The Hermit Tarot Card Meaning
Major Arcana card IX · Time alone, wisdom, and looking within
The Hermit: 9
Meaning
You think deeply and need time alone to recharge. You prefer a few real answers to a lot of noise, and others may come to you for advice.
Guidance
Plan some quiet time this week with no phone. Use it to ask yourself one clear question and write down the answer.
Shadow
Pulling away too far. If being alone turns into hiding, reach out to one person you trust.
In Love
In love, you need quiet time and a partner who respects it. You are not about big shows, you like deep talks and real trust.
In Work and Career
At work, you do your best thinking alone. Research, study, writing and deep skill work can fit you, and others may turn to you as the expert.
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About The Hermit
The Hermit is card IX of the 22 Major Arcana. Its main ideas are time alone, wisdom, and looking within. In tarot, the Major Arcana show the big themes of life, and The Hermit is one of them.
If this is your birth card, it is a symbol to think about, not a rule or a prediction. Read the meaning, the guidance and the shadow side, and see which parts feel true for you.
How To Get The Hermit As Your Birth Card
Your birth card comes from the digits of your birth date. Add every digit of the date (year, month and day). Here is how that leads to The Hermit, for birth dates from 1900 to 2099.
- Tarot Birth Card method: you get The Hermit when your digits add up to 9, 27, 36, 45. A total above 22 is reduced by adding its digits again.
- Digital Root method: you get The Hermit when your digits add up to 9, 18, 27, 36, 45.
- As a root card: The Hermit also shows up next to your main card when that card is The Moon (18).
Do not want to do the math? Our free Arcana Calculator does it in a second and shows every step.
Quick Facts
| Card | The Hermit |
| Number | IX (9) |
| Group | Major Arcana |
| Main ideas | Time alone, wisdom, and looking within |
| Element | Earth |
| Planet | Mercury |
| Sign | Virgo |
These links follow the Rider-Waite-Smith order, where Strength is VIII and Justice is XI. The card picture is a scan of the original 1909 deck, drawn by Pamela Colman Smith.
More Cards
Read about the other Major Arcana cards:
The Hermit FAQs
What does The Hermit mean as a birth card?
You think deeply and need time alone to recharge. You prefer a few real answers to a lot of noise, and others may come to you for advice.
What number is The Hermit in the Major Arcana?
The Hermit is card IX (9) in the Rider-Waite-Smith order of the 22 Major Arcana cards.
Which element and planet go with The Hermit?
The Hermit goes with the element Earth and the planet Mercury, and with the sign Virgo. These links come from the tarot and astrology tradition and are symbolic.
How do I find out if The Hermit is my birth card?
Use the free Arcana Calculator on our home page. Enter your birth date and it adds the digits for you, shows every step, and tells you which Major Arcana card is yours.