Summary of the Hermit Tarot Card Meaning

When the Fool has regained their confidence, they emerge from their trials stronger than ever. They now are reflecting on their journey so far, both the ups and the downs, their successes and their mistakes. In an attempt to make sense of it all, the Fool realizes that the guiding light that they needed all along was their own. They recognize that in order to better heed and listen to that light, they need to take a step backward and retreat from the world and into themselves.

Light: Introspection, solitude, inner wisdom, retreat
Shadow: Isolation, loneliness, absent, disoriented

To learn more, read the full Hermit tarot card meaning.

When to Use This Tarot Spread

• When you feel overwhelmed with everyone else’s opinion.
• When you need some help separating your thoughts from those of others.
• When you need to distinguish between shoulds and wants.
• When you need to carve your own path.
• When you feel disconnected to yourself, and want to heal that connection.

The Hermit Tarot Card Spread

1. Dark - What is the path before you? What needs illumination? What do you need to navigate that is obscured in darkness right now?
2. Persona - What is your public persona? What mask do you present to others? Or, if this reading is focused on a particular problem - what do you believe you should do?
3. True Self - Who are you when you’re alone? When there is nobody to make judgements, opinions or requirements of you, how are you when you just decide to be? Or if this reading is focused on a particular problem - what do you want to do?
4. Guiding Light - What is your potential if you could embrace your true self? Or if this reading is about a problem - advice on navigating the problem.

A Note on the Fool's Journey Tarot Spreads: This is part of a series of tarot spreads inspired by the lessons of the Fool’s Journey, represented by the major arcana of the tarot. Since each major arcana card embodies a stage in one’s life journey, a lesson, or an archetype, we can use them as the foundations to explore moments of our own personal journeys. They also happen to be great ways to explore the meanings of each of these tarot cards in a very personal way.