DAILY TAROT: THE HERMIT.
Devotion, Actualisation & Transcendence
IX. THE HERMIT.
This card represents Devotion, Actualisation & Transcendence.
The number is IX (9) and is the 10th Card in the Major Arcana.
🔑 This Article is a Key
HOW TO CONSIDER THE TAROT
For an introduction to this series and an outline of how to appreciate Tarot, in a very different paradigm to what one may be used to, the reader is encouraged to familiarise themself with the following post: How to Appreciate Tarot—a Hermetic guide to Semiotics & Allegory
NUMEROLOGY
Numerology is the study of numbers. If mathematics is the language and the grammar, geometry is the syntax and poetry, and numbers are the base letters.
The number XI(9) is associated with its designated number in the Major Arcana.
9 is the number that signifies the numerical Completion, although not an ending but instead a fulfilment of a cycle, given how it contains all integers 1 through 9.
This notion of completion is found in so far 9 is the highest number before the decimal numbering system begins to repeat itself and whereby the sum of the digits of any multiple of 9 is 9.
From a numerological perspective, including the digit 9 in any number does not change the sum of the digits of that number, as per the example here:
52 → 5 + 2 = 7 … 592 → 5 + 9 + 2 = 16 → 1 + 6 = 7
Implied in 9 is 3, making 9 a trinity of trinities. This is a number associated with Hermes Tresmegistus.
GEOMETRY & SEMIOTICS
Semiotics is the study of signs and symbols and their use or interpretation, the systematic study of sign processes and the communication of meaning
Implied by 9 is 3.
PROGRESSION OF NUMBERS AND THE BIRTH OF GEOMETRY
3 is the essential expression of space. Following the sequential emergence of integers from 0 → 0, 1, 2 , 3 etc. we see the emergence of mathematical and geometric principles. 0 is the infinite undefinable. 1 is the infinite definable. 0 and 1 hold two positions on the number line, conceptually creating 2.
0 is the blank page. 1 can be represented as a point on that page. A line can be drawn between 2 points. When a third point is added, a triangle can be drawn and the notion of inner space arrives, with Area as an emergent property, enabling possibility for Movement. 3 is where Geometry begins.
A nine-sided polygon or nonagon, has interior angles of 140 degrees, adding up to a cumulative 1,260 degrees. The number 1,260 is referenced several times in the Biblical books of Daniel and Revelation, often symbolizing a period of trial and persecution— “…a time, and times and half a time.” (42 months is 1,260 days).
A trinity of triangles forms a nine-pointed star that can be drawn within the nonagon, which intersect to form an internal nonagon. Additionally, a nine-pointed star can be traced within the nonagon, giving us 18 by way of 2 x 9.
ARCHETYPE
The three invoked archetypes of THE HERMIT card are The Hermit, The Torchbearer and Saturn.
THE HERMIT (ARCHETYPE)
This archetype is of the Mystic who surrenders all teachers, all teachings, all comforts and benefits of integration with the social world to pursue their mystical calling. Through this, the related archetypes are The Pilgrim & The Wanderer, which is apt because to become The Hermit you first have to find your cave or your mountain, or your tent in the desert, or your hut and in that had to have walked many miles in the shoes of The Pilgrim and The Wanderer to get there.
TORCHBEARER (ARCHETYPE)
The figure on THE HERMIT card invokes the archetypal Torchbearer, one who brings enlightenment, and truth, and imparts spiritual leadership and conviction of an enlightened ideal for others, especially at personal cost to themselves.
The ‘torch’ of the Torchbearer implies light, which is knowledge and consciousness, and also fire, which is the spirit of resilience as in anima, or animating spirit.
By correspondence and by resonance, this figure is associated with Prometheus, a nephew to Saturn /Kronos, and the Titan responsible for defying the will of gods by stealing fire from the sacred forge, to bestow the gift (and responsibility) of fire on mankind. By definition, the Promethean Torchbearer archetype is always considered to be transcendent of any worldly claims to authority and power.
Prometheus was famously chained to the side of a mountain and tortured for eternity for his act of bringing fire to mankind. Given that Prometheus’s name means “forethought”, it was a punishment that was anticipated before the act was committed, making his defiant act a self-sacrificial act of service.
