a man who stands below the cross, his arms out stretched, mirroring that of the man above. His eyes are turned upwards at the viewer. A subtle smile is on his face. Beams of light emerge from this man’s palms into the yellow sphere below on which he stands. This sphere is supported by a blue column marked with swirls.

Around this image is a large circle of black that is intersected two large snakes that encircle the column. The snakes are in shades of olive green an their tails over lap; eventually, these massive snakes face each other at the bottom of the card with mouths open and tongues tasting the air for vibrations.

Following VIA art design, the bottom of the card is comprised of two pure white shapes that offer the impression of the image resting in a large goblet.


What the CREATOR says — Illumination from within. Withdrawl from mundane matters and admittance to the “Interior Castle” which is the human spirit. It offers solitude and circumspection although care must be taken that this does not lead to misanthropy and the inability to operate effectively on the plane of actions. Even the Hermit lives, in part, within the world and must be able to function accordingly.

Traditional Keyword Meanings (Bunning)—Introspection, Searching, Guidance, Solitude


Images and Symbolism—
• The yellow sphere upon which the Hermit stands represents Tiphareth*
• From the Hermit’s hands blaze streams of energy that pierce the tails of the serpents below. This symbolizes the world of matter is under control.
• The figure on the cross symbolizes sacrifice of self. The rays that descend from this figure represent streams of power acquired from this sacrifice which energizes and sustains the Hermit in his interior work.

* Located in the middle of the Tree of Life, Tiphareth is the force that integrates the meaning of Khesed ("Compassion") and Gevurah ("Overpowering"). These two forces are, respectively, expansive (giving) and restrictive (receiving). Either of them without the other could not manifest the flow of Divine energy; they must be balanced in perfect proportion (by sharing), and this is the role of Tiphareth, wherein the conflicting forces are harmonized, and creation flowers forth.

Mental – How this card relates to your thoughts and concepts:
I can only relate to this particular Hermit from the interpretation of the card, the inner workings. I do not resonate with the symbology of the outer card.

"Spirit" – How this card relates to your drive, enthusiasm, will power:
I have always been a Hermit. I prefer the inner world to the outer; I much prefer traveling inward rather than outward. I can go days alone without saying a word to a soul and feel perfectly at ease. I find crowds, noise and rushing about exhausting and un-needed. The significance of The Hermit card is paramount to my well being. Unfortunately, I don’t care for the design of this card.

Emotional – How this card relates to your emotions and feelings:
Only in the inner meaning of this card do I feel anything. To me, the meanings behind this card are home.

Physical – How this card relates to your material/financial well being, or to your health:
I live as simply as possible. I have a cell phone only so I can stay in contact with my 12 year old son and his Mom. If not for them, I’d chuck the thing.

Soul – How this card relates to your soul and its journey or to your spiritual quest:
My father asked me when I was 7 what I wanted to do for a living. I told him I wanted to be a Hermit.

Though raised in organized religion, I do not follow it. I do not place faith in organized religion. I view my life as a spiritual quest and as such, it is a personal and private affair.

Business – How this card relates to your work or career:
I’ve named my Tarot practice The Guiding Hermit….

Relationship – How this card relates to your relationship(s):
Though I am a loving man, I require my personal time. This is one reason why I often wake at 4 a.m.—I have the world to myself for a while.

Beneficial – The most beneficial aspect of this card:
I see great benefit in this card—it represents the rewards of inner travel.

Problematic – The most problematic aspect of this card:
The Hermit card is my significator. However, the VIA Hermit is one of the least appealing Hermit cards that I have encountered and on the surface, I have a hard time relating to it on a personal level.

In my readings, I can see how misanthropic feelings can be hidden in its depths.

What it means to me—Inner travel, introspection, slowing down, inner peace, calm, guidance, reflection, soul wandering, feeling the universe, experiencing the macro and the micro; profound understanding; detachment; solitude; creator of ones own light; un-phased by the outside world.

 

[ncefafn]

Bohemian Gothic

A man in a woven gray wool cloak and hood walks out of a forest, his way lit by a lantern. The full moon's light is diffused by a heavy fog in either early dawn or dusk. The forest's dark is almost impenetrable by either light. The man looks almost like a zombie -- his eyes are infinitesimal white pinpricks in the darkness of the hood. The lantern suggests the dim light of truth amidst the darkness of ignorance and fear.

Mental - Withdrawal and introversion; short, terse communication with others.

Spirit - Questioning what makes you enthusiastic, what you're driving towards

Emotional - Feeling out in the cold, being in the dark, being alone.

Physical - self-employment; a solitary form of physical exercise, like running

Soul - seeking inspiration from within, in meditation.

