Bean Feasa
The Hermit is a crucial card to me in any deck. I have to say I did find the ToP Hermit a bit forbidding at first glance - something about the figure reminded me of Death, the hourglass perhaps, and the black staff which looks suspiciously like Death's scythe without the blade.
In the book, Karen's entry on the Hermit is very enlightening, explaining that the modern connotations of introspection, solitude, meditation etc., are in fact quite an optimistic interpretation of an older card which was called 'The Old Man', 'Time' or 'The Hunchback, a figure associated with the passing of time, the onset of old age, the approach of Death.
A serious Hermit this then, and not one to be trifled with! I find that discovering a darker undercurrent to a card gives it strength and depth. My impression is that the ToP Hermit has much to teach the serious seeker, but will not stand for any fluffiness or frivolity.
I really like the powerful visual impact, what a tall, impressive figure he cuts in his claret robes. His skin is leathery and weathered-looking - seems this guy's been around the block a few times - or up and down Golden Lane a lot! The golden light from his hourglass lantern and the sign above his head proclaim alchemy at work - the Hermit is transforming the mundane events of life to spiritual gold.
The book is also very informative about Golden Lane, and how, although it looks picturesque in the card and as a tourist attraction, it would in fact have been a pretty cramped and miserable place to live. All in all a serious card, that seems to warn that enlightenment doesn't come without growth pains.
One final thing - am I mistaken or do most Hermits face the other way, and do you think there's any significance in that?
Kate
In the book, Karen's entry on the Hermit is very enlightening, explaining that the modern connotations of introspection, solitude, meditation etc., are in fact quite an optimistic interpretation of an older card which was called 'The Old Man', 'Time' or 'The Hunchback, a figure associated with the passing of time, the onset of old age, the approach of Death.
A serious Hermit this then, and not one to be trifled with! I find that discovering a darker undercurrent to a card gives it strength and depth. My impression is that the ToP Hermit has much to teach the serious seeker, but will not stand for any fluffiness or frivolity.
I really like the powerful visual impact, what a tall, impressive figure he cuts in his claret robes. His skin is leathery and weathered-looking - seems this guy's been around the block a few times - or up and down Golden Lane a lot! The golden light from his hourglass lantern and the sign above his head proclaim alchemy at work - the Hermit is transforming the mundane events of life to spiritual gold.
The book is also very informative about Golden Lane, and how, although it looks picturesque in the card and as a tourist attraction, it would in fact have been a pretty cramped and miserable place to live. All in all a serious card, that seems to warn that enlightenment doesn't come without growth pains.
One final thing - am I mistaken or do most Hermits face the other way, and do you think there's any significance in that?
Kate