MAJOR ARCANA · CARD 9
The Hermit tarot card meaning
The Hermit is card nine of the Major Arcana and the card of stepping back. After the outward action of The Chariot and the inner work of Strength, The Hermit withdraws from the noise to look for answers within.
This is not loneliness but chosen solitude: time to think, reflect and listen to your own inner guidance. In a reading, The Hermit often suggests that you will find clarity by taking a break from other people’s opinions and seeking your own truth.
The Hermit upright meaning
Upright, The Hermit invites solitude and reflection. Step back from the noise, think things through and listen to your inner voice. It is a good time for journaling, meditation, study or a solo walk. The card suggests the answers you need are within you, not in more advice. It can also describe a wise mentor.
The Hermit upright in love & relationships
In love, The Hermit can mean taking time to understand yourself before or within a relationship. It may describe a period of being single by choice, or needing space. That space can strengthen love when it is communicated clearly.
The Hermit upright in career & work
At work, it favors focused independent work, research and deep thinking. It may also point to reassessing whether your work still means something to you.
The Hermit upright in money & finances
Financially, The Hermit favors simplicity and careful thought. Review your priorities rather than making big moves.
The Hermit reversed meaning
Reversed, The Hermit can point to isolation that has gone too far: loneliness, withdrawal or cutting yourself off. It can also show the opposite: avoiding reflection by staying constantly busy and surrounded by noise. Ask which applies. Sometimes the reversal is a sign it is time to come back down the mountain and reconnect.
The Hermit reversed in love & relationships
In love, the reversal may show loneliness or emotional distance. It can also signal readiness to re-engage after a period alone.
The Hermit reversed in career & work
At work, it may describe feeling isolated or disconnected from colleagues. Reach out, share your ideas and collaborate.
The Hermit reversed in money & finances
With money, it can show avoiding a needed review of your finances. Take a quiet hour to look.
Is The Hermit a yes or no card?
Maybe upright · No reversed
The Hermit is a maybe: take time to think before answering. The answer is likely to come from within, not from rushing. Reversed, it leans no, especially if isolation or avoidance is part of the situation.
The Hermit symbolism and imagery
In the Rider–Waite–Smith deck, The Hermit is an old man in a gray cloak standing alone on a snowy mountain peak. He holds a lantern containing a six-pointed star, and leans on a staff.
The mountain peak shows he has climbed to a place of perspective, far from the crowd. The lantern lights only the next few steps, a reminder that wisdom often shows the way one step at a time. The six-pointed star inside is sometimes read as the joining of opposites, or simply as inner wisdom made visible.
The Hermit in a reading
In a past position, The Hermit may mark a period of withdrawal that shaped you. As an outcome, it suggests the next step is inward rather than outward. Next to the Four of Swords, rest and reflection are strongly emphasized. Next to the Three of Cups, it may be time to leave solitude and reconnect with friends.
Notable combinations
- The Hermit + Four of Swords: Deep rest and recovery. Step away to recharge.
- The Hermit + The High Priestess: Strong intuition. The answer is within, if you get quiet enough to hear it.
- The Hermit + Three of Cups: Time to come back to your people after a period alone.
Tarot is a tool for reflection and entertainment, not a prediction of fixed events or a substitute for medical, legal or financial advice.