Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.
Hebrews 13:2, King James Bible

As you may know from my many presentations and articles I have published on the subject, the numerology of your birthday, or of a particular year, may correspond to the Tarot, specifically the Major Arcana (the triumphs). Using this system, we can learn about some general traits and patterns that can be anticipated in a given year.

This year is 2025, so when you add 2+0+2+5, you get a total of 9.  That means this is the year of the ninth Triumph card: The Hermit.

If you view the Major Arcana as a journey from The Fool (Zero) to The World (XXI), The Hermit precedes the great turning point in the Major Arcana, the Wheel of Fortune. He is a Guardian of thresholds, preparing for pivotal, watershed times.

Like The Fool, he stands at the precipice. But unlike The Fool, who is the zero of untested potential, the Nines represent completion and attainment, with the expectation of a new cycle about to begin.

The Hermit’s head is bowed, and he pauses before the next phase of his journey. There, on the mountaintop, he is centered in calm and reflection.

His is the perspective of the “big picture.” One of his gifts this year would be for us to take a longer view, using our knowledge of history’s patterns and lessons.

Who Is the Hermit?

The Hermit is a very important archetype, the European equivalent of the yogi ascetic.

The term “hermit” is sometimes used interchangeably with anchorite/anchoress, recluse, and “solitary.” Frequently found in Christianity, indigenous and shamanic practices, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam (Sufism), and Taoism, eremitism’s adherents usually embrace an ascetic, prayerful way of life.

In modern, non-theological terms, “hermit” denotes anyone living apart from the rest of society, or having entirely or in part withdrawn from society, for any reason. One such example would be Henry David Thoreau at Walden Pond (although he was hardly roughing it, since his mother did his laundry and provided groceries, and he regularly entertained guests).

In general, the hermit withdraws from the community (and/or the public religious institutions), choosing a contemplative life of self-reliance or community charity.

Hermits also play an important traditional role in countless myths and stories, usually being a giver of shelter, healing, wisdom, or magical gifts to questing knights, lost children, and other seekers.

There are many, many hermit characters in modern literature and entertainment, from Ogion, who first appears in Ursula Le Guin’s A Wizard of Earthsea, to Tolkien’s wandering wizards, to Yoda in the Star Wars series.

We are given a peek into a hermit’s life in films like Robert Redford’s Jeremiah Johnson and the father and daughter in the more recent Leave No Trace.

While the hermit’s withdrawal from the world may be accidental (ex: Tom Hanks in Cast Away) or in response to violence or trauma (like Agafia Lykova, whose family fled the Great Terror of Josef Stalin), their life becomes a journey towards authenticity, spiritual understanding, and the search for wisdom and enlightenment.

In addition, he or she can be the wayfaring stranger that comes to our door unexpectedly. They may be seeking our help for shelter or support, especially as a magical test of kindness and compassion.

The Ninth Triumph

In the Tarot, The Hermit is not in beggars’ rags, but wears the robes of a monk. He does not hide in a cave or hut. He is both a pilgrim and a beacon, holding up his lantern of wisdom, which, in the Rider-Waite-Smith deck, as well as many derivatives, features a six-pointed hexagram, commonly called the Star of David.

This is a symbol that is found in a variety of occult and magical traditions, right up into modern times.

It is a very old sigl, and is not limited only to being a widely recognized symbol of Judaism.

It’s also a mandala that can be found on ancient South Indian Hindu temples, and symbolizes the nara-narayana, or perfect meditative state of balance achieved between Man and God.

To the alchemists of Europe, it was also a motif about the resolution of life’s dualities and opposites. The upwards pointing triangle (Fire) is conjoined with the downwards pointing triangle (Water) and represents the magical union of male and female.

Thus The Hermit searches for the truth, and himself stands as an example of it for others.

What To Expect in a Hermit Year

In a Hermit year, you may find that a time of withdrawal, quiet reflection, and solo spiritual exploration is healing and helpful. And you may find yourself with more alone time than is typical.

In terms of a global perspective, the Hermit year can be a time when the emphasis is on international isolation.

Hopefully this will not intensify into the xenophobic attitudes that some countries and aspiring leaders have been promoting, for no matter their wishes, our planet is interconnected in profound ways that cannot be willed away.

In a more positive light, the Hermit year can be a time for nesting, reflection, and for bowing out of engagements and activities that are not in harmony with who we truly are.

The Hermit offers a gift of much-needed introspection. Solitude can be nurturing in ways we might not expect, giving us time to reconnect to the natural world. This is our invitation to consider who we are, where we have been, and most of all, where we intend to go next.

Is there a non-traditional, perhaps shamanic spiritual path that has been calling to you? The Hermit would encourage you to explore it this year.

Although his gifts may include a needed strategic retreat, he is not just about hiding out. The Hermit is a spiritual teacher and may nudge us to make a sacred pilgrimage.

And while offering gracious hospitality is always a priority, in a Hermit Year, it is especially important to open the door to those who are in need, homeless, or in exile, for indeed, they may be agents of the Divine in disguise.

And it is no accident that in his search, The Hermit carries the Light himself. For, in the words of The Charge of the Goddess, “If that which you seek, you find not within yourself, you will never find it without.”

In other words, we carry in our own hands the very light we seek.

This is a powerful lesson for a nation and world besieged by division, war, fear, and environmental catastrophe: every person, nation, and philosophy can shed light on who we are and why we are here.

And those we would label different or Other must be recognized and honored as members of our own human family if harmony is to ever come to our troubled species.

Finding Stillness

What soul journey is calling to you this year? What beneficial solitude would nurture your spirit? Creativity and authenticity require times of quiet gestation and separation from the hurly-burly of mundane life.

Hermit years are a time of transition, moving to a new level, especially in the spiritual life. At this time, we may find important teachers amongst us, with valuable spiritual lessons to share.

We may even find ourselves in this role, for it is how we live and not what we say, that is the truest example of our beliefs.

After our Strength Year in 2024, where there was so much emphasis on upstart political mavericks, the chaotic elections around the world, and the many issues surrounding influence and control, The Hermit suggests we might wish to step back a bit to process all that has happened.

We now move into a time of studious contemplation and preparation, for the Hermit year is also a time of making ready for next year’s energy — the Wheel of Fortune. If we are wise, we will use this time to fortify our wisdom, well-being, and security for the future.

Give yourself permission to occasionally step away from the clamor of our overstimulated culture, so you can be sure of who you are, and what you wish to see happen.

Cultivate your inner resilience and light, for, although there is already quite a lot happening, it is next year when we are likely to undergo profound, revolutionary change.

Hermit Questions to Ponder

• What might be my lifelong quest? Where and how do I seek it?
• How does solitude nurture me?
• When was the last time I had a day all to myself, without interruption, or pressing obligations? How did I spend it?
• If I was given a full 24 hours of such a time – no guilt, no deadlines, no one else’s needs and no one but me to decide how to spend my time – what would I do during this magical day to myself?
• In what ways does my body caution me that I need to take a quiet break?
• How does my search for understanding shape my life’s path?
• What teachings have the most meaning to me?
• Who are some of the sacred teachers and wisdom keepers I turn to?
• How am I a teacher and guide for others?
• What lessons have I learned through patience and perseverance?