THE HERMIT isolates himself to seek knowledge by dissecting all the information that is available to him. He holds a lantern containing a six-pointed star - a symbol of the lower (physical, emotional, mental) and higher (wisdom, intuition, love) planes of the self merged into a single entity.
It is interesting to consider that his journey is made using only the light of a lantern and a walking stick. He very obviously is not involved in the indulgence of the senses because he carries no luggage and is sparsely dressed. He is a man of meditation and sacrifice. He is not involved in the luxury of the material but is concerned with THE CONTEMPLATION OF TRUTH.
The Hermit represents the principle of PHILOSOPHY:
"The study of ultimate reality, an attempt to understand or explain the nature of phenomena or matter, of human action and conduct, or of consciousness, the mind and its reasoning; the science of dealing with the causes of things; a particular philosophical system; a rationalized outlook on life, a mental
attitude influencing and shaping one’s behaviour." [i]
When The Hermit appears in a reading it indicates that the querent is ready to start a process of facing up to realities, by removing the mask of the ego and self-examining truthfully. The Hermit is the master of inner-guidance, integrity and honesty and assists us with finding the practical,
logical way to make our lives workable and orderly.
[i] Odhams Dictionary of the English Language.
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About The Author : Isabella Beyers studied through the Thorburn School of Astrology in 2002 and 2003 and passed the course with distinction. She has had a life-long interest in people and their psychological motivations and uses Astrology as the key to advancing spiritual awareness. She is also acquainted with the tradition of the Tarot and teaches Astrology and Tarot privately. She is currently researching the deeper meaning of the Nodal axis in natal charts. She can be contacted on
Tarot Connection 
