Finding Peace With the Hermit

The Hermit IX

Fancy seeing you, old man from that Led Zeppelin album hanging out here!

Well its official, Fall is here! YAY! Its time for delicious desserts and sweet glorious sweaters. My chubby legs will no longer fear "short weather" this alone makes Fall extra special! The leaves are starting to burst into bright displays yellows, reds and oranges, in nature death if so beautiful, if only we could go out with the same bang! (I am feeling a touch morbid today). This is my favourite time of year.  At night it is cold and you can see your breath and the ground is covered in little frozen diamonds. If the wine wasn't blurring my vision, I think a seen frost a couple of nights ago. This is the time when things start to go quiet.  I feel like you can feel magick in the air. 
This is a good time to start planning for Winter and any inner work that you want to do.  My favourite aspect of the dark side of the Wheel, as I said above, is that everything is quieter. No more loud unruly children outside interrupting my beauty sleep. No more expectations to be going out at all hours and times of the day. The whole wildness of Summer, is coming to a sweet glorious end. Can you tell I am excited? On top of all this, this is also a perfect time of year to talk about the Hermit. The perfect mascot for those introverts we all know (and love!) or are *raises hand*! I say this a lot but I really do love this card. It makes me think of peace, quiet and self reflection- all things I am desperately in need of! It is here to say that it is okay to relax and just take some time out of the humdrum of life to spend some time with yourself. 

When was the last time you spent some time on your own? When you were cut off from the distraction of those in our lives? Have you had a break from your children, your spouse or your family and friends? Or work even? When was the last time you decided to do something for your spirit? Or for your own wellbeing? I bet for a lot of us, these questions are impossible to answer because life has a tendency to get in the way of the relationships we have with ourselves. The Hermit wants you to turn off your phone, get off social media and even avoid the family, if even for only a little while. He wants you to take a long look in the mirror and get to know the person who is looking back at you. When was the last time you spent time with that person? He wants you to meditate on what makes you happy. He wants you to nourish YOUR spirit and finally deal confront those inner demons. Recognize both sides of your nature and be OKAY with who you are. Are you up for the challenges that this card presents? I hope so! 

If you are doing a reading for someone and this fellow decides to make an appearance, I would recommend that maybe the person needs to hit pause for a little while and make time to be alone. This card can also indicate someone who is lonely and is looking for a positive omen that this dark period will come to an end. The light that the Hermit is holding is knowledge. Knowledge of oneself and what truly matters to you. Its a quest for knowledge. This card is never fun in a love reading, the querent will probably be waiting a little longer for that spicy lover to come into their life. They are waiting however because they need to learn to love themselves and embrace who they are before anyone else could love them. Take some time to get to know you. This card is about slowing down and the energy is very quiet, almost non-existent. Time will move slow for those involved with the Hermit, but that may not be a bad thing. 

Keys to remember: alone time, inner mysteries, quiet, contemplation, non-romance, knowledge, meditation. 

Hermit Homework

Here is your Hermit homework. If you are reading this right now, I want you to take out a notebook and write down some promises to yourself. Make a list, draw a picture, or whatever floats your little boat. Set some goals on what you want to accomplish this coming Winter. Do you want learn a new skill? Paint a picture? Write that amazing novel you never have time to write? Maybe its something as simple as just taking five minutes a day to show yourself some love *wink wink*- sorry that got too pervy but not pervy enough to delete.... I also want you to think about the things that bring you physical and spiritual pleasure. I want you to make a point before the next Full Moon to make sure you do something to fulfill both of these needs. Whatever it is, no matter how simplistic or extravagant, make time for it. Let the Hermit show you the way. 

PS: I tried to find online who this Hermit is or whoever inspired Pamela Coleman-Smith to draw him, but had no luck. If you know this little fact, can you please share it with me for my own inner work?