Business - looking for work; self-employment

Relationship - being on your own, celibacy

Beneficial - a time alone to process your complex feelings and spiritual needs and find your own path

Problematic - feeling left out, excluded

Metaphors: A light in the darkness, in the dark, left to the wolves (though I don't know where that came from), forging your own path

 

[Wendywu]

This card feels warm, compassionate and understanding. I don’t care that I can’t see her face, and that her back is to me – she is beckoning me to follow her down that lonely path. I do like that she has marked it with a very tower like cairn of stones. From that I understand that following her could well not be the easy path that one might like – there’s a tower there and I bet that as soon as I reach it the damn thing will fall down ….. Or, looked at from another viewpoint and perspective, it’s a stone path laid for me to follow.


I love the eyes in the walls that look on – watching, waiting. Some of them are creatures, some simply eyes drawn on the wall. They remind me of the people who watch, unspeaking as one passes. Sometimes they know you’re headed into difficult situations but they say nothing – just watch. On the left hand bank of stones the eyes are different to those on the right where the faces are like smileys, and there is one panda (with strange antennae). What they look like most in the world is caterpillars seen from the very front. It occurs to me that we usually see caterpillars from the perspective where we look down on them, and occasionally we look at them from side on. On the wall in the card we see each other face to face, as the equals we are. I realise that the eyes and faces are drawn to show that actually, the stones are alive. They have voices and awareness – it is just that we are not usually all that conscious of them! But the Stones are part of the Web too; the deep slow voice of the earth itself. Slower, older and deeper even than the trees.


I get the idea of the little mouths whispering as the Hermit passes – tiny voices making comments that both help and hinder – up to the Hermit to decide which does what. All that advice we get from talking heads as our lives go on…. In a reading the eyes and faces could take us off in all sorts of directions. The furthermost boulders on each side of the path have large paintings that are different to the others. I will have to spend a while thinking about those.


The path where the Hermit’s feet have passed is a trail that forms a continuation of her cloak. This interests me. We continue to influence that which we have been involved in? As we pass, our surroundings are affected by us. We are forever everywhere.. But the Hermit doesn’t look back. She has her eyes firmly fixed on the path ahead of her. Now in part I see that as a mistake – I don’t want to think about the past; I don’t want to think about the future. I want to live in the now. But saying that is all very well – I think I need a healthy regard for the lessons learned by past experience, and an anticipation (and some preparation) for what is to come. I think the card does emphasise that one must not live in the past though. Having been through an experience – and left your trail through it – move on, let it go.


When I was a teenager there was a Robert Heinlein book I read (amongst many of his) that said that wrangles and arguments should be left in the water they were flung in. That’s very garbled but the essence was that if you have an argument – argue it and let it go. I was enormously struck by that and vowed on the spot to live life like that. It has worked very well – never ever drag up old arguments and grudges. They are gone. That trail is in the past and has been walked – and you can’t go back… That’s one of the things this Hermit says to me. Also – the old saying, take nothing but images, leave nothing but footprints.


I like the way the Hermit is carrying her medicine bag out in full view so that we all know it is good to keep our memories and treasures to keep our spirits strong. Her memories are of value – whether they be good or bad they are all important, they provide support and strength. Her life’s experiences all combined to teach her and bring her to this point where she follows a difficult path but feels able to shine a light on the way for us. Her lamp shines out to make our way just a little easier and to tell us that it’s OK to find a teacher, find a helper – find someone whose light helps you.


Her hooded cloak is of interest to me. That kind of full body cover is usually an indication of the hidden. And so I think of the fact that there are so many Hermits living amongst us, in the crowds of the cities and towns. They are hidden; covered by their own silence. They walk their paths alone, following the dim light that brightens their path as they in turn hold a lamp for those who follow. Each Hermit moves towards the tunnel as she strives on the spiritual path. Each of us trusts that the rocky path gives way to the tunnel which in turn gives way to the light.


I find great comfort in this card. It feels so hopeful and offers so much. I enjoy the humour in the little bell on the end of the Hermits dangly cap – it reminds me of the innocence and goodness of Noddy (an Enid Blyton children’s story character whom I loved in childhood). The anonymity of the all-encompassing cloak and hood shows me that it could be anyone in there…. Anyone I meet on my daily travels could in fact be a spiritual Hermit. Beware judgements (again!). Years ago I used to think that the Carthusians were an Order I could have lived in quite happily. Somewhat obviously I never got there; it was not meant to be my path – health grounds meant that I couldn’t be acceptable (and they were quite right as it turns out). I often wonder if I had been accepted would I have stayed with them? Was it simply that I was in the wrong Order that caused me to leave? Ah well, It was all for the best but I have always been drawn to a solitary lifestyle.