SATURN
By correspondence and by signature, THE HERMIT corresponds with Saturn/Kronos.
Saturn has two archetypal natures of expression, the first is Time, which is ‘the domain of limits’, —that which exists in pulses, waves, cycles, packets, seasons or iterations. The Duality of Time is Frequency Modulated, it ebbs and flows, waxes and wanes in contention with its resistant adducting force (adductus). This we experience in wave form active & passive, positive & negative, high & low.
The second is Personification, which has a duality of a light and a shadow expression respectively. Here the Archetype is among other things, a milestone along the way, a beacon marking a limit of divine protection. Saturn is the keeper of time and bounds, the stern father archetype, in exultation a mystically inclined highly capable ruler or leader with the ability to temper all the forces and will in his domain. In the shadow expression, Saturn can be solemn and overbearing. Saturn has two archetypal natures of expression, the first is Time, which is ‘the domain of limits’, —that which exists in pulses, waves, cycles, packets, seasons or iterations.
EMERGENT SYNOPSIS
The delicate and complex alchemy between these three archetypes of The Hermit, Saturn and The Torchbearer, produce a notion of ‘Someone’, a Personality, defined by the Essence of the recluse, the removed or elevated wisdom and consciousness that is austere and solemn in the pursuit of their intentions, but who nevertheless is burdened with a sense of profound Calling, to uphold a high ideal, and to live uncompromisingly by its truth. This archetype, echoing the legacy of Prometheus, carries the burden and gift of enlightenment, illuminating paths not just for themselves but for others, often at great personal cost. They embody a transcendent rather than an exalted state, arrived at via steady and progressive attainment, not sudden epiphany, surrender or whim. They are the Fool that became an Initiate, the Initiate that became an Alchemist and a profoundly sincere Devotee. They are the Adept that came to Unity through equal effort made towards harmony and towards toil and defiance. The Hermit archetype is a powerful fully-actualised expression of The Father, archetype, Wisdom greater than any King, and beyond the domain of authority of the Emperor—Courage so immeasurable as to eclipse that of a thousand thousand men, who has forged their own path and found a way through the impassable night. The relatable expression of this archetype is The Transcended Master which can be embodied, or expressed in a narrow domain such as Art, Commerce, Leadership, Sport etc.
To entrain to this expression, to emulate this archetype, to be like The Transcended Master, is to be someone who has connected with their Calling and sense of Spiritual fulfilment through the pursuit of their Craft and Calling. It is the journey of embracing the torchbearer's light, navigating by its illumination, and ultimately becoming a beacon for others in the quest for authentic fulfilment.
In the abstract it is the requirement, as a process or journey, to stand outside of orthodoxy and convention in the devoted pursuit of mastery in the service of authentic fulfilment, specifically to affect the Karmic burden of the whole, by accepting a Karmic burden and self-permissive authority beyond convention.
ETYMOLOGY
Vertical shallow Etymology finds the nearest root words and leaves it at that. Deep and Wide Etymology reaches down and laterally, to explore the full essence of meaning that is related to the word.
Hermit means “religious recluse”, and refers to someone who dwells alone or apart from society and community, usually to pursue a religious, spiritual or mystical path and practice.
The word comes to us from the Greek eremia meaning “a solitude” from a Proto Indo-European root word erem meaning “to rest, be quiet.“
THE HERMIT is synonymous with the archetype of The Mystic and related to The Pilgrim and The Wanderer.
The Hermit archetype had two expressions, which represent two successive stages of the same archetypal journey. The first was the devout seeker who chooses to remove themself from the ‘movement’, vibration and ‘noise’ of the village or the city, in response to a deep calling to pursue a mystical or spiritual journey that is hampered by integration and interference with everyday folks and everyday matters. The second is the seeker who has arrived at spiritual or mystical attainment, and the brand of wisdom and enlightenment related to mysticism rather than scholars and philosophers, their wisdom and ‘gnosis’ of the divine and their own divine nature is a ‘knowing’ that occurs outside the temple and transcends the domain of formalised schools of spiritual practice or philosophy.
