Of all the figures in the Tarot, none stands more completely alone than The Hermit.
Unlike the Fool, the Magician, or the Emperor, the Hermit has intentionally stepped away from the crowd. He has withdrawn from unnecessary human contact, choosing solitude over society.
That seems almost contrary to human nature.
Aristotle observed that anyone who has no need of society must be either a god or a beast. Yet the Hermit is neither. He is simply a human being who has walked a very unusual road.
So how does someone become the Hermit?
1. The Wounded Hermit
For many people, the journey begins with pain.
They reached out sincerely. They loved, trusted, and tried to belong. Again and again they were hurt, rejected, or misunderstood.
Eventually they withdraw—not because they hate people, but because they need to protect what remains of their heart.
For some, this is the first step toward becoming the Hermit.
2. The Disappointed Hermit
Others are not driven away by wounds but by disillusionment.
They have done everything society promised would bring fulfillment. They built careers, earned money, fell in love, married, raised families, or achieved success.
Yet something still feels empty.
Status, romance, wealth, and recognition eventually turn to dust, leaving them quietly asking:
“Is this really all there is?”
3. The Called Hermit
Sometimes the first two experiences awaken something deeper.
After enough disappointment, a person begins to long for truth rather than comfort. They become convinced that life must contain something more profound than endless striving.
This is where the spiritual search begins.
The Hermit is no longer running away from the world.
He is walking toward wisdom.
4. The Natural Hermit
Some people simply possess the temperament for solitude.
Introverts often discover that being alone restores rather than depletes them. What began as an escape from pain gradually becomes a place of peace.
They don’t merely tolerate solitude.
They flourish there.
For these people, being alone feels less like isolation and more like coming home.
The Hermit’s True Gift
For some, the Hermit is only a season of life—a place of healing before they return to the world.
For others, it becomes a lifelong calling.
They gradually realize they never truly fit the expectations of the culture around them. Solitude begins as medicine but eventually becomes as necessary as breathing.
The Hermit archetype doesn’t create that feeling of being different.
It simply shines a lantern on a truth that has always been there.
Sometimes the greatest journey isn’t learning how to belong to the crowd.
Sometimes it’s discovering who you become when the crowd is no longer needed.
Just the Tarot 