The Hermit
Major Arcana Number Nine speaks of 'shared isolation'. An oxymoron? Let's find out what it is.
A PACK OF CARDS
A few days ago I decided to buy a new deck of tarot cards. The idea had been floating in the air for some time and I finally decided to take the plunge. When I buy objects that in some way evoke the form of a 'game', I feel like a child again. I feel that typical joy we all experienced when we saw a parcel with our name on it at Christmas. I vividly remember the hours spent in silence watching those still-wrapped objects waiting for the big moment: the unwrapping of the presents. As if that were not enough, I have always been a lover of drawing and bright colours, typical attributes of the card world. When, as a teenager, I was at the park near my home playing trumps with friends - and unknowingly using what in the tarological tradition are called 'Minor Arcana' - I always felt a sort of latent attraction to those symbols that meant nothing to me at first glance, except for the function they played within the recreational context.
Cards have always been vectors of mystery and in some way also of mysticism. They are associated with the world of magic and not for nothing they are used a lot in illusionism. There is an indissoluble link with the numerological tradition, another subject that would merit hours and hours of discussion, so vast is its content.
Well, once again life has brought to my attention something that has actually always been there in front of me, observing me, but without receiving my attention in return. Today, the tarots are an integral part of my life and take care of me.
In a previous article, I gave a brief introduction to the Talent Map, a tool that allows one to identify - through the esoteric language of the Tarot - an individual's potential talents, starting with their date of birth. I explained how each Arcanum, associated with a specific mathematical operation, conveys information relating to one's family tree. However, I have expressed the advice to be extremely cautious when confronted with the Map, as the risk of 'identifying' oneself with an image, a number or a set of properties is always just around the corner. I have explained how this attitude is actually quite normal, since placing oneself within some kind of category, be it a football fan or the simple preference of one wine over another, creates a kind of inner security.
In perceptual terms, placing a label on oneself always represents a safe harbour. The problem is that once you have established which side you are on, the tendency is to stop moving. And should it ever happen that for some reason one finds oneself forced to change position, one enters into a crisis. We could even call it 'war'. That is why we exist. We are potential warriors, we just prefer not to fight. Don't risk it. Be still, but safe.
The map speaks of each of us and everything that happened in our family clan before we were born. There are numbers that impact more strongly, that's for sure, but you have to remember that everyone, bar none, will acquire the properties of a given Arcanum based on the response patterns acquired over time when faced with certain life events. One such pattern is represented by Arcanum number VIIII (I indicate the numerical symbolism given in the Camoin-Jodorowsky deck), that is, the Hermit.
How can I avoid telling you about this Arcanum, as I was born on the day nine and have a nine also as a profound personality, i.e. the talent obtained through the sum of the individual numbers that make up the date of birth? The profound personality is what was called the 'Ego' in the Greek philosophical tradition. For the Vedic people, it was the Ahamkara, one of the four components of the human mind. It is the most authentic and purest form of the “Me”. That which represents us in our entirety. The hinge around which the entire existence of every individual revolves. Day, on the other hand, represents the life goal, the target, the pole star towards which we strive. Day and Deep Personality move arm in arm and support each other. In my case, the Hermit is gregarious and conductor at the same time. Entrepreneur and employee. Driver and passenger. Action and strategy.
All that I am going to report is the fruit of my experience. A partial set of knowledge and information gathered over time, even when I knew nothing about the existence of the Tarot. What you will read is a drawing, entirely subjective and not necessarily shared by anyone trying to decipher any symbol, be it an Arcane or a Gauguin painting. Therefore, collect what resonates most with you and in that case, treasure it.
THE HERMITAGE
Arcane number Nine represents an old man with a beard who stands on a stick and in his opposite hand holds high a lantern. He wears a long cloak and his face does not seem to express positive feelings. In the film tradition and especially in the fantasy or historical-medieval genres, the old man with the cloak and beard has always been represented by a priest, a sage or in any case by any figure bearing profound knowledge. One can meet him in The Name of the Rose, in the figure of William of Baskerville, played by Sean Connery, or in Gandalf, the Mithrandir of The Lord of the Rings. Also, Dokho of Libra in the Knights of the Zodiac, the holder of the Libra armour. For Seneca, the sage was a stoic character capable of not losing himself in the grip of his passions. He who achieves autarkeia, or total self-sufficiency and non-dependence on others. In short, the Hermit is a carrier of knowledge, but it is not knowledge for its own sake, otherwise the very function of the character would be lost. His role is to isolate himself, to accumulate experience - away from everyone - in order to avoid any kind of distraction or waste of energy. The Hermit enters into a deep, sometimes dark crisis - not for nothing does he carry a lantern - potentially vulnerable to perturbations of the emotional sphere. All the Arcana from VI to X speak of emotionality and if we want to use the reading of the IESC, that is, the set of the four centres around which the soul dances (Ideational, Emotional, Sexual, Corporal), the Hermit is placed precisely in the "E", that is, the angel in the top left-hand corner of the World card, Arcana number XXI.
