The lonely hermit stands on the top of the mountain on an abandoned road. He brings brightness with a lamp to the people down there at the bottom of mountain. He helps them to find their way up to him, and waits for them patiently and with love. The light makes visible our inner path, along which we can find the ultimate truth. The Hermit holds the lamp in his right hand (this is the symbol of consciousness) which suggests that he turned up the lamp as a result of his conscious decision. Inside the lamp there is a six-pointed star that also illuminates the path. This is, in particular, linked to the Star of Solomon which is the greatest symbol of wisdom, and this is also represents the mixing of the female subconscious world and the male conscious world.
From time to time, those who really are searching have to leave everything behind and go to a peaceful place to be alone. The Hermit gained his knowledge in the school of life, this is how he became a teacher himself. His duty is to illuminate the ‘road’ with the light of wisdom for those who want to learn. All this is symbolised by the gray colour of his mantle, as gray is the colour of wisdom.
The number 9 is important also, because this number is the last number in our decimal system. The number 9 is followed by number 1 again (1 and 0 = 10), we return and so this symbolises unity. This is why the Hermit is the last stop on the first stage of the ‘Tarot journey’. The number 9 represents self-realisation, the maturing process and the path towards perfection. If we take a closer look at the figure on the card we can see that the entire body reminds us of the number 9. The attainment of wisdom is symbolised by the rod which is in the left hand of the figure (the left hand being the representation of the subconscious). The snake around the rod is the symbol of our still hidden unconscious inner wisdom, which will help us to overcome obstacles in the coming years.
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