Mystical wanderers,,,,hello. I, Troy Parrott, Tarot Pro, am continuing our journey through and exploration of the Tarot. In this series, we are examining each card of the major arcana, using a special North London themed deck of my own design. What do the cards hold in store for your future?

Today, we move on to Card IX: The Hermit.

IX: The Hermit

Upright

Introspection, solitude, soul-searching, illumination

Inverted

Loneliness, darkness, isolation

It all started out so well. You’re in a new job in a new location, the just reward for your capability and performance at your previous place of employ. You’ve earned that big promotion and a chance to shine in the spotlight; even if you’re the low man on the pole, with hard work and a little luck you can really make something of yourself.

And then everything falls apart. A couple of small mistakes snowball and suddenly you find yourself outside of everything, looking in. Your dream job has seemingly transformed into a private hell. What does one do, but look inward to determine the next step? The Hermit represents that journey.

Witness: the Hermit. He is alone, a solitary wanderer. He has been abandoned by those he loves, or perhaps he has abandoned them to live a life of solitude. He carries a lamp, with a six-sided star nestled within. He contemplates a long journey ahead of him, and knows that his light is meager, only illuminating a short way. The future is unknowable, the destination still shrouded in darkness. Still, the path leads forward. All the way... to Mexico?

For the Hermit (upright), the journey is predicated on trusting one’s wisdom. When this card appears it suggests that you need to look deep within yourself to find your true path. Perhaps you won’t know the final destination, but by solitary contemplation you may shine a light on your soul that will illuminate at least the direction in which one should begin. Who knows what you’ll find there? Perhaps a cowboy hat, or a trophy. Whatever lies at the end, even if it is unknown, is better than where you are now.

Inverted, the Hermit cautions you that perhaps you have isolated yourself TOO much. That can be hard to do when you’re thicc and handsome, but it happens. Maybe you are trying to distance yourself from a relationship that the other party would like to strengthen. Maybe introspection or depression have turned you into a recluse, a literal hermit. This too can be a call to stretch your legs and find your tribe, even if the journey spans 6500 miles.

Come back tomorrow and we shall discuss the next card in the Tottenham Hotspur Tarot.