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.
Today I’m exploring THE HERMIT (Key 9) in my animal-themed decks.
Animal Tarot Cards by Doreen Virtue and Radleigh
Valentine (Hay House)
THE HERMIT / FIREFLY
Be a beacon for others on their path to spiritual enlightenment.”
When we think of a hermit, we think of someone who hides
somewhere and avoids contact with other people. In my experience, THE HERMIT
card can represent a need to do exactly that, at least for a time. However,
sometimes we forget that the image on the card (in traditional decks at least) depicts
The Hermit holding a lantern up as if to illuminate the path. One standard
interpretation of this card refers to being a guide who shows others the way.
The creators of Animal Tarot Cards write, “And just as the seeker is never
alone, our 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)
THE HERMIT / MANTIS
Do you allow yourself the space and time you need to make decisions with certainty?
In The Animal Totem Tarot, The Hermit (Mantis) stands in
the light, holding the ultimate “lamp” – the sun -- between his antennae. This
image doesn’t seem to allude to the need for isolation or solitude at all,
rather focusing on shining a bright light. In the deck guidebook, however, the
creator of this deck does emphasize that “it’s okay to have space between
yourself and your current problem . . . as a way of allowing some time and
space to help align yourself with the solution you need.” Having done that, we
are then encouraged to emerge into the light or to actually provide the light
that others may need to find their way.
The Animal Wisdom Tarot by Dawn Brunke; illustrated by Ola Liola (CICO Books)
(Solitude, Introspection, Enlightenment, Wisdom)
It’s common knowledge that an owl’s night vision is quite good, which makes this mysterious creature a fine choice to guide us through the dark. I can also see the owl as representing solitude and contemplation as it sits quietly in a tree, hidden from view. The creator of The Animal Wisdom Tarot encourages us to “take time to refresh and renew your inner self, so you may return to the world enlightened, shining as a beacon for others.”
The Animal-Wise Tarot by Ted Andrews (Dragonhawk Publishing)
(Silent Wisdom, Vision, and Guidance)
Ted Andrews notes several things that the owl can
represent for us:
* Owls fly silently, teaching us to trust our instincts
and silent impressions.
* Owls are creatures of the night, perhaps symbolizing
the darkness within, where great secrets and great treasures are hidden. We may
choose to access these secrets and treasures through dreams.
* Owls have keen sight and hearing, encouraging us to pay
attention to undercurrents and subtleties.
The Animals Divine Tarot by Lisa Hunt (Llewellyn Worldwide)
(time to reflect, contemplation, solitude)
Rather than choosing a single animal for this card, Lisa
Hunt chooses the Celtic god Cernunnos, who is shown accompanied by all kinds of
forest animals. Each animal carries its own symbolism. “At this stage of the
journey,” Hunt writes, “it is important to take the time to engage in quiet
reflection.”
The Animism Tarot by Joanna Cheung (Self-Published)
(peace, knowledge, contemplation, solitude, discovery, adaption)
A quick internet search reveals that red pandas are known to be “difficult to observe in the wild” and are solitary and territorial. People in central Bhutan consider red pandas to be reincarnations of Buddhist monks. The red panda’s qualifications to serve as The Hermit seem pretty solid, although we do not get the idea that this creature is going to “light the way” for anyone.
Tarot of the Animal Lords with artwork by Angelo Giannini (Lo Scarabeo)
(wisdom, spiritual search, abandonment, solitude, hidden enemies)
Although this deck is admittedly “quirky,” its portrayal
of The Hermit is true to traditional Tarot, even though it depicts a black bear
instead of a human being. The bear, clothed in hermit-style robes, holds a
lantern aloft and gazes at the path ahead. I want to comment on one particular
keyword provided by this deck: “abandonment.” At first, this seemed odd, but
after just a little bit of thought, I can see that The Hermit may signal a need
to “abandon” a busy, confusing life (or situation) for a time, and I can also
see that to other people, it might seem that The Hermit is “abandoning” them by
going into seclusion. Something to keep in mind when interpreting this card in
a reading.
To summarize, we have
Mantis – 1
Owl – 2
Red Panda – 1
Cernunnos – 1
Black Bear – 1
Of these, I tend to favor the Owl as The Hermit. I like the idea of it being able to guide us in the darkness because of its superior senses and the fact that it does tend to be hidden from us much of the time. I do kind of like the idea of the Black Bear, given that bears hibernate in caves on a regular basis, although I can’t quite picture a bear guiding anyone. What do you think?
