For this series, I am exploring the choices of animals
made by various deck creators to correspond to traditional Tarot cards. My
initial goal is to get through the Major Arcana using cards from seven
different decks:
- Animal Tarot Cards by Doreen Virtue and Radleigh
Valentine (Hay House)
- The Animal Totem Tarot by Leeza Robertson; illustrated by
Eugene Smith (Llewellyn Publications)
- The Animal Wisdom Tarot by Dawn Brunke; illustrated by
Ola Liola (CICO Books)
- The Animal-Wise Tarot by Ted Andrews (Dragonhawk
Publishing)
- The Animals Divine Tarot by Lisa Hunt (Llewellyn
Worldwide)
- The Animism Tarot by Joanna Cheung (Self-Published)
- Tarot of the Animal Lords with artwork by Angelo Giannini
(Lo Scarabeo)
To read my previous posts in this series, enter “Animal
Tarot Time” in the search field on the main page of the blog or scroll down and
click on Animal Tarot Time under CATEGORIES.
Let’s look at how THE HERMIT is
portrayed in seven different animal decks.
Animal Tarot Cards by Doreen Virtue and Radleigh
Valentine (Hay House)
FIREFLY (“Spiritual enlightenment. The spark of
inspiration. The light within. Being a light for others. Believing in the magic
of life.”)
The guidebook that accompanies this deck describes the
firefly as “representing the light within and flashes of great spiritual
insight and inspiration,” making it an excellent candidate to play the role of
The Hermit. We often focus on the idea of solitude and introspection when we
discuss The Hermit, but equally important is The Hermit’s willingness and
ability to “hold up his lamp” to guide others through the darkness. On the
card, fireflies have gathered “in great number in order to show you just how
magical life can be.”
The Animal Totem Tarot by Leeza Robertson; illustrated by
Eugene Smith (Llewellyn Publications)
MANTIS (“Sometimes waiting is the best way. Sometimes
removing yourself, if only for a short period of time, is the best way. Then we
turn and head to the light and step into its brilliance…”)
On this card, The Hermit stands in the light, holding the
sun between his antennae. Knowing that the light (sun) will always rise again,
we can look forward to the light’s return after time spent alone in darkness.
Leeza Robertson mentions a story told by the Bushmen of the Kalahari, in which
the Mantis puts himself to sleep in order to dream a solution to a situation or
problem. By the same token, we sometimes need to allow ourselves the time and
space to contemplate something so we can approach it with a clear head.
The Animal Wisdom Tarot by Dawn Brunke; illustrated by
Ola Liola (CICO Books)
OWL (Keeper of the Light): “Peer deep; find illumination
within.”
Brunke’s keywords for this card are “solitude,
introspection, enlightenment, wisdom.” The owl’s ability to see in the dark
creates a meaningful link between this creature and The Hermit, who holds his
lantern aloft to help guide others. Owls are solitary birds – no noisy flock
for them! They have long served as symbols for wisdom and the inner realms of
our psyche. Like The Hermit, the Owl encourages us to explore the “darkness
within” as well as the outer landscape.
The Animal-Wise Tarot by Ted Andrews (Dragonhawk
Publishing)
OWL: “Silent Wisdom, Vision, and Guidance”
Ted Andrews refers to the Owl as a “creature of the
night,” with night symbolizing the “darkness within – the places where great
secrets and great treasures are hidden.” The fact that owls fly silently
reminds us that there are times when we benefit from being silent and
introspective or from being silent while listening to what is being said around
us. Owls have acute hearing as well as keen vision both at night and during the
day.
The Animals Divine Tarot by Lisa Hunt (Llewellyn
Worldwide)
THE HERMIT / Cernunnos: time to reflect, contemplation,
solitude
Cernunnos was a Celtic god also known as “the horned god.”
He was typically shown with all kinds of forest animals, each of which
symbolized some aspect of Celtic power. Hunt writes that when The Hermit
(Cernunnos) appears, it is a reminder to “take the time to engage in quiet
reflection… to learn more about yourself… to become more in tune with nature.”
The goal is to “become more acquainted with a deeper aspect of your inner
being.”
The Animism Tarot by Joanna Cheung (Self-Published)
RED PANDA: “peace, knowledge, contemplation, solitude,
discovery, adaption”
Of this card, Joanna Cheung writes: “He is in search of
introspection, finding solace in solitude, away from society, away from
culture, order, and custom as he travels on a journey of personal discovery.”
A quick internet search reveals that red pandas are solitary
except during the breeding season. While it is fun to see this unusual choice
for The Hermit, I have to say I don’t find much about the red panda that makes
it a great choice for this card.
Tarot of the Animal Lords with artwork by Angelo Giannini
(Lo Scarabeo)
BLACK BEAR: “wisdom, spiritual search; abandonment,
solitude, hidden enemies”
I think the black bear is a really great representative
of aspect of The Hermit that deals with withdrawing, solitude, and turning
inward, given that bears typically hibernate for several months during the
winter. Black bears tend to be solitary
animals, with the exception of mothers and cubs.
To summarize, we have:
Firefly – 1
Mantis – 1
Owl – 2
Cernunnos – 1
Red Panda – 1
Black Bear – 1
In a way, I am a bit surprised that no one chose the
hermit crab, but in any case, all of these are interesting and creative
choices. Personally, I think I am leaning towards the Owl as the best choice.
