Traditional style tarot decks are divided into two esoteric categories, the Major and Minor Arcana, that play distinct roles in a spread. The Major Arcana are the cards that represent karmic cycles and life lessons that we meet along our journey. They can alert us to areas of our thoughts or behaviors that need work so we can develop better habits mentally, emotionally, spiritually, or physically. They can also portend major life events that will come our way if we stay on the same path; career changes, travel, and marriage are examples.
The ninth card in the Major Arcana is "The Hermit". In today's society, we tend to use the word hermit in disdain, as a negative label we place upon people who, for one reason or another, shun social interaction. We often equate the word with people who suffer from depression, anxiety, or other forms of mental illness, but in past ages the label was used in a loftier sense. The hermit was looked upon as someone who had ascended beyond the hedonistic desires of mortal flesh and devoted their time to study and contemplation of subjects such as spirituality and philosophy. Their wisdom and sage advice was held in esteem, and it was considered a blessing if the hermit deemed you worthy enough to speak to.
The card is represented with an image of an older person, typically male, who holds a walking staff in one hand and a lamp or torch in the other. His clothing is humble. His journey has been a long one with a long way still to go, yet he is steadfast and undaunted by this self-imposed task. He knows the Light will illuminate the way to what he seeks.
Today, amid the covid-19 pandemic, we are being asked to isolate and practice social distancing. For some of us, aside from wearing masks and gloves in public and being extra vigilant in our sanitary practices, our lives haven't changed drastically. For others of us, on the opposite end of the social interaction scale, our lives have been turned upside down. Regardless of where we are on the introvert-extrovert scale, we are all experiencing heightened anxiety and uncertainty, and some of us are being challenged by fear.
Close your eyes and take a deep breath. Relax your shoulders, unclench your jaw, and feel anxiety leaving your body as you exhale. Think about the choices we have while doing this breath exercise two more times. We have choice, and that's a beautiful thing. We can choose to be the downtrodden hermit, looked upon as an aberration, or we can choose to take this time away from the busyness of modern society for introspection and grow into a more spiritually mature aspect of ourselves, learning about who we are and who we want to be. The Hermit card shows us that we are not alone on this journey. We have the help of our trusty walking staff to help keep our balance, and our path need not be dark if we trust in the Light to guide our way.
I'd like to extend my heartfelt respect and gratitude to all of you amazing people working tirelessly to aid your fellow beings at this time: doctors, nurses, hospital housekeeping and food service, grocery store employees, mechanics, daycare workers and all the parents dedicating time to home schooling... and so many many more. My thoughts are also with all of you who are missing graduation ceremonies, finding yourself unemployed, and with those who are grieving the loss of loved ones who have crossed over. I will continue to pray for you all.
~♥~