The scholar or philosopher seeks enlightenment through intellectual inquiry, engaging in rational analysis and the study of philosophical texts, which emphasizes a dualistic perspective on reality. Their journey involves a structured exploration of conceptual wisdom, aiming to articulate and understand the principles that govern existence and human nature. In contrast, the mystic acquires wisdom through direct, personal experiences of the divine, focusing on experiential knowledge and inner transformation. This path leads to a non-dualistic view where the divine and the mundane merge, emphasizing transcendent wisdom gained outside the formal structures of religion or philosophy. The mystic's journey, therefore, is marked by encounters with the divine that transcend traditional temples and ideologies, highlighting a spiritual experience that exists beyond the boundaries of formalized spirituality.
APPEARANCE & ARRANGEMENT
THE HERMIT card features almost all sky with just the meres hind of terra firma the snowy cap of a lofty peak on which is standing the sagely figure of a hooded man with a white beard. He wears a long, grey robe and a hood that covers his head and everything except his hands and his face. In his left hand, he holds a tall golden staff, not unlike the wand of Tarot, and in his right hand, he carries a lantern with a 6-pointed star inside. The surrounding environment is utterly featureless, aside from the snow at his feet. The man’s gaze is directed downwards toward the ground in front of him.
EGREGORE
Egregore is an esoteric concept representing an emergent archetypal thought-form that arises from collective thoughts.
THE HERMIT card represents Transcendence and the Authentic Embodiment of the Divine Nature and the attendant requirement to stand outside of orthodoxy and convention in order to obtain mastery.
As far as we can discern, the sole purpose of human existence is to kindle a light of meaning in the darkness of mere being
Carl G. Jung
Zen Parable by Rocco Jarman
When the young monk sweeps the floor of the temple, it is because he has been told, his service is what makes him holy, and that holy places should be undefiled.
When the senior monk sweeps the floor of the temple, it is because he knows that devotion itself is holy, and he seeks to make himself and that place holy by his devotion.
The enlightened master sweeps the floor of his hut, because the floor wants to be swept, because the broom wants to sweep, and because the dust keeps gathering.
THE HERMIT is a card that speaks to the direct encounter with the divine in all places, transcending formalised religion or spiritual practice, and signifying the pure, focused pursuit of one’s calling.
There in an inevitable requirement to stand outside of orthodoxy and convention in order to obtain mastery and transcendence.
THE UNFOLDING
In the numerological position of IX (9) in the Major Arcana, THE HERMIT occupies and therefore represents a position of Completion. The movement began with the Novice of THE FOOL(0), in his ambition to become the initiate and then ultimately the adept of THE MAGICIAN(I), but here we see in the position of Completion, the humble image of THE HERMIT, back on the same snowy mountaintop, but this time looking down, reminding us of the project of self-knowledge and introspection of THE HANGED MAN.
THE HERMIT, as is the way with true wisdom and transcendence, has abandoned the impressive image of THE MAGICIAN, with the integrated light held aloft, to guide their own steps on the lofty peaks they traverse and to guide the other seekers on their way, or in seeking the sage from time to time, finding him in the gloom. The clothes of THE FOOL caught flame, burned through their youthful fervour, and the pure white robes and blood red gown of the Magician, representing his purity and vitality of essence, arrive in the end at the simple functional neutral grey robes of THE HERMIT. THE FOOL looks to the heavens, THE MAGICIAN looks ‘the Observer’ boldly in the eye, but THE HERMIT is ‘lighting and following The Way’.
The six-pointed star, shining, represents the integration of their human nature with their divine nature and vice versa, true Gnosis and Mystical Union. The 6-pointed star denotes The Seal of Solomon representing the harmonious union of dualities, higher and lower nature, conscious and subconscious and the transcendent wisdom associated with that experience. This indicates that of the two expressions of The Hermit archetype, THE HERMIT depicted is the latter —the one with attainment.
The grey robes of THE HERMIT represent the Prima Materia of the Alchemical paradigm which denotes the process of The Mystic, the deep personal surrender and transformation which mystically is referred to as Disappearance and Arrival.
