9. The Hermit

Away in the woods.

Upright

Solitude, withdrawal, and introspection. An unorthodox mentor.

Reversed

Too much isolation, retreating in a bad way. A bad mentor.

Element: Earth

The legendary figure of a solitary wise person, the Hermit represents a time of withdrawal, solitude, and introspection. When you draw The Hermit, it means a personal, inner journey may be at hand. Alternatively, The Hermit may represent a mentor who is unusual or unorthodox.

The Hermit is practically the opposite of The Hierophant. While The Hierophant is all about community organizations, orthodoxy, and institutions, The Hermit means retreating from society, unorthodoxy, and inner journeys. Both can represent mentors, but the mentor in The Hierophant is from a traditional, institutionally-based background, and The Hermit is more likely to be self-taught or have unorthodox training.

When reversed, The Hermit indicates too much isolation. It is still a theme of retreat from society, but now in a bad way. Perhaps the person represented by The Hermit is avoiding help. It can also represent a bad or misleading mentor.