The Hermit from the Rider–Waite–Smith tarot deck

Arcana	Major · IX
Suit	—
Element	Earth
Attribution	Virgo

Major Arcana · IX

The Hermit

In shortGo away and think about this alone.

Upright

solitudeinner searchguidancewithdrawaldiscernment

Step back from the noise and look at this by yourself. Not because people are the problem, but because the answer here is quiet and you cannot hear it in company. The Hermit often marks the middle of something long, where the initial excitement has worn off and the real work is solitary. It can also mean there is someone wise available to you — or that you are becoming that person for someone else.

Reversed

isolationlonelinessrefusing helplost without a compass

Being alone has tipped into being lonely, which is a different thing. This is time by yourself that stopped producing any insight a while ago, or stubbornly refusing help that would save you months. Occasionally it means the reverse: you are so surrounded by people that you cannot think at all, and the time alone is overdue.

In the pictureHis lamp holds a six-pointed star — the light he carries is small, and lights only the next step. He stands on a snowy peak, above and beyond the world, holding a staff for the descent. He is looking down, not up: the search is inward and earthward.

The turn

Take an unshared hour with the question. No input, no phone — just you and the thing.