This card communicates simply this unfolded truth: To The Mystic the body is the only temple, and the world is a temple. The divine is encounterable everywhere and only half the journey is reaching towards the light. The other half is becoming the light and carrying it into the dark, where the real work is.
The divine that I seek, is not in the temple, if it is not also outside the temple, it is not in the hymn, but I sing to it, with my voice. It is not up the mountain but I meet it along the road thither. The keys to all the locks lie, simply of course, where i do not want to look the doors which bar my way to the freedoms which I seek, are locked, always, I discover, from within. The path lies beneath my feet, the great person i aim for, to be like, to one day become, is an idea I created and harbour in my mind, —which I placed in the shrine of my own imagining it, and the distance it lies from me, is all within me.
A key message of this card, simply, is that no books, no formulated ceremonies or prayers, no prescribed practices, no teacher, no priest, and no intermediary are necessary when the devotion is so complete, that all social support, all distractions, all comforts, all pleasures and pursuits are sacrificed for the pursuit of a sincere Calling.
SYMMETRY WITHIN THE DECK
Within the deck, there are symmetries and connections between the cards, defined by the relationship of the numbers, others thematically by the relationship of their symbols, archetypes and other essentialities.
As mentioned already, there is an integral symmetry of symbology and archetypal metaphor to THE HERMIT card that relates it to THE FOOL and THE MAGICIAN, but then also equally, the other human Archetypes of THE HIGH PRIESTESS, THE EMPRESS, THE EMPEROR and THE HIEROPHANT and by extension then also to some degree THE HANGED MAN. The Hanged Man archetype invokes themes of willing sacrifice for a greater purpose, of journeying inwards, and the self-revisionary project of ‘looking down’ towards the source of life, and the indelible connection to the root of the world via past and inheritance, which brings the seeker into inevitable relationship with True Gratitude.
These archetypes represent different projects of spiritual leadership:
The Fool is the uninitiated beginner. (Novice)
The Magician is the paragon of self-mastery. (Adept)
The High Priestess is intuitive the intermediary with the Feminine aspects of the great mysteries. (Intermediary/Guide)
The Empress is the Matriarch. (Order)
The Emperor is the Patriarch. (Order)
The Hierophant is the semantic and precise intermediary of the Masculine aspects of the great mysteries. (Intermediary/Guide)
THE HERMIT represents the form of spiritual leadership that transcends these constructed identities and titles.
THE FOOL is the prodigal son, a naive and immature expression of the Wanderer. The Fool is the Happy Wanderer. The Hermit is the Grey Wanderer, august, with true wisdom and true knowledge.
ALCHEMY
NIGREDO & ALBEDO
The alchemical process is divided into two stages, the Nigredo and the Albedo, the backing and whitening stages respectively.
Nigredo: This is the first stage in the alchemic process, representing putrefaction or decay—essentially the death of the ego or the breaking down of the old self. This stage is essential for transformation, much like the solitude of THE HERMIT, which allows for introspection and the shedding of unnecessary outer layers.
Albedo: Following nigredo, albedo is the stage of purification and enlightenment. After the 'death' of the old self, the alchemist works towards achieving purity and the revelation of inner truth. THE HERMIT’s lantern, with its light shining in the darkness, can be seen as a symbol of this illumination.
THE HERMIT in Tarot and the practice of alchemy share a profound connection, particularly through the symbolism of the grey robes worn by THE HERMIT. In alchemy, grey often signifies the balance between black and white, representing the alchemical ‘nigredo’ (blackening) and ‘albedo’ (whitening) stages
Both THE HERMIT and the Alchemist undertake their work in solitude. For THE HERMIT, it's a withdrawal from society to attain spiritual wisdom. For the alchemist, it is the solitary work in the laboratory, reflecting on the mysteries of matter and spirit to discover the secret of the philosopher's stone.
PRIMA MATERIA
The Hermit’s grey robes can symbolize the balance and integration of these two stages—neither completely in darkness nor in full light. It signifies a state of equilibrium, wisdom, and maturity. The grey robe encapsulates the journey of alchemy from the Prima Materia to the philosopher's stone, which is the ultimate goal of the alchemical process.
