The Hermit
Yod (י)
Virgo (Sign)
Path 20: Chesed → Tiphareth
Herb: Fennel
Upright
Introspection, solitude, seeking inner truth.
Reversed
Isolation, withdrawal, refusing help.
What the Golden Dawn actually taught
Book T reads: “wisdom sought for and obtained from above; divine inspiration, active, as opposed to that of the Lovers.” Close to RWS in spirit, but Book T deliberately pairs the Hermit with the Lovers as active and passive inspiration — a relationship invisible when each card is read in isolation.
Imagery & symbolism
An old man stands alone on a snow-covered peak, a lantern raised in one hand, a staff in the other. The light inside the lantern is a six-pointed star; he does not look for company, only for a place to set the light down.
Numerology
9 — the completion of a cycle, solitary attainment, and wisdom. Base number.
Also associated with
solitude, introspection, guidance, wisdom, searching