The Hermit

The number 9 represents the process of transition or transformation, completion but not finality, the end of a cycle. The Hermit lingers with ease and presence, protected by the cloak of honesty, grounded by a staff, gazing down in contemplation on the snow shimmering in the moonlight, and discovering, as the days pass, the grey will blossom into brightness and a new sense of wholeness will be born.

The Hermit, the lantern-bearer, calls me to go in two directions: one inner and one outer. The Hermit invites me to retreat from the external demands and distractions of the world and seek a teacher in my own psyche and to access my internal wisdom, abandoning the idea that someone or something knows me better.

In the past, I have struggled with trusting my own knowing and wisdom. The Hermit is a reminder that light is released through the process of self-awareness. Perhaps, seeking my inner light has a purpose in helping to guide others to a deeper understanding of who they are. As a social worker and educator, I find this is often the approach I take when working with others. I attempt to demonstrate the importance of contemplation and self-awareness hoping this example will invite or encourage others to start or continue to do the same.

The Hermit continues to remind me to slow down, forsake the race of days, and take a slow journey within my spiritual and emotional landscape. Introspection invites the shadows of this landscape to emerge, for sadness to linger, for tears to flow, and for the unknown parts of myself to rise up. The rapid travel through and between what I have learned to be false ground, has now been called to a halt.