Intuitive Tuesday -- The Hermit

Every Tuesday I select one card and give you my interpretation of it. See how it applies to your life. What messages are here for you?

Each Thursday I choose one reader's comment from Intuitive Tuesday and pull an additional card for more clarity...so check back on Thursday to see what cards come up.

Today's card is The Hermit, a card of searching within. This card comes from my brand new deck, the Legacy of the Divine Tarot by Ciro Marchetti.

From the picture, you can see a cloaked man, holding a wand with a crystal at the end. There are mountains in the distance, indicating a long and winding road -- possibly isolation and distance from daily distractions.

I've written about The Hermit card here and here. Some of the key phrases about The Hermit are that it is a card for searching within, not so much of an intellectual search as an intuitive search. The Hermit symbolizes turning within and purposely taking time to meditate, contemplate and become centered. The Hermit calls you away from the pressures and distractions in life to pursue your spiritual journey. In your quest for knowledge, you may seek advice from others, but The Hermit indicates that your best counsel is by tuning in and listening to your own wisdom.

Today, I got another intuitive insight for this card and its meaning for us. It came after reading the book that accompanies this deck, Gateway to the Divine Tarot, by Ciro Marchetti. In the book Marchetti states:

"Some knowledge takes the form of light and some takes the form of shadow. The knowledge of light is meant for the world. The knowledge of shadow is meant for you alone, but it is concealed until you are ready...the Hermit divides the light from the shadow and initiates you into the mysteries of both." (page 107)

There is a theory about the light and the dark. I remember reading about it in Debbie Ford's book, The Dark Side of the Light Chasers. Although I read her book a long time ago, I remember her theory was that each of us has both a light and a shadow side. Light traits are those that we deem as "good."  Shadow traits are ones that we consider "bad" and so we have locked them away. Out of sight. Out of mind.

One of the ways to identify your shadow traits is to notice traits in other people that either irritate you or infatuate you. The more they charge you (irritate or infatuate), the more you have this trait yourself and are expending energy to deny it or cover it up.

Here's an example, I recently met a guy who asked me a couple of questions about being a life coach. Shortly thereafter, I found out he was offering his services as a life coach. My defensive reaction was, "So, when you fly in a commercial airliner, do you suddenly feel as though you have the expertise to be a pilot?"

One of my shadow traits may be about pretending to be something I'm not or feigning expertise at something where I have no formal training.

"What? I would never do that!"

Do you see how this works?

By life coach, Bill, talks about how each of us contains ALL of the traits that we witness in humans -- whether we label these traits as "good" or "bad." He has an exercise that I believed he learned from his mentor, Dr. John DeMartini, called a Quantum Collapse process where you identify a situation that charges you (brings ups positive or negative emotions). As part of the process (which is fairly extensive), you list traits that you admire ("good") in another person or in a situation and traits that disgust you ("bad").

The first time I did this exercise with him, it was tough to even find traits I liked in the person who was charging (irritating) me. It was equally tough to find places in my life where I displayed his "bad" traits. "I'm just not like THAT!"

By going through the entire Collapse process (which is tough), I found that it really helped me to find a sense of calm and peacefulness within myself...as though my thoughts, emotions and the associated feelings were neutralized.

Coming back to The Hermit and his message of pondering both the light side and the shadow side, try neutralizing a situation that is charging you. Think of one trait that charges you ("good" = infatuation or "bad" = irritation) and list how you are like this (good or bad) and when you exhibit these traits and possibly who in your life sees you exhibiting this trait. For me this exercise was challenging, humbling and enlightening.

I'm curious to hear about your experiences with this exercise.