Having difficulty with The Hermit & Ten of Pentacles

BigGreenFish

Hi all,

Very new to all this so please bear with me!

I did a ten card Celtic Cross reading and I'm having some difficulty interpreting the central 2 cards. I got The Hermit as the primary factor and Ten of Pentacles as the opposing factor. I honestly don't know where to begin with this - the question I asked was regarding what I can do to improve my relationship, and I can't make head nor tail of this pair in the middle!

Any thoughts or guidance would be greatly appreciated.
 

AstroJade

I have seen this combination before but without knowing the context of your question, it is hard to advise. Is there any possibility that material things such as work, money, etc, are being an issue in the relationship, forcing you to delay decisions and wait a bit more in order to develop the relationship further?
 

lantana

My thought is that you are desiring (or maybe needing) time by yourself, perhaps to explore some inner issue or just a much needed breather, but the expectations of a relationship keep you from getting this alone time. Does that sound possible?

ETA: I just realized I misread Ten of Pentacles as Ten of Cups somehow! But I guess it still rings true, relationships often require a lot of shared responsibility and financial juggling that might be keeping you from needed self-exploration. Maybe there's an undercurrent of the expectation to create a family or home together? I have no context for how old or serious this relationship is though.
 

JDusk

What immediately comes to mind is opposing forces of inner strength vs strength as a family unit. As advice to improve your relationship, the Hermit tells you to look within, and to value yourself and your independence - avoid an unhealthy level of dependence on or obsession with your partner. Sometimes having more personal space and alone time is what a relationship needs to thrive. 10 of Pentacles could indicate a pressure (whether internal or external) to solidify your bounds, to make a strong and visible commitment to your partnership. There's a sense of a strong, stable, secure family here - but Hermit warns you not to put that family commitment over your own personal needs and desires.

Additionally, if there are issues in the relationship, Hermit could suggest the answer lies in yourself - are your own personal fears or insecurities causing friction in the relationship? If so, this could be an issue that you need to work out on your own. Take some time for yourself, soul-search, and acknowledge whatever is happening emotionally that could be weighing you down. 10 of Pentacles as an opposing force could suggest that the issue is about family or finances. Are you scared of commitment - or perhaps do you feel a strong sense of urgency in making a commitment, so that you might be rushing things? Are you anxious about money? Do you worry about how your family (or your partner's family) perceives this relationship?

The secondary issues I see here are Hermit valuing the spiritual vs 10 of Pentacles valuing the material. If there are financial or other material issues (like AstroJade suggests) that are causing problems in the relationship, Hermit would indicate you should worry about less material issues - to look beyond what might be superficial and into the spiritual and emotional layers of the situation.
 

BigGreenFish

Thank you all, this has been very helpful.

For context, I'm struggling with some pretty debilitating mental health issues, and it's taking it's toll on my wife and kids. I also lost my job so obviously taking care of the family's material needs is a constant worry.
 

Thirteen

Your mental health vs. their material well being

For context, I'm struggling with some pretty debilitating mental health issues, and it's taking it's toll on my wife and kids. I also lost my job so obviously taking care of the family's material needs is a constant worry.
I'm very sorry to hear about your troubles. And I hope the cards give you a good answer and a way around these difficult issues. The two seem pretty clear given this context. Primary factor is that it would probably be best for you to seek help for you mental health on your own. To separate yourself from your family. The Hermit is often connected to research, science and finding answers—and discussions with experts. But there are all done "solo." The Hermit says family, friends, society are a distraction. You won't be able to focus. You won't be able to think. You won't find your answers unless you go it alone.

And there you go with the opposing factor. Which is: "how can I provide for my wife and kids? How can I keep my family together? How can I be a supportive husband and parent...if I go off and become (essentially) a Hermit?" The 10/Pents is all about solid physical and material support (including the health) of the family. And it's very much about the family unit staying together and helping each other out—literally as well figuratively. Meaning, making sure the family has a home, a way to pay bills, strong connections to relatives, friends, neighbors...a social network.

Those are very clearly the two opposing forces. The best way to regain your health is to separate out. But it's going to be hard to concentrate only and entirely on yourself when, at the back of your mind, you can't help but be concerned about the health of your family. While it might be emotionally better for them if you did leave and went it alone, that doesn't solve the issue of how to literally support them, both as a husband/father and as a provider.