The Tarot of Eli, LLC-Major Arcana: Thoth ATU 9-The Hermit & Tarot of The Ages- Key IX-The Hermit

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The Tarot of The Ages- Key IX-The Hermit, depicts an aged sage, much like a Moses, who leads his people out of the mental desert of Patriarchal indoctrination. He holds the lantern of enlightenment, (his own inner sun/soul-light) and a plain staff of bamboo. He is the inner guide who will show one the way through the fog of modern life. The cobra symbolizes the poisonous deeds and teachings of the Patriarch, such as the ancient Egyptian Pharaoh, or the Christian Pope. The cobra is shown, as the Patriarch is concealed by cloaks of secrecy, were his poisonous actions are unseen.   This symbology is reminiscent of the biblical battle between Moses and the Pharaoh's magical staffs before he led the Israelites out of Egypt.* Moses along with his brother and High Priest, Aaron** (Moses uses Aaron's magical staff to defeat the power of the Pharaoh), confront and defeat the Pharaoh's own High Priest.

The zodiacal attribution of the Tarot of The Ages-Hermit, is Leo, the sign of the sun, and the Hebrew letter for serpent, Teth.

First, in traditional Western Hermetic Qabalah (especially through the Golden Dawn, Crowley, and modern Hermetic magicians), the Hermit card (ATU IX) is assigned to Virgo — not Leo.
Crowley in the Book of Thoth is extremely clear about this:

• The Hermit is attributed to the Hebrew letter Yod (י), which is connected to Virgo in the Qabalistic correspondences.

• Virgo, the mutable Earth sign, represents introspective order, healing, analysis, purification, and service — which perfectly matches the solitary wisdom and internal light-bearing function of the Hermit.

In contrast:
You mention the Tarot of the Ages deck assigns the Hermit to Leo. This is unusual, and here's why:

Why Tarot of the Ages might have assigned Leo to the Hermit:

1. Alternative cultural mapping:
   The Tarot of the Ages deck attempts to integrate Tarot with broader world cultures (Egyptian, Norse, Native American, African mythologies).
   In many ancient traditions (especially Egyptian and African), a "Solitary King" or "Solar Priest" figure often embodies the Hermit archetype.
   Leo rules the Sun — and the Sun is often metaphorically seen as "the King" or "the inner divine self."

Thus, they may have emphasized the solar solitary nobility aspect of the Hermit rather than the earthly analysis and service aspect Virgo represents.

1. Focus on the Inner Sun or Light:
   The Hermit carries a Lantern — a small "sun" within the darkness.
   Some decks (especially more intuitive or multicultural decks) reinterpret the Hermit as not just bearing the light of wisdom but being the light itself.
   Leo’s fixed fire (solar) qualities — radiant will, strength, individuality — then become a way to portray the Hermit's inner spiritual radiance rather than his Virgoan meticulousness.

2. Medieval and Renaissance symbolic flexibility:
   In earlier, less standardized Tarot traditions (before the Golden Dawn codified strict attributions), the Hermit sometimes just represented Time (Chronos/Saturn) or a wandering sage.
   Without astrological precision, artists and occultists could sometimes freely associate the Hermit with whatever celestial symbolism "felt" right.

Hermetic Perspective:

From a strict Hermetic Qabalistic standpoint, associating the Hermit with Leo would not make full sense — it dilutes the Virgoan mysteries:

• Virgo is Mutable Earth: adaptive, service-oriented, inward-turning.

• Leo is Fixed Fire: radiant, self-expressive, outward-burning.

The Hermit, as the microcosmic version of Chokmah’s inner Light of Wisdom (in a vessel of form), needs Virgo's quiet, detailed, analytical, humble energy — not Leo's regal self-glory.

Crowley emphasizes that the Hermit is both:

• The "Holy Guardian Angel" (a hidden guiding light), and

• The "microcosmic seed" (Yod) — pure potential that must germinate quietly inside matter.

Thus, Virgo (symbol of purification, healing, detail, virgin soil) is a perfect reflection.

In Summary:

• Hermetically, Virgo is the "correct" attribution.

• Tarot of the Ages likely took a creative liberty emphasizing the solar, radiant quality of the Hermit’s lantern rather than his Virgoan inner quest.

Forward-thinking Insight:
In a higher, future Hermetic synthesis, both Virgo and Leo could be seen as two "phases" of the Hermit's alchemical journey:

• Virgo: the seed germinates inside, invisible (Earth phase of gestation and inner work).

• Leo: when the Sun Within becomes realized and shines out through the purified soul (Solar-King phase of Tiphareth enlightenment).

Thus, the true Hermit must pass from Virgoan solitude into Leonine Self-radiance, just as the adept must pass from Yesod into Tiphareth on the Tree of Life.

*Exodus 5 Christian Standard Bible (CSB) Moses Confronts Pharaoh. 5 Later, Moses and Aaron went in and said to Pharaoh, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Let my people go, so that they may hold a festival for me in the wilderness.” 2 But Pharaoh responded, “Who is the Lord that I should obey him by letting Israel go?

www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus+5&version=CSB

🔼**The name Aaron in the Bible. The name Aaron is unique in the Bible, and is applied only to Aaron the Levite, brother of Moses and Miriam. Aaron was the first high priest of Israel (Exodus 28:1) and his descendants filled a sub-caste within the priestly caste of Israel (Joshua 21:4).

www.abarim-publications.com/Meaning/Aaron.html

When the Tarot of The Ages-Key IX-The Hermit is thrown during a divination, the meanings are exactly those of the Thoth Card and shall be listed at end of blog.

