Phantasmagoric - The Hermit 9

Little Baron

Todays card is The Hermit - The Seeker - 9 - Virgo

I am aware of a lot of the traditional values of this card but this one leaves me a little stumped. Like I mentioned with Doctor Lock and also Twister, this Hermit does not click with me. After reading Freesiaskye and Maan's responses to Doctor Lock, I did begin to gell with him (thanks guys); Twister, on the other hand, I don't feel close to still.
Why don't I click with this Hermit? I am not sure. There are so many odd and lovable characters in this deck that I get a little disappointed when one turns up like this and doesn't look very inspiring. For me, this guy is not inspiring in the least.

So, whats going on? The Hermit glides above the gound. The sky is a healthy blue, as is the grass a healthy and fertile green. The Hermit wears yellow (what is the symbol on his belly? I cannot make it out) and sits on a large red platform. I can not tell whether he is passing through this environment or if he is lifting from the indentation (base) on the grass. He has a long beard and also has long hair. Question marks surround him. The mountains in the distance are high and their tops are covered with snow.

Graham Cameron says of this card -
"Ahead of us lies an open stage, a landscape of unchartered territory. The unknown open land is inhabitted by the Hermit, who is here to seek enlightenment. It is important for each of us to experience silence and listen to our inner voices. The Phantasmagoric Theater has closed and we must make use of this valuable time to grow. The Hermit transports us to a new landmark, allowing us to look more deeply within ourselves. A time of meditation is upon us. The Hermit is a comtemplative person. He travels upon a historical stone and faces the past to better understand the future. The Hermit represents a time of self-inquiry.
Seek isolation, prayer, study, contemplation without distruction, a time of retreat.
Reverse: Loneliness, immaturity, narrow minded, resentful".

Best wishes

Yaboot
 

darwinia

Re: Phantasmagoric 11/08 *The Hermit*

Yaboot001 said:
After reading Freesiaskye and Maan's responses to Doctor Lock, I did begin to gell with him (thanks guys)

No problem, come toward the light Grasshopper, we are waiting for you.

[Cough, hack, much clearing of throat]

All The Hermit needs is a glass globe over him and some coloured foam question marks, and water floating in there and he'd make a nice winter ornament. Shake him up and watch those questions fly!

He is masculine energy--ah yes, men and their caves of seclusion, needing to get away and have a think. Those stripes of grass almost like a runway, and the shadow under his platform looks like it is burnt grass--jet propulsion to Nirvana. Purple dreadlocks though? The Mahareeshi Mahesh Yogi should have been so lucky.

No matter it is a peak experience for him, as is the new landmark for us.

Perhaps because The Hermit is overhead--like an overview, he can shed light on problems. Objectivity is a platform in the sky. The symbol on his stomach represents the AUM--I have it on a print called Himalayan Passage from Francene Hart's Sacred Geometry Oracle. (looks like a number 3 with a little wind-up key on the right.) It is a sacred symbol from Hindu dharma, it is the sound of the Infinite:
http://www.hindunet.org/quickintro/hindudharma/hindu_aum.htm

I have one little comment about literal translation of colours in decks: I tend to disregard that in the analysis simply because artists use colour for balance and because it pleases them and because they ran out of cad. red on one particular day but wanted to get the picture done. Charlie, the dog next door, had a whack at your tube of raw umber and that was the end of that woodland scene you were planning.

My other comment is about The Hermit as guru, as he seems here. Sometimes gurus can set themselves above you and demand that you pay obeisance, worshipping their purple locks as you revere the mark of the infinite on them. And yet, and yet, the sound of the infinite is within you, and needs no sanction outside of your self.

My hermitage is within me, I fly alone with the Infinite.
 

Melvis

You know, I have to agree with you on this one, Yaboot. The hermit seems rather uninspiring. I think maybe his head is too small.

The one little insight I get from the card is that the question marks seem to be holding the hermit's platform thingy up. So maybe, by asking the right questions and pondering them we can 'elevate' ourselves.

I hope someone else has some ideas...maybe our freesiaskye has an interesting backstory on this character! :D

Peace,

Melvis
:TSTRE
 

darwinia

Melvis said:
...maybe our freesiaskye has an interesting backstory on this character! :D

I rip my guts out to give you Dr. Lock yesterday and you want MORE? I give you purple dreadlocked infinity and you want MORE? I give you The Hermit as a snow globe and you ask for a backstory?

Gadfry you're a cruel man. I thought because you liked cats that you didn't induce psychic suffering with outrageous demands like this.

I'm telling Tom Tom, you'll be sorry then.
 

galadrial

It's interesting to have a hermit that isn't wandering in the dark. This one's strength seems to be knowing that he doesn't know, and that the theater doesn't hold the answer(s). If he elevates himself above the ground (material) and into the sky (realm of thought) does he hope to have a "peak" experience? Will his answers come out of the blue? How long will he hang in suspense? And if he receives an insight, will he be too out of touch to be able to convey it? (Those question marks must be getting to me, all I can think of are questions).
 

Maan

I'm with Galadrial here. This hermits wisdom lies in knowing that he does not know. Eeverybody should know this..( does this still make sences?;) )

I like the mountains in the background. Its like the Hermit of the rider waite has come down from his mountains on a flying soucer and took of his robe.( i know not such a great background story like freesaskye povided us with..sorry Melvis i tried ;) ) he is now ready to share his wisdom. You don't have to climb the mountain to ask for help.
Maybe thats also what he show's us. Wisdom is in the simple things. Yopu don't have to go wandering in the dark on a high mountain in the freezing snow to gain wisdom.

The fying red thingie he is sitting on still gives him the soltitute he needs But it also makes him more accesable.
 

Little Baron

Being above everything also means he can see things from a different angle as well.

Y
 

darwinia

Yaboot001 said:
Being above everything also means he can see things from a different angle as well.

Y

Yeah, and we LIKE to see all sides of things.

If you went into selling siding you could put Jack to work, the lazy bugger seems to lie down a lot, every time I visit he's lolling around on your bed.

Oh sure, he can't work but he can try on hats all day. Phhht.
 

Little Baron

freesiaskye said:
the lazy bugger seems to lie down a lot, every time I visit he's lolling around on your bed.


That really made me laugh because it is so true. As I type, Jack doesn't look very amused; and yes, he is stretched out (well, with the only one arm he has right now) on the bed. A models life, eh!

Yab
 

Melvis

Okay, so when I post, here's the time table:

Start the post.

Flip through the TV channels.

Go get a soda.

Edit what I've already written in the post.

Get a scissors and go trim the bangs that are hanging in my eyes.

Flip through some more TV channels.

Minimize Forum window and bring up a new Explorer window to get TV listings to find out if anything good is on.

Write a little more on my post.

Turn off TV and spend 10 minutes creating a Playlist on computer in order to listen to inspiring music while I write.

Start post over because original idea was too lame.

Go throw away now-empty soda can.

Potty break.

Finish post, and re-read for obvious errors.

Answer phone and listen to Mom talk about the birthday party she went to yesterday.

Copy post in case computer gets goofy and loses it, then post it.

All told, there's about an hour and a half lag time between when I start the post and when I finally finish it. Thus, I never saw your answer, freesia, baby! :rolleyes: Sorry! It was a lovely story, by the way. Just what I was hoping for!

BTW...I'm a 'she', not a 'he'. :D Don't worry, you're not the first to make that mistake, so I'm used to it! "Melvis" is actually a nickname for "Melani".

Peace,

Melvis
:TSTRE