Within the Tarot: The Hermit & Chariot
Hello fellow seekers, mystics of the known and unknown, healers who have gained their knowledge as feelers as we all do… through lived experience to remember one’s wisdom!
I decided to create this little series of the major arcana, as all wisdom starts: through the darkness to find one’s light. That is precisely why we are beginning “out of order” as we delve into this wandering journey.
Before we begin, I would like to emphasize that this excursion will not take place in the mind but rather through the Psyche, aka the Soul/ Our Spirit/Essence, like in true Scorpio fashion! The very definition of Psyche is LIFE. What breathes us into life is being the Self, which is the Soul as mentioned above.
Many scholars and deep thinkers believe that life has true value when there is meaning. Life without meaning is dull and empty and that is precisely why we will be traveling through this wandering as such… from the essence of our Soul which brings us life!
What inspired this notion back to the tarot and all her mysteries was re-reading Women Who Run With the Wolves, hence why I also decided to explore the depth of its symbolism in a Jungian-like fashion. The book serves as a reminder that all wisdom comes from deep within, as it is layered and multifaceted.
And so we roam this crossing in total Darkness like the womb, with the Hermit!
The Hermit: The Knowing Within 🕯
In this lantern I dwell For I hold the light and truth within Time and space does not yeild this wisdom I am the passing of stories untold Mountain highs come by Ancestors your medicine I abide Stillness strong in my truth Knowing the voice beckons me back to her womb ~ The Hermit's Poem By Angelia Santiago
Although the number 9 represents the hermit and symbolizes the near end of a cycle, here we will begin because endings are just the beginning! The ending of many cycles calls on us for introspection, to reflect on all we have learned or have gained from said experiences.
Its medicine offers us deep support through ancestral guidance and ancient wisdom. The hermit is notoriously known for going into the quiet, unknown, and deep spaces within our psyche, but that is only the surface of its offerings.
The reputation of the hermit is to retreat from the outside, to fully listen from within, and so often that is needed to detach from the outer world! As a deeply sensitive and feeling person, I find myself here repeatedly. Truthfully, I feel like those of us who claim the title of intuitive or navigate through a neurodivergent lens, require this therapeutic break from the noise.
Yet as we light the way to our inner cavern, so does the ancestral wisdom of our elders, as we rest in the womb of the subconscious. The hermit is the traveler of ancient wisdom, lighting the way through the veil on the mountaintop. As mystics and seekers, we frequent this pilgrimage both metaphorically and physically.
The key to this journey is both our strength (represented by the staff), and our curiosity for truth with the lantern. The 6-pointed star tells the story of our light and the light of those before us carried by our hands. The light of the creator resides with us, as we journey through the darkness of the in-between spaces and wilderness.
On the surface, we rest on barren lands, but it is the cold stillness that allows us to hear the whispers of the winds. It is in this void space our light shines outward, expanding our knowledge and growth from the voyage of the beyond. Through the history of alchemy, we know it is not just the above as below, but the below is the above and vice versa. ( See the TikTok video below, explaining the truth of the “as above so below.”)
Transmuting darkness into light takes great courage and fortitude, which is graduated through us from our lived experiences. Our truth may not make sense to the outside world or the expression of forced culture, but it’s what maintains this gut wisdom we were all-knowing of!
Virgo who represents the Hermit, is the experiencer of gut knowing. I like to express their symbolism through the body as well, as an avid somatic student.
With that being said, take some time to breathe and feel through your belly as you ask yourself these questions below.👇
How is the ancestral realm and void space calling you to travel beyond the veil deep within yourself?
What does that look like, and how does that feel in your body as you call that wisdom forward?
The Chariot: Moving with Recognition 🤴
How we sustain our energy and focus determines our will and self-determination…
Just as the hermit cultivates a knowing not to be swayed by outside forces, The Chariot calls us not to be moved by only the praise and triumphs. No doubt the Chariot card is an omen of forward motion, but we can easily get wrapped up in the surface message of momentum… Let Me explain! 😅
The Prince as depicted in the Chariot card has voyaged many journeys. He is of royal blood, carrying with him the grand symbolisms of his travels. From the wand of the Magician, the sphynxes of the High Priestess, the crown of the Empress, the square carriage of the Emperor, the shoulder pads of the Hierophant, and the shield from the Lovers… He has traveled far to get where he has gotten.
The Chariot deserves an audience and applause for his triumphs, but if that is all he is doing it for, then his riches of wisdom are worthless! True, this is a card of movement and recognition, but it is also a card of expansion within the Self. As we advance, we will all gain from our lived experiences and lessons.
I personally look at this card as an atta girl from my ancestors. Again, you will notice how I weave ancestral messages into the symbolism of these cards. This positive message reaffirms the expansion of our Spirit, from our Journey through the many invitations that got us here.
I firmly believe, that one of the first initiations starts with the Hermit, hence it being the first card of this Major Arcana series. Yet, we do need some pep talks to guide us through what can seem like barren, still, and desolate explorations. If the Hermit beckons us to the cave to find our light, the Chariot asks us to move forward with this knowing and to walk with pride for our wisdom-filled quests.
Our society, in this post-colonial/ capitalist state, tries to persuade us that it is the applause and status that echoes the loudest, but the quiet movement is even louder! The Chariot asks us to move away from the constructs of the mind, cautioning us away from stagnancy in the rigidity of this type of thinking. Our wealth and stature in the spiritual realm do not come from the regulations of society fixated on material gain. When we move away from this, that is how we acquire our wealth and wisdom!!
Our knowingness is what carries us forward. This card also cautions us like the wooden carriage, rigid movements are what often lead to our downfall. It is not just our willpower and desires that carry us forward, which are often entrapped in the capitalist ideal of success.
Overcoming these obstacles, and being fully present in the here and subconscious guiding force is the message and gifts of the Chariot. Understanding this true expression of our Self is what carries us forward, and away from egoic confines.
After all the number seven, is all about our spiritual endeavors in life leading us back to the self, and the wisdom we regained in this life to be our fullest expression. The chariot being the seventh card, deeply embodies this! It being ruled by Cancer, is a reminder to lead with our heart and we will always be on time.
So here are some questions to ask yourself as you are carried on through this journey…
Are you solely motivated by the confines of methodical movement to move you forward in life?
What deeper truths are ready to be explored more on this pilgrimage of initiation?
What tools of wisdom do your ancestors want to remind you of, as they support you on this journey to carry you forward?
I was reminded to close this, by inviting your inner child to this process as they hold much of this deep wisdom as well!!
I hope you have enjoyed this reading, and as a special thank you to my subscribers, I am offering a discount for my 90-minute ancestral readings.
This link here is your EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNT CODE: Discounted Reading
** Moving forward ONLY all my PAID SUBSCRIBERS will receive the full Tarot Blog Post, I hope to connect with you all through this journey!**
PERKS OF BEING A PAID SUBSCRIBER:
WEEKLY CHANNELED TAROT BLOGS & MORE TO COME SOON
COMMUNITY CHAT WITH SUPPORTIVE DISCUSSIONS
FIRST DIBS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS OF COMMUNITY GATHERINGS
DISCOUNTED OFFERINGS LIKE MY READINGS AND ETSY SHOP
🧡And yes, the Ancestors Mama Botanica will be opening back up with all sorts of goodies REAL SOON!!!🧡
There is also a 7-day trial for the paid subscription if you want to try it out. 😊
Stay Well & Big Hugs!! 😘