9 – The Hermit
I used to think of the Hermit as an antiquated figure: a man unsuited to the company of others who withdrew from humanity in protest or disappointment with society. It wasn’t a card that held much significance for me because I saw the Hermit as standing alone, rejecting dialogue or interaction, disconnected from both humanity and the rest of the Major Arcana.
I see the card differently now. When the tarot first appeared around 1430, the world’s population was under 500 million. Solitude was relatively easy to find and sometimes hard to escape. During my lifetime, the earth’s population has nearly tripled to more than 8 billion. I can feel the difference.
Solitude is no longer simply a matter of walking away from other people. It also means disconnecting ourselves from the constant barrage of information and stimulation that is commonplace in our modern lives.
In this context, the Hermit’s isolation is not antisocial behavior, but rather an attempt at self-preservation. It is a way to reconnect to what is important without the noise and distraction of social life.
The Hermit stands apart from society not to reject it, but to gain understanding. He represents solitude as a choice. He does not need to conform to societal expectations. His distance from the crowd allows him to reflect, observe, and learn without distraction. By narrowing his focus, he can see details and patterns others miss. The traditional lantern of the Hermit symbolizes this sustained attention. It lights a path for his mind rather than his feet.
The Hermit gathers knowledge and records it. His outward focus contrasts with his introverted lifestyle. But in the context of the tarot, the Hermit does not remain apart indefinitely. The understanding he gains in isolation is carried back into the world as knowledge and wisdom to be shared with those who will stop and listen.
I modeled my Hermit on E. O. Wilson, the American biologist, naturalist, ecologist, and entomologist. After an injury to his left eye as a boy, he decided to focus on insects, as it was easier for him to observe small things through a magnifying glass than to do normal field observation. Wilson spent decades patiently observing the natural world in wild and remote places, demonstrating that profound truths often emerge from sustained attention to seemingly insignificant things.
Wilson’s life work demonstrates that wisdom emerges from patience, repetition, and humility before reality. The smallest subjects reveal the largest systems. Ant colonies, ecosystems, and evolutionary networks stand in for the Hermit’s mountain path. He is not wandering in the wilderness. He is documenting it.
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