Virgo & the Hermit-here’s why
How can we embody the energy of the Hermit card when we need some me time
*this image is from the After Tarot kit
This card is special to me, because I am a Virgo sun sign. So, back in the day when I was learning that the astrological signs were assigned cards, well…I needed to learn all I could about this card and myself. Because truly, all of our spiritual work helps us grow as a human. The introspection that we do helps us navigate life, and connect with people and the world on a more whole level, which hopefully brings us all to a higher consciousness. But I digress…It is my birthday month, so I think I am allowed to let my thoughts and writings meander a bit!
This card is really all about those times in our lives when we need solitude, a space with yin energy, a space to learn. A space to assimilate and digest all we are learning. This is something I didn’t realize about myself until I was in my 40’s and I really needed some time alone. When we are alone, by choice (this is very different than being lonely) we can connect to our deep inner wisdom, we can connect to the beautiful inner quiet, the landscape of the soul and the connection to something greater than ourselves. We find understanding here…and this is what this card is about. The slow movement into finding this deep inner wisdom. Walking the path slowly to find our peace. Striving towards enlightenment.
Virgos have the reputation as grounded (earth signs), a little guarded/shy, perfectionist/critical-and this leads us to always strive and learn-we love to take classes! We are often also seen as peacemakers, and it is the mutable quality of this sign that allows us to see both sides of a situation-more on this later. (The signs in the middle of the season are considered mutable-others are Gemini, Sagittarius and Pisces.) So you start to see some similarities here, right?
I especially like this card shown above from the After Tarot Deck. This deck shows us the characters in the cards a few minutes after the traditional images in the Smith-Waite deck. What I love about this version, is he has his trusty dog, and his snake, he is really not alone, but is accompanied. To me this reminds me that the animal world can teach us a lot about non verbal communication, and love. And here we see this. Even in alone times our dogs can be there for support. We see this a lot in our world.
In the book Afterthoughts: the guide to the After Tarot the author also reminds us that the snake/staff and the mountain take us back to the fool-the mountain may be where the fool was jumping from and the snake is the the now transformed staff the Fool used to carry his pack (and the staff the Hermit carries in a traditional deck). The staff here has been turned to a snake like in the story of Moses, in which Moses proved to the pharaoh that he was in charge - it was one of the miracles in the bible (an aside here is that there is a lot of Christian imagery in our cards, something I plan to write about at a later date-if you are curious though there are some reference books in my blog on books I love). The image below is of the traditional deck with the Fool and the Hermit and their sticks! Notice too the little dog?
The lantern is an important image here too- a reminder of taking our time, walking where the light shines, and also balance-the 6 pointed star is a symbol of uniting heaven and earth. Here too the seeker is walking in the light he/she shines, alone, and seeking a peaceful path. Something Virgos are said to do, as we seek knowledge, and perfection-often we need to walk the path alone to find what we need.
In the book Tarot for Change, the author Jessica Dore speaks of how the Hermit is an example of walking the middle path, the path that doesn’t buy into the extremes, that can contemplate, with peace an a wise heart. There is a peace here that can be shared, once found. This is where that mutable quality of Virgos is seen as a peacemakers. When putting this blog together I googled Virgo as peacemaker, and yes it came up, along with libra, Pisces and cancer. And this all seems to tracks.
The Hermit has a lot to teach us about making space to seek our own internal peace and understanding. To allow this journey to unfold as it should, at it’s own pace, driven by the balanced light of reason.
Before we end this little blog, I want to leave you with an affirmation for when you are in need of some Hermit energy from the Tarot Affirmations set by Sally Hill Ph.D
“I reorganize my life to free myself from distractions & create space for inward reflections”
Enjoy your Virgo season!
*this image is from the Modern Witch Tarot deck seems fitting when we live in this age of technology, and it can be very distracting!
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