The Hermit: Modern RWS Tarot Card Meanings
KEY IX: The Hermit, Rider Waite Smith tarot deck.
The Hermit: Upright RWS Meanings
Keywords
Wisdom, Counsel, Reflection, Seclusion
Generally
This card relates to a period of necessary and deliberate introspection. It is a time of strategic withdrawal from the noise of the outer world to focus on an inner quest. This is not a forced isolation, but a conscious choice to seek guidance from within. The Hermit turns his back on the outer world not in rejection of it, but because the answers he seeks can no longer be found there.
This energy often manifests after a major life event, requiring a period of quiet reflection to process what has happened. It can be as simple as spending a weekend reading alone or taking a "solo holiday." In the modern world, this is the energy of a "digital detox," a conscious break from the constant influx of information to be able to hear one's own thoughts. It is a time for deep soul-searching and for finding the truth in silence.
In a Love Context
In a love reading, this card signifies a period of being single for the higher purpose of inner work. It is a time for taking a break from dating and the pursuit of partnership, not out of loneliness, but to better understand oneself and one's true needs. It is a necessary phase of re-centering before one can be a good partner. In an existing relationship, this card can signify that one or both partners need space. This is not necessarily a sign of a breakup, but a mature need for solitude to maintain one's own spiritual center. It can also, quite literally, represent a partner who embodies the Hermit's energy: a wise, introspective, and perhaps older individual who is not interested in superficial social games and values depth and meaning above all else.
In a Money Or Career Reading
This card points to a period of profound reassessment of your career path. The Hermit has no interest in the "rat race" or the noise of a busy, competitive office. This energy often leads to a decision to take a sabbatical or to leave a high-stress job for a much quieter, more meaningful role. It is the archetype of the researcher, the specialist expert, or the master artisan who must work in solitude to achieve a state of mastery. This card can also signify the act of seeking guidance from a true mentor, an "elder" in your field who has already achieved the level of wisdom you seek. It is a time to withdraw from the pursuit of mere money and to contemplate your true vocation.
In a Spiritual Reading
This card is the very archetype of the seeker on the path. It is about the vital need to find spiritual wisdom through contemplation and self-reflection. This is the energy that compels one to go on a silent meditation retreat or a solitary spiritual pilgrimage. The Hermit seeks the inner light, the "God within," and understands that this light can only be found in silence, away from the dogma and distractions of the outer world. While The High Priestess is the inner wisdom, The Hermit is the act of seeking it. He is the active, conscious process of turning inward to find the guidance of the higher self, trusting that his own inner flame is the only guide he truly needs.
In Common Spread Positions
As Advice
Withdraw from the world. Take time for prayer/meditation. Seek your own inner counsel.
As (Ultimate) Outcome
A period of solitude. A profound personal insight. Finding the answer within yourself.
As Obstacles
A forced isolation. A feeling of loneliness is blocking progress. A refusal to engage with the world.
As Hidden Energy
Unmanifest wisdom. Unrealized need for solitude. Like The Fool reversed.
As Resources/Alliances
Meditation. Guru. Contemplation.
The Hermit Reversed Meanings (RWS)
Reversed Keywords
Isolation, Loneliness, Paranoia, Stubbornness, Ignorance
In A General Or “Open” Reading
Reversed, The Hermit card loses its quality of conscious, willed withdrawal and becomes a state of unwanted isolation. It can point to a period of feeling profoundly cut off from others, a painful state of disconnection that is not productive. This is not the strategic retreat of the wise man, but the bitter isolation of the outcast. Alternatively, this card signifies a stubborn rejection of all guidance. It is a refusal to listen to good advice, a pig-headed insistence on one's own flawed perspective. This can lead to a state of deep distrust, where you become a recluse, seeing shadows and ill-intent where there is none. This is the shadow-side of solitude, where it curdles into a state of profound disconnection from truth and community.
In a Love Or Relationships Reading
In a love reading, this card often points to a painful isolation found within a relationship. It is the feeling of being emotionally distant from your partner, a state of "two solitudes" under one roof where there is no real connection. It can also signify the painful, barren isolation that follows a difficult breakup, a state of withdrawal that is less about healing and more about bitterness, much like the energy of the Three of Swords. This card can also represent the negative pole of being single: not a willed period of self-discovery, but a bitter and disconnected existence. It may even be a warning that a deep fear of being alone is what keeps you in a bad or unfulfilling relationship.
In a Money Or Career Reading
In a money or career context, this card can mean feeling isolated at work. This may be a situation where you are being actively ostracised by colleagues, cut off from the flow of information and community. More often, however, it points to a stubborn "lone wolf" attitude that is actively harming your career. This is a refusal to accept help, a failure to collaborate, or an arrogant insistence on doing everything yourself. This energy can manifest as deliberately ignoring a mentor's sound advice, which in turn leads to a predictable and avoidable failure. It is the energy of the specialist who has become so isolated in their expertise that they are no longer effective.
In A Spiritual Context
Spiritually, the reversed Hermit can signify a spiritual practice that has led to a profound feeling of disconnection rather than illumination. This is the state of the "dark night of the soul," a period of intense trial where one feels completely abandoned by the Divine. It is a hollow, empty silence, not a nourishing one. This card can also represent a stubborn refusal to seek guidance. You may be lost on your path but are too arrogant or too fearful to accept help from a spiritual tradition or a qualified teacher. This is the shadow of the Hermit, a spiritual pride that leads to a barren, isolated, and ultimately lost state.
In Common Spread Positions
As Advice
A warning against becoming too isolated. It is time to re-join the world or to accept the help that is being offered.
As (Ultimate) Outcome
A period of painful loneliness. A decision made in isolation that leads to a poor result.
As Obstacles
A paranoid fear of others. A stubborn refusal to listen to advice. A crippling sense of loneliness is preventing you from moving forward.
As Hidden Energy
A hidden fear of being alone is driving your decisions. A secret paranoia is undermining a situation.
As Resources/Alliances
Help comes from ending a period of isolation. A difficult truth learned during a lonely time can now be used.
Additional Notes On The Hermit
A.E Waite’s Original ‘Hermit’ Card Meanings
Upright: "Prudence, circumspection; also and especially treason, dissimulation, roguery, corruption. Reversed: Concealment, disguise, policy, fear, unreasoned caution." Pictoral Key To The Tarot (1911).
Intrigued? Learn about the rest of Waite’s Major Arcana.
Question: Is The Hermit a negative card
No. While it can point to loneliness when reversed, the upright Hermit is a positive card of wisdom, introspection, and necessary solitude. It represents a mature and important stage of personal and spiritual development.
The Hermit Card Meditations
What would a spiritual master do in my situation? Am I seeking necessary solitude, or am I running away from my issues? Is there a mentor figure that I can reach out to for guidance?
