Hebrew Name: Yod (open hand)
The Hebrew letter Yod means "the open hand of man." "Yod
indicates power, means, direction, skill, dexterity". Yod, however, is a
sign of potency or predisposition rather than of actual activity. "It is a
type of beneficence, and of the freedom of the Supreme Spirit."
The sense of Touch and the function of Coition is attributed to Yod. "Esoterically, Yod corresponds to the experience of union with the Supreme SELF, the true I AM of the cosmos. This experience, intensely blissful, is often compared [...] to the intense physical ecstasy of the sex embrace."1
Qabalistic Intelligence: The
Intelligence of Will
Will, in this instance, translates to "pleasure, intent, purpose,
determination." It is first hand knowledge that there "is but
one Free Will in the universe, of which Free Will all things and creatures are
personal expressions." 2
Astrological Correspondence: Virgo
Virgo, the virgin, is attributed to Yod. "The Virgo personality
says: I utilize, serve, harvest, dissect, worry and sympathize. I'm
selective, modest, serious, industrious, health-conscious, humane and adept at
details."3 Virgo " is ruled by Mercury (K1),
and is also the sign in which Mercury is exalted. Virgo, is dominated,
therefore, by self-conscious initiative, and represents the state in which the
highest manifestation of self-consciousness is experienced."
"Virgo rules the intestines, where digestion (K8) is completed, and where
the final selection is made between" what is to be assimilated, and what is
to be rejected. 4
Number: 9
"Completion, attainment, fulfillment, the goal of endeavor, the end of
a cycle of activity. Yet, because 8 indicates Rhythm as part of the
creative process, completion is not absolute cessation. The end of one
cycle is the beginning of another. [...] Nobody ever reaches a point where
nothing more remains to be hoped for, where nothing remains to be
accomplished. Every End is the seed of a fresh Beginning." 5
Color / Note: Yellow-Green / F
Symbolism:
(Summarized from "The Tarot", by P.F.Case) 6
The Scene: A wise old man holding a lantern stands atop a snowy mountain peak and looks down upon the path below.
Old Man: The Most Holy Ancient One, the Primal Will, The ONE. He is the source of all, yet he is also the goal of all endeavor. Spiritual aspiration aims at the UNION of personal consciousness with the Cosmic Will which is the causeless cause of all manifestation. The Hermit (9) and the Fool (0) are two aspects of the same One Thing. The Absolute is both the goal of existence (9) and the source of all (0).
Lantern: The light is a 6 rayed star, its interfaced triangles the symbol for union. It is held aloft for the benefit of those who toil upward towards him. The star indicates that discrimination (6) is the source of enlightenment.
Staff: The serpent power of key 8. He used it to climb the mountain. Held in his left hand, he no longer needs it for climbing.
Mountain Top: Attainment. Snow capped because to us the Ancient One is an abstraction, cold and far removed from the warmth of everyday life.
 | Union: You have developed the strength of personality to resist the pull of the temptations of the pairs of opposites and have found the unity that lies behind all appearances. |
| Response: You are in touch with the promptings of your Higher Self, and respond to Thy Will. |
| Service: You give of yourself to others, and the love you express is bright enough to light the way for those who still travel in darkness. |
| Cure for loneliness: Seek to serve others. |
In "Living the Tarot", Amber Jayanti provides some suggestions for integration and application of The Hermit:
|
The Imagery of the Hermit can be used as a reminder:7
to offer others your services to be more open in your need for help and to feel less isolated in your spiritual quest [That within you abides an essence that is forever pure, no matter what experiences have been necessary for your personality in the past.] |
| Ask yourself the following questions:8 Where have I aligned myself with higher consciousness above, rather than with the mass mind below? What can be derived from living alone at this time? How am I reaching for the ever available light when I feel engulfed in darkness? How may I best serve my family, community, or country? How can I best serve my Higher Self? How am I letting my light shine? Why am I feeling lonely? In what situation would it be more helpful to temporarily withhold help than to give it? |
Illustrations from the Universal Waite Tarot Deck reproduced by permission of
U.S. Games Systems, Inc., Stamford, CT 06902 USA. Copyright ©1990 by U.S. Games
Systems, Inc. Further reproduction prohibited.