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The Hermit IX (trimmed):
© Thoth Tarot
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Let’s start our exploration of Virgo in the tarot with the
Major Arcana. In the system I follow
(which uses some but not all of the attributions of the Golden Dawn), the
Hermit is associated with Virgo. Not the
most obvious association, perhaps, given what we know about Virgoan
qualities. Of all the images of the
Hermit that I’ve come across, the one that gives me clues on the Virgo
connection is the one from the Thoth – specifically, in the sheaves of grain in
the background. The sheaves have ripened; we
can see the Hermit’s harvest. It’s become visible to the world - it’s seen ‘the
light of day’. This begins to sound like
the Hermit now – casting a light so that we can find our way. More traditional images of the Hermit often
include a lantern as the sole source of illumination.
Virgo is the sixth sign in the zodiac. All the signs up to this point have focused
on the individual and our inner world.
Virgo is the last of these; after her, the emphasis turns to the outer,
public domain. The word ‘completion’ is
sometimes used as a meaning for the Hermit; we can see this in the harvest, but
also in the ‘completion’ of the first half of the zodiac – the part of the
journey around the wheel dealing with ‘self’ is complete, opening the way to a
bigger arena to nurture and eventually harvest.
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The Hermit IX (trimmed):
© Secret Tarot
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Virgo can be
introspective, with much of its analytical and/or critical nature directed at
the self, not others. There’s a taste of
the Hermit here, particularly in terms of introspection – one of the
traditional meanings associated with the card. The journey is taken alone, requiring courage
and trust in oneself. Many decks show a lone figure journeying through the dark, with a lantern as the sole source of light - although in the Secret Tarot, we see the glimmering of the light of dawn as well - the illumination we seek.
In the Thoth deck,
we see aspects of the ‘shadow’ side of the card in the three-headed hellhound,
Cerebus. See how one head looks back?
For me, that’s a Virgo trait – looking back to make sure everything’s been
dealt with, all the details tidied up, before moving further along that contemplative
path. The Hermit keeps his eyes down, watching the path for potential
difficulties that might lie ahead.
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The Crone 9 (trimmed):
© Margarete Petersen Tarot
|
The Hermit is also associated with meditation - withdrawing,
even if only for a short time, from the outer world and turning our attention
inwards. It's not a selfish desire, but a genuine need for solitude so
that we can look at where we are and what we've learned. The female
equivalent of the male hermit, historically, was the crone - the wise, older
woman, who draws on what she's learned from her experiences. Margarete Petersen has chosen The Crone archetype for her deck - a very earthy crone, in keeping with Earthy Virgo.
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The Hermit IX (trimmed):
© Haindl Tarot
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When we think of the archetypal hermit, we often associate
such withdrawal from society with self-denial. Hermann Haindl's Hermit focuses
more on the joy that can come through closer contact with ourselves and the
natural world. A winged creature appears in the background, while several owl-like birds surround the hermit on the ground. Apparently Haindl was thinking of St Francis of Assisi spending time in the wild with animals and birds, later dedicating himself to serving others. In astrology, Virgo rules the 6th house, the house of service - and of small animals!
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The Hermit IX (trimmed):
© Shadowscapes Tarot
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The Shadowscapes’ Hermit also depicts withdrawal from the
world; here we see a figure poised on a rocky pinnacle (representing Earth),
“clear of the smog of humanity...the air attains...a purity he does not know he
has missed until he breathes it for the first time” (Shadowscapes Companion,
Stephanie Pui-Mun Law and Barbara Moore, Llewellyn, 2010). As we complete our
harvest and begin the introspective part of the year, our eyes will become
accustomed to the darkness and we will be able to continue our journey.
If you’ve enjoyed this post, you might be interested in my new e-book, Astrology in Tarot, now available from Amazon.
Haindl Tarot, created
by Hermann Haindl, published by U.S. Games Systems, Inc.
Margarete Petersen Tarot,
AGM-URANIA/Deep Books, 2004.
Secret Tarot created by Marco
Nizzoli, published by Lo Scarabeo, 2004
Shadowscapes Tarot created by
Stephanie Pui-Mun Law and Barbara Moore, published by Llewellyn
Thoth Tarot created by Aleister Crowley, illustrated by
Lady Frieda Harris, published by U.S. Games Systems, Inc.
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