The Hermit measures his own weaknesses and limitations. He knows when to isolate himself. He has no problem disappearing from the radar for a time. On his return, drunk with knowledge, he is ready to bestow the fruits of his experience on those who manage to catch his eye and grasp its power. There is, however, a danger for the Hermit, namely that of not being able to return. The ability to enter into crisis can also be a double-edged sword, as leaving the world for too long and intense a period could render him incapable of reacting.
In reality, the wise man depicted in the Tarot also seems to walk backwards and this represents his ability to return to the starting point. The total lack of filters and the enormous sensitivity with which nature has configured him means that any slightest perturbation could cause him to stumble and for this very reason he must shield himself. The Hermit is the half of the Moon, the Arcanum XVIII, a number that speaks to us of femininity, climate, welcome and prescience. With the lantern he can see where others cannot see, he can grasp details that others cannot grasp. All this, however, can be dangerous if the Hermit is not prepared. A bit like being faced with a ravenous animal without a weapon in hand.
Arcane number VIIII also speaks of the masculine. In particular of the relationship with the Father. It collects the protection and government of the Emperor (IIII) and the eloquence of the Pope (V). The immature masculine of the Emperor merges with the ferryman of the Pope, shaping the father figure of the Hermit, on whom everyone relies. Protection and carriage are synonymous with wisdom. The Hermit completes the form of teaching and education. From a bio-genealogical point of view, he tells us of difficult relationships with fathers and grandfathers. Lack of paternal direction or, on the contrary, a too incisive and sometimes violent presence of a male figure. He carries memories of isolation, someone in the branch who has been alone for a long time or even imprisoned somewhere hidden in the mountains. The Hermit also carries memories of alcoholism.
A Hermit must allow himself space and time for himself. He could potentially have problems with contact and from a biological point of view is not exempt from activations involving the tissues regulated by the cerebral cortex (skin problems related to experiences of separation or lack of physical contact). He may often have the perception of not being understood and of being alone in the world. If he does not isolate himself, in such cases, the Hermit may also manifest hatred towards those around him, perceiving them as invaders to be kept at a distance. He inherits from the Pope - Arcane V - the need to be understood and, if there is a need, also to be helped.
The Hermit thinks a lot and tends to give birth to self-sabotaging thoughts because he always has the need to externalize his emotional dimension. He often seeks masters and guiding figures, as these help him to keep his feet on the ground. He is a complex figure, but at the same time extremely sensitive. If placed within a relationship, the Hermit may experience some difficulty, as the need to isolate himself is to all intents and purposes his leitmotiv.
ENTERING THE NINE
There is so much more I could say about Arcane VIIII, but I prefer to postpone further investigation to other occasions. Perhaps who knows, even outside this space and looking at each other. I would also be curious to know your thoughts on the subject. I would like to know if you were born on day nine feel these words resonate within you. Otherwise, even if you weren't actually born on day nine, I'd like to know if any of you have ever felt in consonance with the figure just described at any time or instant in your life. In tarological jargon, this expression is used: 'entering the Nine'. We all feel the need to be alone, away from prying eyes and curious ears. We seek a time when we can be in contact with no one but ourselves. The Map - in this sense - helps us understand where we are most likely to enter the Nine. A subject with the Hermit in the number of Relationship, for example, might experience difficulties in the relational sphere. Should the Nine be placed in the number of the Nest, on the other hand, one would experience difficulties in sharing living spaces, such as one's home (or what is considered as such).
The Map also gives us a hand in understanding why these numbers occur and proposes solutions for experiencing such archetypes in what in Tarot circles is called a 'solution'. An Hermit who isolates himself and then comes back is definitely an Arcanum lived in solution. A tendency towards constant isolation, on the other hand, is a symptom of an Hermit lived in conflict.
In Sean Penn's film Into The Wild, Christopher sets off on a solo journey where he gets to know different places and people. He accumulates experience and knowledge until he arrives in Alaska. Without wanting to spoil the ending for those who have not yet had a chance to see the film, I only anticipate the fact that the protagonist will decide to go back to where he came from, retracing his journey backwards. From my point of view, the figure of the Hermit is evident in this film, although obviously not without a plausible and legitimate 'romanticisation'. However, the thing that struck me most about this film is a sentence Chris writes in his diary:
Happiness is only real when shared
And how can you blame him?