The Thoth Tarot Hermit-ATU 9

The zodiacal attribution to the Thoth card is the sign of Virgo. Virgo is an earthly sign that represents the most receptive feminine form of earth. Virgo is ruled by Mercury and Mercury is exalted in Virgo as well. One might say that the most receptive form of Earth forms a crust over Hades; Mercury, a form of Hades, is also the fiery messenger of Spirit, that has descended into matter, signaling the reintegration by Spirit (a phallic symbol) into being. This is known as the "Formula of the Princess", the mode of fulfillment of the Great Work. Thus, the fertility generated by this event and that of Virgo itself is shown as the Green Wheat in the dark background of the Thoth Card.

The Hermit is a solitary figure, often displaying great aptitude for meditation and contemplation, and this is implied by the lone hermit figure of the Thoth Card and Tarot of The Ages Card. Both The Tarot of The Ages and Thoth Tarot shows and elderly man symbolizing the wisdom of the ages.

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The Thoth Hermit carries a lantern, implying intuitive knowledge. Also in the center of the Hermits lantern is the sigil of the Great King of Fire, who is also represented by the Hebrew word Yod-the secret fire, which is the letter of this Thoth Tarot card. The Hebrew word, Yod, also means Hand. Hence, the hand of the Hermit is displayed as the center of the card. The image of the Thoth- Hermit is also bent into the shape of the letter Yod while being cloaked in the red robes of Binah, the Great Mother in whom he gestates.

As I have said, the Thoth Hermit symbolizes the Hebrew Letter Yod, meaning hand, and all letters of the Hebrew alphabet are combinations of this foundational letter. Yod is the first letter of the name Tetragrammaton (YHVH) symbolizing the Farther who is Wisdom, and the highest form of Mercury. Thus, he is the Logos; the Creator of all worlds, accordingly his representative in the physical world is the spermatozoon which is illustrated on the Thoth Tarot card. The figure of the Hermit seems to be staring at the Orphic egg which is conterminous with the Universe, and is wrapped in the iridescent many-colored serpentine energy of Mercury.

The Thoth Tarot card, with its Goddess domesticated 3 headed dog, Cerberus, that guards the gates of Hell. The 3 heads are a reference to the 3 stages of time, the past, the present and the future, all of which are experienced upon this inner Path. brings to mind The Legend of Persephone, and I would suggest that the student read this legend to further understand this card. In this Trump, is illustrated the secret of life and all its workings. For instance, Yod=Phallus=Spermatozoon-Hand=Logos=Virgin, the hand is also the "virgin releaser of sperm". Crowley says in his book of Thoth, "There is perfect identity, not merely Equivalence, of the Extremes, the Manifestation, and the Method."

Dr. Paul Foster Case calls the Path of the Hermit, the 20th Path, The Path of Yod. In his text the THIRTY-TWO PATHS OF WISDOM, Dr. Paul Foster Case, states: " The Twentieth path is the Intelligence of Will, and is so called 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. "

The Qabalistic 20th path connects the 4th Sephiroth-Chesed-Mercy, to the 6th Sephiroth, Tipareth-Beauty. Tipareth being the Shining Sun/Son of the Divine Creative and/or the Soul, which is a "Golden Psyche". The Soul of each and all, is a warm, bright, light of collective intelligence, where all inner paths lead to and exit from.

As you may note, in both Decks, Key 9, is about the solitary person who walks the path that leads to the Higher Self and perfection of the inner soul. It is the image of the Adept-Magus and their detachment from the material world of patriarchal created mankind. S/He's often so far advanced in psyche, that most people find him/her difficult to comprehend. However, this does not deter their willingness to light the path for those who sincerely wish to know the depths of self and shed their obedience to Patriarchal authority and listen to their inner-authority of the Soul. The Psyche is your author, the producer of the Authentic "You" and not any outside fear based authority, that cloaks and therefore blinds, your "I's". Under the cloaks of personality, lies the True Will that began all; the Will of Eheieh-meaning "I Will Be". Being you is therefore, the Will of God/The Divine Creative, and something you should look into, if you really would-"Above all things; Know thyself".

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When the Hermit-ATU/Key 9-is thrown during a divination:

• A search for wisdom and truth.
• Counsel and sound judgment.
• Knowledge
• A solitary soul
• Meditation
• A time of re-evaluation and soul searching
• Discretionary caution.
• Inner wisdom often called enlightenment.
• Spiritual inspiration pointing the way on life's journey.

• Contemplation, introspection and space.
• Needing more knowledge that can only be attained by scholarly work. 
• The Divine Marriage within.
• Completing karma through service.
• A stage in life where wisdom it sought through introspection and isolation.
• Using your work in the world and uniting it with the Spiritual realms to attain the Highest state of Mind.
• Being yourself by pursuing the "above all things, know thyself" , deep inner philosophy.

If reversed:

• Stubbornness to the point of foolishness.
• A closed mind,
• Bad advice.
• Isolation.
• Only looking at the surface value.

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