The grey robes of THE HERMIT are a symbol of the alchemical process itself—a transition from base ignorance to golden wisdom, from the darkness of solitude to the light of enlightenment.
KABBALAH & JUDAIC MYSTICISM
GEMATRIA & ALEF-BET
In the Hebrew Alef-bet, the 9th (IX) letter is Tet (ט) meaning “Best”. The literal meaning is “clay” denoting the Prima Materia of the Alchemist, the essential substance of Form.
This notion lends to THE HERMIT a sense of the mystic’s return to a state of originality and authenticity that transcends the duality of man, and embraces the duality of everything, through the pursuit of Ascent related to Spirit and Unity, and Tikkun (Fulfilment or Telos) which is related to Actualisation, Destiny and Dharma.
Tikkun or Tikkun Olam in Kabbalistic Hebrew means “repairing the world” and infers the notion of restoration and emergence. Re-pair means to reunite, reconnect that which was paired or separated.
This notion in Kabbalah specifically indicates restoration and improvement. Restoration of the shattered light, which means the journey of each individual finding their own way as a spark back to the light, or in Kabbalistic terms, repairing the shattered vessel. The improvement is the principle of Emergence, whereby the synergetic unity of individual Being and Will leads to transcendence and the creation of emergent properties with new fields of possibility and potential that did not exist prior and were not possible for the separated individuals. This duality of ‘Restore & Improve’ points to the Purpose of Life—the design of God, which is, a progressive arrival of God into the Cosmos of Creation through the body of Man, conscious matter, lifting itself up by its own bootstraps to become ever more equal to the Bestower in temperament, intention and goodwill through devotion and ‘earned attainment’.
SEPHIROTIC TREE
THE HERMIT is associated with the hidden station of Da’at on the Kabbalistic Tree of Life. Da’at means “knowledge”, specifically the connotation of the word related to Gnosis, rather than knowledge that can be learned from a teacher or a book.
In the paradigm of the Sephirotic Tree as a pathway of actualisation and ascension of the soul, the uppermost stations or sephirot are called Binah (Understanding) on the Left pillar, and Chokmah (Wisdom) on the right. When they are achieved by individual assimilation and alignment with the upper light, the process invariably and innately unlocks or activates the station of Da’at.
Specifically and without variation, the middle pillar must also be activated, via the station of Tipheret (Beauty), denoting that the ascending soul is in pursuit of divine beauty (THE LOVERS), which is harmony & emergence.
Attainment of the lower left and right stations, the pillars of Law & Justice, Geburah (Severity) and Chesed (Mercy), imply the Discernment (JUSTICE) and Temperance (TEMPERANCE) required by the ascending soul, which implies the integration and alignment with the balance between Giving & Receiving, that is an alignment of the soul in-service to Other, rather than in-service to Self.
Attainment of any measure of Understanding and Wisdom without, the attainment of Tipheret, means that Da’at, that is True Knowledge, is not activated.
HERMETIC LAWS & CONCEPTS
THE HERMIT is the embodiment of the hermetic initiate—the Alchemist, who has abandoned the books and scrolls, abandoned teachers and institutions, abandoned the tools and enterprise of the Magician. They have aligned with and transcended their own Rota, and live in alignment with Hermetic Law, which is Divine Law.
If you trust the path, burn the scrolls.
Thoth or Hermes Tresmegistus is regarded as the Torchbearer, bearing with him the torch of infinite light, through which he illuminates everything to the mind of mankind.
ASTROLOGY
VIRGO
Traditionally THE HERMIT card is associated with Virgo(♍︎) with connotations of seeking clarity, understanding, knowledge, and perfection. The archetypal nature of Virgo is to stand above everything in a detached way to make assertions of discernment from the highest vantage point.
SATURN
By correspondence and by signature, THE HERMIT corresponds with Saturn / Kronos. Here the Archetype is a milestone along the way, a beacon marking a limit of human reach or ‘Divine sanction’. Saturn is the keeper of time and bounds, the stern father archetype, in exultation a mystically inclined highly capable ruler or leader with the ability to temper all the forces and will in his domain. In the shadow expression, Saturn (Kronos) can be solemn and overbearing. Saturn has two archetypal natures of expression, the first is Time, which is ‘the domain of limits’, —that which exists in pulses, waves, cycles, packets, seasons or iterations.
