The Hermit
According to Jungian terminology, the Hermit (Arcanum IX) represents the archetype of the Wise Old Man. A man of few words, he journeys through solitary solitude immersed in a silence that seems to predate creation, from which new words can be formed. His mere presence is capable of illuminating the most fearful corners of the soul and restoring warmth to hearts that have lost their way in hope.
Jung describes this figure as "the archetype of the spirit (...) the pre-existing meaning hidden in the chaos of life," as well as "a symbol of spiritual guidance that emerges from the depths of the unconscious," frequently manifesting as an inner master guiding consciousness towards the Self. For Jung, this archetype "is not a product of the human intellect, but an autonomous presence of the deep psyche, inherited and universal," arising in moments of crisis or psychological transition to offer a light that comes "from revealed inner experience." He represents the moment when the individual turns to the wisdom that dwells in the collective unconscious.
Long before modern psychology, esoteric thinkers were already reflecting on the arcana: in 1854, Lévi, in a chapter of the book "Dogma and Ritual of High Magic," presents the Hermit as we understand him today, defining him as: "The Hermit is the wise man who, holding the lamp of truth veiled beneath his cloak, walks in the night of the initiated to illuminate those who follow him." Later, Waite, co-creator of the Rider-Waite Tarot, identifies the Hermit as "the Ancient of Days, the wise man who seeks nothing but the truth of which he is the symbol," and adds: "He holds the lamp to guide travelers on the path of wisdom."
The lamp that the Hermit holds in his right hand is a key element of his symbolism: its flame "could represent the quintessential spirit inherent in all life - that central core of meaning which is the indefinable fifth element transcending the four elements of worldly reality" (NICHOLS, 1988), it offers us the inner light whose flame dispels chaos and darkness.
Related to the Seal of Solomon, it is a tool capable of, in addition to illuminating the path around it, warming it and defending it from any danger wandering in the darkness of the path. However, if not well controlled, its luminosity can blind the Hermit himself or even dazzle those who are with him.
In his left hand he holds a long staff which he uses to better understand the terrain he is immersed in, to guide himself and to balance himself, as if it were an extension of his own perception - sometimes this staff is related to a spiritual force. While his cloak and hood bring him protection and keep him preserved, representing all the knowledge and wisdom he has acquired and internalized throughout his experiences. They cover him as if the hermitage were himself.
Accepting the solitary path to self-understanding may seem a little difficult. After all, the idea of becoming our only self is a solitary experience, not a group phenomenon: it involves the task of disentangling our identity from the social collective. In the light of Jung's perspective, Nichols emphasizes that "To discover who we are, we must ultimately gather the parts of ourselves that we unconsciously project onto others, learning to find, deep within our own psyches, the potentials and deficiencies that we previously only saw in others. Such recognition will be facilitated if we can withdraw from society for brief periods and learn to welcome solitude." These periods can return us to the world with renewed energy for action and a sharper sense of our own identity and our role in relation to the world.
[References: NICHOLS, Sallie. Jung and the Tarot: An Archetypal Journey. 1988; JUNG, C. G. The Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious. 1959; LÉVI, Éliphas. Dogma and Ritual of High Magic. 1854–1856; WAITE, Arthur Edward. The Pictorial Key to the Tarot.] 1910]
