The Hermit as Advice: Step Back and Reflect

Written by Chaya the Medium.

The Hermit as advice asks for solitude with a purpose. Here is how to use it, and when the reversal says come back down.

If you want the short answer, the Hermit as advice says: step back. Take time alone, think it through, and look for the answer in yourself rather than in other people's opinions.

What the Hermit advises upright

Tina Gong's the Hermit guide at Labyrinthos associates the upright card with introspection, solitude, inner guidance and a search for truth. In an advice position I read those meanings as an instruction: the attitude or action the card is asking of you, rather than a description of what will happen. The Major Arcana overview at Biddy Tarot is a useful second reference.

Upright, the Hermit advises reflection: a walk alone, a quiet evening, journaling, a pause from social noise. Seek wisdom deliberately.

What the Hermit is not asking you to do

The Hermit is not asking you to cut everyone off permanently. The lantern is for finding the way back.

The Hermit reversed as advice

Reversed, the Hermit as advice says your solitude has become isolation. Reach out to someone you trust. A reversed card in an advice position is usually pointing at the habit that is getting in your way, not at a punishment.

The Hermit as advice in love

In love, the Hermit advises space to understand what you want before deciding anything.

The Hermit as advice for work and money

For work and money, it advises research and reflection before acting. Advice from a card is reflection. For decisions with legal, medical or financial weight, take it to someone qualified as well.

One step to take this week

Block one quiet hour this week with no phone, and use it to think about the question alone.

For comparison, the Fool as advice and the Hanged Man as advice ask different things of you. The the Hermit card meaning page covers the card in full, and the Hermit as a yes or no, the Hermit as feelings and the Hermit as timing cover the other questions people most often ask of it. You can draw a card for yourself with the free daily tarot tool. For a personal interpretation, my guide to an online psychic reading explains how readings work, and the three-card tarot listing and customer reviews are worth reading before deciding whether to order.