MYTHOS & LOGOS
PROMETHEUS
The hooded figure of THE HERMIT card, is reminiscent of Prometheus, the quintessential Torchbearer, peering down from Mount Olympus, intent on bringing the divine light to mankind, and also the spirit of fire.
LIGHT BRINGER
In Roman folklore, Lucifer or ‘Light-Bringer’ was associated with Venus, often personified as a male figure bearing a torch, The Greek name for this planet was variously Phosphoros (also meaning “light-bringer”) or Heosphoros (meaning “dawn-bringer”).
BUDDHISM
The transcendent one, the Buddha, is often depicted with light emanating from him, symbolising his role as Torchbearer. Notably, Buddha achieved his enlightenment not via teachings, but via the path of The Hermit, through fasting, separation from his companions and removing himself from his life.
ABRAHAMIC MYTHOS
In some interpretations, particularly within literary and esoteric traditions, Lucifer is seen as a “light bringer,” whose name means “bearer of light.” He is often depicted as granting knowledge to humanity, similar to Prometheus’s gift of fire. This perspective is especially prevalent in works like John Milton’s “Paradise Lost.”
POLYNESIAN MYTHOLOGY
In the myths of several Pacific Island cultures, Māui is a trickster hero who brings critical skills and knowledge to people. One of his famous deeds is stealing fire from the gods and giving it to humans, a direct parallel to Prometheus's actions.
TOLKIEN
Tolkien’s classic figure of the Grey Wanderer, the archetypal Hermit, in exile from his own land, Gandalf carries literal and metaphorical light and fire throughout Tolkien’s legendarium. He announces his role as the Torchbearer via the words “I am a servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the flame of Anor.”
In this mythos, the “Secret Fire” refers to the mysterious, divine power associated with creation and life, which in Tolkien's mythology is under the governance of Eru Ilúvatar, the creator god. The “flame of Anor” refers to the light of the sun, symbolizing Gandalf’s power to wield divine light.
INNER REFLECTION
If true actualisation and transcendence is what is sought, existing convention and wisdom have to be transcended first.
The structures of safety and comfort, prevailing convention and tradition—where we get our approval and permission—is precisely from where we inherit our limits.
The journey of life cannot begin until we leave the womb.
We cannot wander from one established village to the next hoping to find the answers in between.
An indelible symmetry exists within us, between the journey and the destination.
The path of the true seeker must lead through the wilderness before it can lead to the inner temple of the self which is the universal temple of the world. This journey is made and the destination is reached via surrendering to the truth of the world that exists prior and fundamental to the story we write over it.
The raw truth of the unfolding moment is best encountered when insulated from the confected truth of society and its distortions of faiths, expectations and emotions.
By definition, the divine can be encountered everywhere and that the path to enlightenment is as much about becoming the light as it is about following it.
Destiny in a spiritual sense is less about inheritance and coming home to the light than it is about carrying the light into the dark in the service of Legacy.
One of the strongest messages is the implication of stewardship for those who attain inner knowledge of the upper light through transcendence. True transcendence does not imply total withdrawal and lack of concern for the welfare of others, rather it implies a higher form of service. The nature of the divine is love and bestowal.
There is no prescriptive or imperative way in which that calling to service is answered or rendered, this rather—just like actualisation—is a deeply personal vocation.
The title image depicts two snakes and the central staff of the Caduceus, the staff of Hermes, which represent the force and pathway towards actualisation and thence inevitable transcendence. The two snakes intersecting iteratively represent the opposing forces of defiance and surrender, actualisation and integration, being and becoming, yin and yang, arrival and disappearance, string and yielding in turn, harmoniously with one’s true nature and the will of Life.
If you are interested in joining me for an integrated exploration of your own Archetypes, Symbolism, Mythos, Totems and Astrology via the Hermetic lens, and have an appetite for something deeper and more mature, schedule a call.