Time to Close Your Eyes

You see too much.

Contrary to common thought, the Tarot card called The Hermit isn’t someone you seek so he can whisper eternal truths into your receptive ear once you’ve tracked him down atop a formidable mountain.

This card is telling you to be a Hermit yourself.

But not in the traditional sense.

You don’t have to wear a long robe, live in a damp cave, grow a beard and carry a lantern aloft to make the grade. You just have to pause wherever you are in your life and close your eyes.

It’s that simple.

Sight is our most powerful physical sense. And we over-use it. We watch things all the time: phone, computer screen, TV, book pages, traffic, other people. It’s like we can never see enough. We think that to see is to know. But often the opposite is true.

The more we see the more confused we get.

The more we see, the less we know.

Sometimes, paradoxically, seeing blinds us to what is. Seeing blinds us to ourselves.

Look closely at the Hermit. His eyes are closed.

The Hermit is predominately a two-toned grey card, which is why his yellow staff and the star shining from the lantern stand out. These are symbols for two very important ingredients needed when one is searching for things like inspiration, enlightenment, or the truth of a matter.

The golden staff represents your link to the earth. Sense the energy waves that enveloped you before you were born. Don’t soar heavenward or get airy-fairy. Keep those feet on the floor when you have important questions. Be grounded.

The lamp glowing with starlight represents your link to universal wisdom, your deeper knowing.

Another thing worth noting is that the Hermit is alone.

Each life journey has its own unfolding. You need to see your journey through to its end. Ultimately, you walk alone. So stop thinking you have to seek counsel from others all the time. Seek your own. There’s more to you than you know.

The Hermit is holding the lamp, not reaching up for it.

Mindfulness and the Hermit

When the Hermit appears in a spread for you, think of this card as representing you. You are the Hermit.

You need time out, time alone. Don’t wait for a chunk of days like a holiday or a retreat. Be a Hermit every day. Find brief moments to tune into yourself and your deeper knowing.

Insight:

The hermit isn’t searching outside of himself. If he was, his eyes would be open.

As Gautama Buddha said:

Be a light unto yourself.

With love, Marlane

The next article in this series will feature the Wheel of Fortune.

Foretaste: Don’t get dizzy.

The previous article discussed the Tarot card Strength.

Do the impossible: Look into the lion’s mouth and live.

Thanks for reading! I hope it helps you for the rest of your life. For more articles on Mindfulness, visit me at https://www.marlaneainsworth.com