Welcome to Tarot Thursdays! This week we will be exploring The Hermit and how it can be used as a prompt or brainstorming in our writing.

Tarot is an interesting thing. It’s based upon symbolism and metaphors through imagery. With these images the subconscious mind is tapped into through the story provided. Not everyone gets the same thing from a piece of art. Each piece will influence each person in a slightly different way.

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Introduction of the Card

The Hermit is card number 09 in the deck and the tenth card in the Major Arcana of the Tarot.

Let’s take a look at the following examples of this card below.

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Card Examples

 

 

 

Notice the similarities between them and take note of their differences. Do any of these move you more than the others? Take your time and allow these cards to tell you their story.

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My Analysis of These Cards

In each of these cards we have a lone figure shining a light in the dark, waiting. What are they each waiting for? What are they each thinking about? Are they looking for someone or something? Or is it they have found it and they are waiting for others to catch up?

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Themes of the Card

Each card has a set of keywords associated with it that serve as themes for its image. These keywords will vary somewhat depending on who you ask.

According to the Learning the Tarot website, the keywords associated with the card are:

• INTROSPECTION
• SEARCHING
• GUIDANCE
• SOLITUDE

You can learn more about what this site has to say about this card here.

According to the Biddy Tarot website, the keywords associated with the card are:

• SOUL-SEARCHING
• INTROSPECTION
• BEING ALONE
• INNER GUIDANCE

You can learn more about what this site has to say about this card here.

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What this Card Means to Me

The Hermit is the seeker of truth within all of us. This is where we gain knowledge through lived experience. We can read books and listen to the wisdom of our elders all day long for our entire lives, but it will never carry the same weight as what we learn from within ourselves.

This isn’t to say that the knowledge of others doesn’t have value. On the contrary. In fact, I believe one of the reasons the Hermit bears a lantern in the artwork in so many of these decks is so that others can find him, so he can share what he knows. And then those students can go out and test that knowledge with their experience.

This is how information grows and spreads. And incidentally, I think this is what makes the internet so amazing. It makes the Hermit within all of us more expansive and accessible. Yes, there are pitfalls to that in terms of misinformation and false information but this is where our capacity to test that knowledge with our experience and wisdom comes into play.

For what is knowledge without wisdom? We have a brain in our head, so we use it. And surely what could be more fun as a writer than to play with this concept in our stories? Make our characters learn this the hard way!

The key phrase I choose for this card is: INNER GUIDE.

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Music Playlist

In this spirit of all this, these are the songs I have picked out for this card.

 

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The Writing Exercise

This exercise is a free write. Permit yourself to write whatever comes to mind based upon the theme of this card. Choose a keyword or key phrase and run with it to see what you come up with.

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I would love it if you linked or pinged back what you wrote so I could see where you went with this.

Happy writing!

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Mythic Tarot by Liz Greene (Author), Juliet Sharman-Burke (Author), Tricia Newell (Illustrator) © 1989
Dragon Tarot by Terry Donaldson (Author), Peter Pracownik (Author) © 1996
Universal Tarot by Lo Scarabeo (Author), R. De Angelis (Illustrator), A. E. Waite (Designer) © 2001
Tarot of Dreams by Ciro Marchetti (Author), Lee Bursten (Author) © 2015