Virgo: The Hermit

AstrologyTree of Life / QabalahDecan WalkZodiac Signs

Aug 24

Three versions of IX. The Hermit from The Rider-Waite Tarot, Golden Dawn Tarot, and Thoth Tarot. — *IX. The Hermit from* *The Rider-Waite Tarot, Golden Dawn Tarot, and Thoth Tarot.*

The Hermit, whose esoteric title is “The Prophet of the Eternal: The Magus of the Voice of Power,” symbolizes an individual's search or desire for inner or ancient wisdom. Solitude, peace, and quiet surroundings are also suggestions of this card, as these conditions are essential for reflection and study. Mentorship is also suggested. In both metaphysical and psychological journeys, this act of introspection and self-discovery involves building a framework for the future using the abilities one already possesses within.

In this article, we will examine The Hermit's connection to astrology and the Tree of Life (Qabalah). This includes information about this card's zodiac, planetary, and elemental attributes, along with color and other magickal correspondences, and how these aspects shape The Hermit's unique characteristics and aesthetics.

For those using The Great Work Book to log their tarot studies, this is an excellent opportunity to add details about The Hermit. Example pages featuring The Hermit are included at the end of this article.

The Astrology of The Hermit

The Great Work Book Tarot Journal showing pages for IX. The Hermit, the tarot card associated with Virgo and pictured with The Hermit tarot cards from Rider-Waite, Thoth, and Golden Dawn tarot decks. — *The Great Work Book* *showing journal pages for IX. The Hermit, the tarot card associated with Virgo.*

Zodiac Sign: The Hermit’s Zodiac Sign is Virgo.

Element: The Hermit’s element is Earth.

Ruling Planet: The Hermit’s ruling planet is Mercury.

Modality: The Hermit’s Modality is Mutable.

Dates: Aug 24 - Sept 22

The Hermit is associated with the Zodiac sign Virgo. Mercury governs this mutable Earth sign, which rules the heavens from August 24 to September 22. Virgo expresses its Mercurian traits through analytical thinking and meticulous attention to detail.

Each zodiac sign is categorized into three modes: Cardinal at the start, Fixed in the middle, and Mutable at the end of a season. Mutable signs—Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces—appear at season's end, suggesting a readiness for change and adaptability. Virgo marks the end of summer, just before the Autumnal Equinox, symbolizing preparation for the transition into Fall.

As a Mutable sign, Virgo is the most flexible among the Earth signs, with a strong intellect and adaptability—traits vital for enlightenment through knowledge, as symbolized by The Hermit.

The Hermit’s Minor Cards

The Hermit card from the Thoth Tarot is pictured with its associated Minor Arcana cards, the 8, 9, and 10 of Disks. — *The Hermit card from the* *Thoth Tarot* *is pictured with its associated Minor Arcana cards, the 8, 9, and 10 of Disks.*

Each Zodiac sign is split into three sections of about ten days, called Decans. Each Decan is ruled by a different planet, providing additional influence to each Zodiac sign. As a result, a person's Zodiac traits can be expressed in three distinct ways, based on the Decan of their birth.

Each Decan is associated with a Minor or Pip Tarot card, marking the distinct qualities of each ten-day period. Consequently, every Zodiac Trump card has three corresponding numbered cards representing the initial, middle, and final phases of the Sun’s journey through that sign. Virgo, and therefore The Hermit, has the 8, 9, and 10 of pentacles as assigned as Minor cards.

Decan 1: Sun • 8 of Pentacles, Prudence

The Eight of Pentacles is assigned to the First Decan of Virgo and is ruled by the Sun from August 24 to September 3.

Decan 2: Venus • 9 of Pentacles, Gain

The Nine of Pentacles is assigned to the Second Decan of Virgo and is ruled by Venus, September 4 - 13.

Decan 3: Mercury • 10 of Pentacles, Wealth

The Ten of Pentacles is assigned to the Third Decan of Virgo and is ruled by Mercury, September 14 - 22.

The Hermit on the Tree of Life

Yod journal page in The Great Work Book

The Hermit on the Tree of Life

All tarot cards can be mapped to the Tree of Life (Qabalah). Exploring tarot on the Tree of Life offers students new ways to study the connections not only between the cards but also in life itself. The Qabalistic system is an excellent way to learn the underpinnings of divinatory meanings by making associations with astrology, color, and many other correspondences.

On the Tree of Life, The Hermit is mapped to Path 20, Yod. Yod means “hand” and is located between Sephiroth (spheres) 4 Chesed and 6 Tiphareth, Mercy and Beauty, respectively. Chesed is known as the Architect of Manifestation and is home to Jupiter. Tiphareth, located at the center of the Tree, is home to The Sun and is considered the Christ center of the Tree. Their connecting path, according to Qabalistic teachings, is titled the “Intelligence of Will” because “it is the means of preparation of all and each created being, and by this intelligence the existence of the Primordial Wisdom becomes known.”

