From Prairie:
The Hermit stands alone on a mountain top, lantern in hand, awaiting seekers of knowledge. The Hermit has attained his spiritual pinnacle & is ready to share his knowledge.
The astrological correspondence for this card is Virgo, detail-oriented, strong analytical faculties, perfectionism. The number 9 signifies accomplishment, wisdom, the attainment of goals, as well as the search for truth.
. The star in the lantern is a 6-pointed star, the Seal of Solomon, a symbol of wisdom. The lantern is the Lamp of Truth containing the star of wisdom. The staff he carries is the patriarch's staff, a symbol of the narrow path of initiation. (Another religion has its god carrying a shepherd's staff. Same meaning.) The snow at his feet represents the heights of spiritual attainment.
He wears the gray cloak of invisibility. His secrets are not for everyone, only for those earnestly seeking them, and willing to climb the heights to wisdom.
Meditating on this archetype teaches you to honor the wisdom within yourself. Through meditation & visualization, the Hermit allows you to get in touch with the inherent wise person within yourself.
ASSIGNMENT:
Meditate on the Hermit card. Ask the Hermit to help you get in touch with the Wise Person within your self. Shuffle the deck. Draw 9 cards. Place the cards in three rows of three cards each.
"Hermit Without":
The first 3 cards are a message from the Hermit. This is a personal message to you. Interpret these cards intuitively. Disregard the 'traditional' meanings of the cards. Just look at them and 'feel' what the Hermit is saying to you.
"Hermit Within":
The next three cards are a message from the Wise Person living inside you. Again, read these cards intuitively.
"Final Message":
The final three cards are a message for your future. Where are the Hermit Without and the Hermit Within taking you? Were there some insights from the first 6 cards that you need to act upon? What kind of messages have you received?
From Lynell:
Hermit Reading using the Tarot of the Trance.
This is a new deck for me. Since it might be unfamiliar to others, I'll describe the cards a little as I try to read them "intuitively," as per the exercise suggestion.
In this deck, the Hermit sits on top of a mountain, holding a lighted candle, and spewing stars across the sky. The mountain could be the world.
Without:
Knight of Coins
He's holding two long poles with coins at the ends - looks like he might be plowing the coins into the ground: grounding, work, effort.
At his solar plexus is a huge eye: in tune, aware, of his strength and power.
Poles cross in front of the eye: control of situation, guidance from inner power.
Behind him is a wooden shield shaped like a church window: practical spirituality.
The Chariot
A woman is in a very precarious-looking position on a wheeled/animal vehicle. A gold pillar behind her. She has whips made of stars. Her legs are laced up. One breast is covered (the right one - is it missing? like an Amazon): control, balance, in touch with inner (left) aspects of self; pillar of strength and guidance; direction, determination.
5 of Swords
A creature behind a heart pierced with 3 swords, bleeding. The animal is holding two larger swords at its sides. The power is in my hands; the vulnerability (wounds?) are by choice. I can stop the pain.
Within:
3 of Swords
Two large swords pointing upward, in the middle a fish is pierced with a smaller third sword, bleeding. Two small animals have their mouths close to the small sword's hilt.
Fish: instinct, spirit, inner knowledge, "Christ" consciousness.
Upward swords: healing, learning from lesson, "redeeming" the experience.
Baser thoughts (animals) have control of the wounding.
High Priestess
She is emerging, rising, from an egg - one hand up, one hand down. She spans the sky, holding a snake-like banner. Palm branches, leaves.
She's like a blooming flower: secrets of regeneration.
Princess of Cups
Jubilant mermaid. She has a star veil in the shape of a crescent moon. Celebrating, enjoying life, experiencing all emotions as natural. A red navel: in touch with inner reality.
Final Message
5 of Coins
A huge bush with an upside down pentacle, a candle in the middle of the pentagram (like what the Hermit holds). Behind the bush (or within it) is a person, but we only see his/her hands and arms reaching upwards.
Two purple and yellow irises bloom at the sides; an animal is at the base of the briar-patch affair.
Though the pentagram is upside down, the person is not: hope still blooms, light is at the center. There is a purpose here.
9 of Swords
A woman/animal with circular horns is at the bottom of a waterfall. Eight swords point to her two sides (four on each side). Two moons hover above the swords on either side. One large sword is at the top of the starred waterfall. A green plant-like bird descends to the woman, its beak almost ready to pierce her head.
Divine insight needed to banish the nightmares.
8 of Wands
Colorful rainbow and stained glass wands rise over a rising sun. Tow pink and rose flowers bloom: hope, progression, moving toward the treasure.
The Hermit is telling me:
Outwardly, I am being directed to take charge of my life and to realize that by remaining passive, my progress will continue to be broken by negative thoughts.
Inwardly, I have the ability to heal and to learn from my trials and experiences. I have the power to face life with emotional purity again.
The message, then, is that I am being led into a place of material simplicity in order to find new direction and insights - to heal the fear and wounds I harbor. If I can face this "dark night of the soul," I will unleash new energy to move forward in my life and achieve my dreams.
Lynell
From Prairie:
Lynell,
You have some very good insights here, and a good grasp of the intuitive method of looking at the cards. Thank you for the reading!
One question I have for you:
How do you plan to face this "dark night of the soul"? And what concrete steps can you take to bring the dawn?
From Lynell:
I believe this is a "process" reading, in that I don't foresee a crisis appearing. We are asked continually to face shadows and limiting thoughts, to resist the negative pulls, and direct our spirits forward. In this vein, I see the 5 of Coins suggesting certain negative ideas that I still harbor that have become patterns in my life - crystallized into my outer life. Their origin lies in the fears and self-denegation of the 9 of Swords and their transformation in the energy of the 8 of Wands.
Practically, what does this mean? Well, let me share some things going on in my life right now. (Forgive me if this sounds disjointed. I'm trying to be brief and spare the details.)
My father is visiting us. He's been up here for about two weeks. For the first few days, I found myself angry and resentful over very small things - a lot of energy directed towards my father (8 of Wands - in what direction is this energy headed?). I kept having flashback thoughts about earlier issues that really haven't bothered me for a long time (9 of Swords - self-recriminations and absorption of his weaknesses). As I tried to mentally step back and examine my judgments, I heard self-criticisms - paradoxical feelings of not aligning myself with my father's visions and fears of repeating his failings in my own life.
Aha! Very strange. I never considered my father the judgmental type, but now as I am trying to define myself more, trying to live an authentic life, I could sense the fear of separating from my father. I was rebelling against my closeness to him, my identity with him, as if this were a threat to my individuality. And I was using judgment (his and mine) as a knife to cut the ties. Could I be who I wanted to be and still remain close to my father?
Through all of this, he began reading some of the things I've been writing and encouraged me to finish what I had started. He validated my work and felt it worthy of sharing with others. Here is a 5 of Coins in my life: unfinished work, closed up, and judged by myself as unworthy of completion. Ironically, I share this tendency with my father: leaving work unfinished because of rejection fears. So this trait was the threat my father posed for me - and mirrored in me. Yet, his "blessing" of my work helped to release the tensions I was feeling and to reconnect to him with more awareness. I could be close to my father, even be like him, and still be able to transform the patterns - for myself and for him.
All of this is to say that I am currently working on a particular piece of writing that my father felt very drawn to (he said it expressed his own beliefs and ideas). I have only a little bit more to do in order to finish it; then, I will print and bind it myself, and send a special copy to him.
Thank you for the opportunity to express this current experience more concretely.
Peace and Blessing,
Lynell
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