Rider Waite Card Meaning - The Hermit

IX - The Hermit - Introspection

A hooded figure on an icy night landscape gazes into his lantern. Lights and lanterns are, of course, objects of illumination, and it can be inferred from this image that the Hermit is intent on illumination: wisdom and knowledge.

This card denotes the need for careful thought and reflection. It can also indicate a voluntary retreat from the hustle and bustle of ordinary life to regroup and rethink. The Hermit card signifies aloneness, but meaningful solitude is not the same as desperate loneliness. In aloneness, we can recharge our batteries and search our hearts and souls for the answers we need for life’s tough questions. Sometimes, we just need to rest and respite.

Reversed, the Hermit describes exile and alienation or an enforced confinement or retreat. In this scenario, there is apt to be loneliness and feelings of isolation. Nevertheless, there is active introspection and a great deal about which to think.