Wordsmithing Magic from the Crossroads

Welcoming 2025: The Tarot Year of the Hermit

Waite-Smith Tarot Hermit for 2025

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.Waite Smith Tarot Fool card with man and dog on cliffside in mountains

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non-theological terms, “hermit” denotes anyone living apart from the rest of society, or having entirely or in part withdrawn from society, for any reason.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).

Woodcut styled image of the Hermit from TarotIn 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.Tarot Hermit featuring the Star of David in the lantern

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.alchemy symbols for fire and water overlaid creating the sacred hexagram

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.Woman in a tranquil forest, gazing upwards with a peaceful expression

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.Pilgrimage at Camino de Santiago

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 gazing out from a cave on a mountain

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?

Comments on this entry are closed.

Cate January 12, 2025, 4:32 am

My favorite card, and a brilliant homage to it! It makes me happy that this is the year of a tarot card for which I have such an affinity. Thank you!

Beth January 12, 2025, 10:55 am

Thank you for your kind words, Cate. May this dear Tarot friend illuminate each day of the year ahead for you, especially in ways that inspire and bring you joy.

Pamela Chevalier January 12, 2025, 6:08 am

🦊🥰😉

Beth January 12, 2025, 10:56 am

💚🌟🙏🏻

Aimee January 12, 2025, 10:06 am

Thank you for shining a light on what The Hermit means for us! Oh, if only we can all turn within and focus on what really matters to us and to the world we live in. I feel that often the chaos being sown and the busy-ness we are encouraged to participate in are at least somewhat deliberate attempts to distract us “regular folk” from the machinations of those who have the most power over us. May The Hermit remind us of the powers we have within to use for the good of all, not just a chosen few.

Beth January 12, 2025, 10:58 am

A brilliant observation, Aimee, and I so agree. Taking time to proceed into our own lives at our own pace is deeply needed at this time, isn’t it? Chaos destroys the equanimity of the creative, thoughtful solutions we most need.

Thank you so much for articulating it so beautifully!

Janee Ward January 12, 2025, 10:15 am

Thanks so much, it’s somehow comforting to know that we have a Hermit Year before we have to gird our loins and enter the fray. Of them all, this is probably the card I most love. I’ve always wondered if someone appeared at my door, as Gandalf, did with an invitation to a quest, whether I would take him up on it. I would definitely invite him in for tea and scones.

Beth January 12, 2025, 10:59 am

I have wondered that so many times myself!

And yes, tea and scones for Gandalf, before I go running off to who-knows-what! 🧙🏻‍♂️

nofixedstars January 12, 2025, 11:17 am

i often joke that i would make a very happy hermit…and i always loved the fictional ones like ogion, and the hermit in “the horse and his boy”. there is a strong streak of the solitary in me. i like your suggestion of a pilgrimage very much. even if it must be an internal pilgrimage! all you say here feels right–i think it will be a year of endings, followed by the new beginnings which we desperately need, i hope. and for me, personally, i have an upcoming saturn return starting this november; the first one was a doozy, so i’m a trifle concerned what this might bring in my life. the reflection topics you offer are germane, and i shall spend some time with those. definitely a good year to pull back and reinvigorate the deep springs within us, for everyone i imagine.

Beth January 12, 2025, 11:56 am

Seems to me that the challenges of a Saturn return could be right up The Hermit’s alley, in terms of reconciling ourselves with the passage of time.

May it be a gentle, clear turning point for you, with only the endings you are glad to let go of. xoxo

Betsy January 12, 2025, 12:38 pm

Beautiful, Beth. Thank you. The Hermit is also my personal tarot card this year so I appreciate all your insights!

Beth January 13, 2025, 2:48 pm

Oh yes! It would apply so beautifully for your own personal Hermit Year, especially the meditations. I hope they will be useful for you.

vicki Albin January 12, 2025, 3:35 pm

Thank you. Great year for reconnecting to our own richness

Emily January 12, 2025, 7:05 pm

vicki; “reconnecting to our own richness” resonates with me as well. Blessings!

Beth January 13, 2025, 2:48 pm

💯!

Richard January 12, 2025, 4:18 pm

God how I need this year! There are so many things that I need to come to closure with and much accumulated STUFF to get rid of now that it is no longer needed for my journey through this part of my life. Blessed Be to one and all during this year of The Hermit.

Emily January 12, 2025, 7:11 pm

Richard: Yes! closure and clutter clearing for me too. Blessings!

Beth January 13, 2025, 2:52 pm

I think we all do.

I keep reading exhortations about how we should not go into a retreat after the election result, etc, etc. and stay engaged.

But between the Mars retrograde (in the short term) and the sacred year-long invitation of the Hermit, I think we would be better served to, as you wisely point out, let go of what is unnecessary, replenish our spirits in our own idiosyncratic ways, and reach out the hand of kindness when called upon.

Next year, we’ll be needed in much bigger ways, so now’s the time to perhaps give ourselves a quiet respite.

