The Hermit - #TarotImageTuesday
Good afternoon!! It's #TarotImageTuesday
This week, it's The Hermit, and I've selected the Ellis Deck by the talented Taylor Ellis.
The wizened man is wrapped in a hooded purple robe, holding his lantern made up of the 4 elemental colours to light his path. He rides atop a giant turtle, with his fellow passenger the snail, and he makes his way over snow-covered terrain, heading through the mountains. His path is uncertain, likely fraught with challenges and dangers over rough terrain, and even the weather seems to conspire to slow him down, as it snows heavily on the journeying trio.
The purple of the cowl reminds us of the need to connect with the divine, to accept and welcome that guidance that calls us to follow our own path, to trust our instincts, and to seek that within ourselves that we want to see reflected in the world around us. This process of self-trust and introspection is not a fast one, as characterised by the presence of the turtle and the snail, and similarly it requires us to have the 'courage of our convictions', resisting the temptation to doubt or give in at the first sign of resistance or challenge, shown as the shells and thick skin of his companions on this journey.
The light from the lantern might seem weak by comparison to the darkness around it, but by trusting the journey, and welcoming that opportunity to look inwards, shown by the spiralled beard, for wisdom and growth, then a slow and steady approach will enable us to fall into time with the rhythm and flow of the universe around us, directing us to where we need to be, and just when we need to be there.
The rewards of this journey are rarely seen externally, but they are felt and experienced, giving us the courage and determination to overcome seemingly insurmountable odds - that cold blizzard and the steep mountains - by trusting to our abilities and the direction that we are being guided by our own lantern. We could choose to stay at home, and 'hide our light under a bushel', but that would not serve us well, leaving us dissatisfied and allowing doubt to cloud our judgement and preventing us from taking the right steps needed for our development and growth.
What do you see in the image? I'd love to hear your thoughts on it, and we can share the similarities and differences between the images in the various decks! 😄
[image reproduced with kind permission. The Ellis decK is available directly from the artist, now in its third-edition printing]