Going back to the cairn of stones at the base of the card. A cairn is a marker place – either of a place of burial or as a path-marker. What old ideas have I “buried” – I would prefer to think that I had let them go; burial implies that they are still within me somewhere. So many thoughts, ideas and plans I have let go. Now I wonder – what else am I meant to let go of and “bury” so that I am readied to follow this path? What personal desires, what greeds, what little nastinesses that I try to hide from myself? Equally – what good things have I buried? What little lovelinesses have I let go? We used to call this “Self Examination of the Conscience” and it was a weekly exercise. I think it’s one that I could usefully re-adopt. Undoubtedly it is the Hermit who attracts me most and this is the card I find myself drawn to emotionally. This of course means very little – just because I am involved emotionally doesn’t mean that as a card its message is any more important than any other card’s message.


I do like the idea of self-examination but also think how good it would be to meditate and look at myself through the eyes of the rocks, of the caterpillars. From the rocks’ point of view I am such an ephemeral creature – blink and my puny lifespan is over! How difficult to learn anything in such a short span….. Then again – the caterpillar would see me as living for an eternity – I have such a lot of time; how awful that I waste so much of it; I have such opportunities for learning and growth…. The stars shine down. I always have the impression that they are cold and lack any sort of passion. It’s odd because get closer to them and they are raging infernos of fire – a hotter, more passionate thing could not be imagined. Why then do I look at them in cards and see them as cold watchers? Is this again a question of time and scale? The stars are longer lived even than the rocks. Their heat melts rocks! How would the stars themselves view me? That’s a very humbling answer…..


This Hermit with her bell, candle (and book undoubtedly in his medicine bag!) – well, what have we here lol A path being pursued single mindedly – she pays no heed to the distractions along the way – her goal is clearly before her. I do hope she stops to talk with the owners of the eyes; I would not like to think that she thought herself in some way above needing to listen to others. And the Hermit stares out, away from the earth – I’m not sure that out there is the right place to look for answers. Well – not for me, yet. My concerns are much closer to home – the rocks and caterpillars have enough to tell me, I don’t think I can face the hugeness of the stars and what they have to say. I am very small.


But I love the message of the card – search, look, track and keep searching. Both by searching within myself and by watching and listening to those around me. What I do note is that there are no other humans in the card – Hermit is listening to other wisdoms at the moment. Also, this Hermit is about to journey where she will seek answers to other questions. This tells me that periodically, it is good to withdraw from the company of our fellow men, and listen to the inner voice.

 

[DrDave]

which deck wendy

 

[Sinduction]

Vargo's Hermit

Our hermit is a vampire in a belfry! How awesome is that! I really like the bell as I use bells a lot in my training. It is a way to focus the mind and to expand it. I like that he is a vamp because, I feel, instead of looking for light, he's going deep within the darkness. I like this view of self exploration better.

It looks like he's sending the bats away but I don't know where they are headed. Or what purpose he has for them. He should be solitary. Or, maybe he's making them leave so he can be alone?

I really love how this deck takes such a dark twist on the normal cards. It makes me really "get" it.

 

[Wendywu]

which deck wendy

Sorry - Ironwing

 

[Llynn]

78 Weeks: the Hermit - Shining Woman Tarot

On a hill stands a strange figure: a bird-headed human. To his/her right side is a tree of life with 9 branches. Through the branches the sun is shining. Floating in front of the person is a blue rectangle, this is an open doorway to the Otherworld, the world of Spirit that lies behind the everyday world and supports it. Could the bird-headed man be a shaman, a Walker between Worlds? The man with the head of a bird reminds me of ibis-headed Thoth, the Egyptian god of wisdom and magic, who was also the scribe of the gods. Thoth could certainly go between and behind the worlds, and as god of writing he would be able to preserve, and hand down to his followers, the truths that he discovered.

This mysterious figure holds in his right hand a tall staff topped with a carving of a woman’s head. Does this represent his guardian, the tutelary goddess or spirit who protects him and to whom he has dedicated his life? To have such an imposing staff suggests that he is himself a person with power. What drives him to cross the threshold? What compels him to go himself, alone, into the unknown?

Through the doorway is a pile of 8 stones which supports a lantern. The lantern is for use only in the Otherworld by a Seeker of Truth. It cannot be brought back to this world by the bird-headed figure as proof that he has found a Truth. His followers will have to trust what he says; by his words and his actions he will be judged. The truth of the matter is that we should all individually cross the Threshold of Belief, and find out for ourselves what constitutes our Truth. Second-hand truths lead to second-hand lives.

Inside the hill is a tunnel which represents the Underworld and which contains its own sun and moon. Making its way between this sun and moon is a tortoise, one of the supporters of the world above. Above the tunnel is a drawing of a purple flower (it doesn’t seem like a flower to me, it reminds me of something else, but I can’t pin it down). I’m still pondering on these images and what they represent. I know what the book says, but as yet they only have intellectual meaning but no emotional relevance.