Anne DeMarsay January 12, 2025, 9:44 pm

Thank you, Beth, for the weklcome news of a Hermit year. I’ve felt and heard others say that this year doesn’t feel like it’s really started. Perhaps that’s the nature of a Hermit year, to unfold slowly? As an introvert who loves solitude, I’m looking forward to more of it as my husband continues to recover from his stroke (only 6 weeks till he can drive again!). My theme for this year is Rest: to learn more about it and get more of the kinds of rest I need. May the Hermit be a wise guide for us all, whose lantern illuminates the particular wisdom each of us most needs at this moment.

Alicia Bay Laurel January 12, 2025, 11:02 pm

The hermit doesn’t strive for attention or riches. This being is self-sufficient, whether at home or traveling.

That doesn’t exclude working on projects that require long term commitment.

My favorite depiction of a hermit is the title character in the book and (gorgeous) animated film, The Man Who Planted Trees.

He exemplifies what I am doing now: quietly working on a long term project day by day, with a goal in mind but without expectation of personal reward.

Alicia Bay Laurel January 12, 2025, 11:05 pm

The film is available for viewing on YouTube! 😊

🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳

Margaret McCarthy January 13, 2025, 3:04 am

I’ve always thought The Hermit was such an important card for creatives — after all, so much of what we do is in solitude. And in the big picture of this card, John Lennon said it best: “All I want is some truth”.

Beth January 13, 2025, 2:57 pm

Oh, dearest Anne… my prayers for him and for you. That’s a LOT to handle, not to mention all the other uncertainty and chaos everywhere.

Yes, I, too, have been feeling like this year not quite here yet. Like maybe it’s not really going to be underway until the Lunar New Year on the 29th.

Or until Mars stations direct. It’s a weird feeling.

May your time of repose replenish you, body and spirit. And may our lanterns all join together and illuminate the wisdom path we need.

Anne DeMarsay January 13, 2025, 11:07 pm

Thank you for your prayers, Beth. They are so welcome! Yes, I was wondering if the Lunar New Year would be the “real” start of 2025. Hope we don’t have wait another month till Mars stations direct.

a hedgewitch January 13, 2025, 12:37 pm

I’m so excited about the Hermit in this timing especially since I am in my Hermit year until September! The Hermit is also associated with Virgo so I know this is a big year for me and other Virgos! I am ready 🙂

Jen

Beth January 13, 2025, 2:58 pm

Yay for all you Hermit-y Virgos! That is a very good point, Jen – he gives us the spaciousness to organize and prepare. Thanks for that insight!

nofixedstars January 13, 2025, 1:38 pm

sorry to comment again, but…did you see the sabian symbol for this full moon (same as it was for the new moon during the 2021 insurrection!) is “a woman entering a convent”, glossed as “one retreating from a profane world and seeking refuge in a cloistered world”? kind of major hermit vibes there! i saw this in elizabeth grace’s latest post, so no doubt you are seeing it, too. she talks more about the urge or need to withdraw from fraught or impossible situations. then she mentions how in sync it is with your tarot of the year post here. really amazing how things do line up…

Beth January 13, 2025, 2:47 pm

Yep, I was kind of freaking out about it, too! As she likes to say, “Astrology is AMAZING!” But when you combine astrology with the Tarot, you get something quite extraordinary! 🙂

Kate Stockman January 13, 2025, 8:39 pm

Thank you, again, sistah, for deepening and broadening my understandings! The Hermit is much clearer and fuller to me now. And the year offers a variety of different possibilities than I’d thought before. (Being far from the maddening crowd sounds perfect to me, however!)

Beth January 19, 2025, 1:08 pm

It’s a perfect gift of grace for us introverts, empaths, and natural teachers. 💚

Marguerite January 13, 2025, 10:45 pm

Lady Beth, how I treasure this card and your amazing insight into the Hermit. After a year of political turmoil here and abroad, with the wars and natural disasters, I am so grateful to see this card. For it gives me hope along with your words. Another very difficult if not the hardest last year was to realize that people I have known for years, I can no longer have in my life for I now see their toxic beliefs and behaviors that somehow has been emerging over the last several years but came full force in 2024. This is a powerful card for a powerful year which will be full of discovery, knowledge, fulfillment and looking at the future with strength, wisdom and finding new paths and opportunities for deeper love and understanding. Thank you again, your gift is so special and means much to me.

Beth January 19, 2025, 1:10 pm

Thank you, Marguerite, for your very kind words. But most of all, for your courage and wisdom in finding the ways to move through these difficulties with grace and hope. Together, we are going to be stronger. Blessings & love! xoxo

Diana Raudenbush January 16, 2025, 11:26 am

Hi Beth
I just finished reading about the year of the Hermit. I agree that, this year is gonna be more a quiet and reflective time for me. I’ve already started this process of going inward and being still within myself and reflect on the spiritual level. I started this in the morning during advent in December, sitting in quietly, being still and to listen to my inner self and, listening to the voice of God in prayer as well as listening to my surroundings. Being still and quiet like this in the morning sets my whole day in peace.

Beth January 19, 2025, 1:12 pm

Yes, yes, yes. This is true wisdom, Diana. How can we hear the small still whisper within, if we are hypnotized by the cacophony of media, opinions, and fear?

May we all follow your lead, and make time for a daily practice of stillness and listening. 🙏🏻✨🙏🏻

Failing is not
a problem you will face.
Failing is how
you will get there.

~ Rich Litvin

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