Looking closely at these three components of the Tree—namely, the path from Jupiter to the Sun— it becomes clear that the path to enlightenment requires intention to discover the framework of existence and one’s unique skills within it. The solitary depiction of The Hermit with his lantern visually represents this act of will, study, and the discovery of inner knowledge.

The Hermit’s Colors

The Hermit's Colors

The Color Palette of The Hermit

Behind the Tree of Life lies an intricate system of color associations. Developed by the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, this system begins by assigning colors to the planets, elements, and zodiac signs and extends to 128 colors that correspond to the spheres and paths of the Tree of Life across its four elemental worlds: Fire, Water, Air, and Earth.

Known as the Color Scales, this system associates specific colors with locations on the Tree of Life and has been used by many tarot artists to create a color palette for each card. Below are the color associations of The Hermit.

Astrological Color

ELEMENT: The Hermit’s Element is Earth, which can be represented by Green, Brown, Black, or Indigo.

ZODIAC: The Hermit’s Zodiac sign is Virgo, which is represented by Yellow-green.

PLANET: The Hermit’s ruling planet is Mercury, which is represented by Yellow.

Tree of Life Color

Unlike the Minor Arcana, which are categorized into only one of the elemental worlds based on their suit, the Major Arcana are seen as expressing all four elemental worlds simultaneously and therefore have colors from all four worlds assigned.

FIRE: In the King Scale of Color (Fire, Atziluth), The Hermit’s path is colored Green, Yellowish.

WATER: In the Queen Scale of Color (Water, Briah), The Hermit’s path is colored Slate Grey.

AIR: In the Emperor Scale of Color (Air, Yetzirah), The Hermit’s path is colored Green Grey.

EARTH: In the Empress Scale of Color (Earth, Assiah), The Hermit’s path is colored Plum Color.

Summary of Correspondences for The Hermit

Often described as a filing cabinet for the forces of nature, the Qabalah is a free-association system that encourages individuals to map their own connections to the image known as the Tree of Life. Mapping tarot to the Tree is only one way to use this system. In fact, learning to make other associations on the Tree can improve your tarot studies by forming links to ideas, events, behaviors, and various other concepts related to a card.

Below is a summary of the correspondences covered in this article, along with several notable associations with The Hermit’s path, Yod. A full list of correspondences can be found in Crowley’s 777 or the Thelemapedia website.

IX. THE HERMIT	CORRESPONDENCE	COLOR
ASTROLOGY
Zodiac Sign	♍︎ Virgo	● Yellow-green
Element	🜃 Earth	● ● ● ● Green, Brown, Black, or Indigo
Ruling Planet	☿︎ Mercury	● Yellow
Modality	Mutable	---
TREE OF LIFE
Tree of Life	Path 20: Yod, Hand	● ● ● ● Green-yellow, Slate Grey, Green Grey, Plum
Esoteric Title	The Prophet of the Eternal: The Magus of the Voice of Power	---
Golden Dawn Number	Sixty-six	---
Yetziratic Text	Intelligence of Will	---
Plants	Snowdrop, Lily, Narcissus	---
Stones	Peridot	---
Perfumes	Narcissus	---
Gods	Attis, Ceres, Adonis, Isis (as virgin)	---
Magical Weapons	Lamp, Wand, Bread	---
OTHER ASSOCIATIONS
Sound	F Natural	---
Alchemical	Dissolution / Subtilizing	---
DIVINATORY MEANINGS
An individual's search or desire for inner or ancient wisdom. Solitude, peace, and quiet surroundings are also suggestions of this card, as these conditions are essential for reflection and study. Mentorship is also suggested. In both metaphysical and psychological journeys, this act of introspection and self-discovery involves building a framework for the future using the abilities one already possesses within.

The Hermit in The Great Work Book

Traditional tarot decks such as the Rider-Waite and the Crowley Thoth incorporate astrological and qabalistic symbols, often requiring detailed note-taking to interpret these connections. The Great Work Book helps tarot students track this info efficiently. It begins with exercises for logging a card’s astrology and progresses to activities on the Tree of Life. Additionally, the book includes journaling pages for each Zodiac sign, Tree of Life location, and all cards in a standard 78-card tarot deck. Together, these pages become a personalized, DIY encyclopedia for your tarot journey.

Below are a few examples of the activity and journaling pages in The Great Work Book, featuring those related to The Hermit.