Livia
A striking man stands in a deep forest surrounded by a cat and a deer, and a bird (Quail). Interesting, the sources for the figure are not St. Francis, but we know it must be him (not just from the book), but from his surroundings/situation. And…
Who else but St. Francis of Assisi? I think the Hermit is best seen as self-acceptance, as the book discusses, since it is only with self-acceptance that we can be comfortable being alone. No only did St. Francis symbolize the duality within the church, i.e. rich/poor excess/modesty, but this card seems different from the others as he is standing in a deep forest. There are other cards set outdoors, but this is different. He is standing in a deep enough forest he needs a lamp, but we cannot tell if it is night or day. We see no sky. He is closed in his own world. It is almost like a fairy tale setting. Again, how fitting since most fairy tales teach lessons of staying with the group, and not wondering into the forest, where terrible things happen. But he doesn’t seem like bad things are happening to him.
Sources
For the body and deer
http://gallery.euroweb.hu/html/m/memling/5late/37nogr5.html
this is the altarpiece where the figure is found
forest
http://www.kfki.hu/~arthp/html/l/lippi/filippo/1460/1forest.html
Head/face
http://gallery.euroweb.hu/html/m/master/xunk_bo/epitaph.html
information about St. Francis
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06221a.htm
Who else but St. Francis of Assisi? I think the Hermit is best seen as self-acceptance, as the book discusses, since it is only with self-acceptance that we can be comfortable being alone. No only did St. Francis symbolize the duality within the church, i.e. rich/poor excess/modesty, but this card seems different from the others as he is standing in a deep forest. There are other cards set outdoors, but this is different. He is standing in a deep enough forest he needs a lamp, but we cannot tell if it is night or day. We see no sky. He is closed in his own world. It is almost like a fairy tale setting. Again, how fitting since most fairy tales teach lessons of staying with the group, and not wondering into the forest, where terrible things happen. But he doesn’t seem like bad things are happening to him.
Sources
For the body and deer
http://gallery.euroweb.hu/html/m/memling/5late/37nogr5.html
this is the altarpiece where the figure is found
forest
http://www.kfki.hu/~arthp/html/l/lippi/filippo/1460/1forest.html
Head/face
http://gallery.euroweb.hu/html/m/master/xunk_bo/epitaph.html
information about St. Francis
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06221a.htm