Spiral Tarot - the Hermit (IX)

wizzle

Right off I have to confess this is one of my favorite Hermits because it's a woman and an old one at that. Not an image commonly depicted in any major card, much less this one. We old ladies do have our place in life, lol.

The rather stark RWS card has a good deal of added symbolism in this version. In addition to the standard association with the sign Virgo, the Hermit is associated with the asteroid Vesta. I don't normally read this asteroid in charts so I had to look it up. http://www.astrograph.com/planets.php It certainly fits right into the Hermit, particularly with the symbolism of her lamp. She is a keeper of the flame and here it is a flame of knowledge as shown by the snake in her left hand. A careful look at the shining hexagram in the lamp reveals faint lines. This, I think, refers to the type of knowledge offered by the Hermit. The hexagram is a symbol of earth and earth magic, perfect for Virgo/Vesta. Thus I'd say her light guides us to a closer examination of what it really means to bring magic into our lives on a daily basis. It asks us to ask ourselves how we can better connect to the universe in a grounded, rather than airy fairy way. Among the ways I concieve, a knowledge of rituals and the solar tides.

The Hermit is standing barefoot on rocks high in the mountains. So the knowledge she's aquired wasn't easily come by. There are a lot of little dots all over the rocks and the mountains in the background and I haven't worked out what they might mean.

I also think this Hermit in particular shows us that real knowledge is found in the high places of the world through our own efforts. It is not lodged in the Towers of learning our society so often prescribes. That is knowledge, too of course, but it is not the spiritual enlightenment we ultimately all seek. And there seems to be a duty to share this knowledge as shown by the lamp. Thus I find this a card of give and take even though the acquisition of this type of development is of necessity solitary. That is emphasized by the Vestal flame on the Hermit's dress. This flame goes from the heart to the throat. So I see a need to speak out or communicate and share the lessons learned.

Finally, I'm struck by the warm color of the Hermit's dress and the soothing blue of her hood/cloak. These pleasant colors against the mountains and dark night sky with it's abundance of stars give me a feeling of wholeness and healing that I don't get with other versions of this card. If we find the right combination for healing in Temperance, I think we feel it's manifestations here. The efforts needed are settling into good routines/habits. We are encouraged by results, even if they are the first steps. This is also a card of re-evaluation, then. How are things working out based on our own needs? What other tools need to be brought into play? This is an earth-based sort of evaluation that can only be done on a personal level by the individual themselves.
 

tarobones

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firemaiden

Beautiful analysis, thank you. Do you have any of the original literature that might have come with the deck. (I do not) I thought perhaps the Spiral Tarot Hermit was meant to be Hecate.