The Inner Light Comes Forth
SYMBOLISM
The Hermit’s gaze is directed both inward and outward.
The lantern focuses on vigilance in the dark.
The six-pointed star represents the light within us.
The golden stave is the individual light and strength of The Hermit,
The Hermit wears gray to warn us against uncertainty.
The green-gray sky represents withdrawal from outside distraction.
The Hermit’s white beard is a disguise.
The snow represents a new beginning.
Getting to Know the Hermit
The Hermit appears in a Tarot spread because he has a message. His message: Look within for wisdom.
We find peace and contentment within ourselves.
The Hermit appears in a spread in several situations: You need to be alone and, as the querant, just can’t get the time. Or, you may be afraid of being alone. Finally, you can’t escape being alone.
Whatever the situation, The Hermit waits for you to turn to him for advice. You don’t always need a Tarot spread to work with The Hermit.
Were you ever in a situation where soul-searching helped you reach an authentic decision? Do you keep a mental/spiritual space just to quietly explore your inner thoughts? Have you ever thought, on some level, that truth waits for you?
The Hermit enters your life because you need time to process thoughts, things, and events introspectively. You leave the either/or world behind when you find truth somewhere in the middle.
Your discretion and privacy are essential so you can process what you’ve learned and what is happening to you. This gives you a chance to be at peace.
When you are grounded and centered, you can return to the crowd again.
A Story
The Hermit visited me often when I managed a food pantry in Woodstock between 2008 and 2013. The Hermit helped me find – and keep – my own-authentic light. I used it as I walked along my path.
I saw his face in the trans person who wore a fringed leather jacket, completely worn-out western boots, and sparkly apricot nail polish.
I saw his face in the old man who drove a worn-out pickup and had no money to replace it. Any repairs happening on that rig were his handiwork.
I saw his face in the expressions of the older couple who shopped weekly and shared a coat in the winter.
These people were the real deal, not just something made up, like the autographed photographs of Jesus Christ that the Christian radio station in Monterrey, Mexico, sold on the air when I was a young girl growing up in Texas.
No one could convince me of anything otherwise. Not even the woman who came up to me quietly and privately after the local writer’s group meeting in Stoneridge. She spoke her truth to me: “You wouldn’t know the face of God if He showed up wearing a sign on his chest.”
She had a right to her own opinion. After all, chances were good she read a whole lot more about God than I. No doubt she paid more attention to many more sermons than I had ever thought about listening to.
What did I know? I hadn’t been in a church in over 30 years when I walked into that Episcopal Church in Woodstock in 2005. Truth be told, I never set foot in the place on Sundays because I couldn’t take my beloved papillon, Pork Chop, with me.
And, for sure, I don’t think this lady (whose name I’ve forgotten) would ever have seen God in the faces of any of these people. Bible stories I read tell us we see God in the burning bushes (Exodus 3:2-4), in the desert (Exodus 16:10), in a manger (Luke 2:16), or in a prison cell (Acts 12:7-11). But not in a food pantry hallway.
God meets us anywhere and speaks to us in ways we understand.
People entering the food pantry brought their hearts, minds, souls, and feelings with them. I saw volumes written on their faces in the church basement: broken dreams, loss, damaged relationships, memories, apologies, new hopes, goals, starting over.
And, finally, forgiveness.
Forgiveness was God in action and faith in the food pantry. Hungry people prayed, questioned, and sought forgiveness.
I finally decided that I, too, could own up to the anxiety we all experienced. It was no longer a we/they situation. Everyone experienced the threat of hunger and lived with a primal fear created by this threat.
My constant threat? the pantry deniers closing the pantry.
Under The Hermit’s direction, I learned not to sweat the haters.
Giving up was a luxury none of us had. We worked on self-confidence, self-awareness, and our futures. One unspoken question hung in the air every pantry day.
“How am I going to get out of this mess I’m in?”
Focus In
When your life calls for a time-out to sort things out, use it. Think. Rest. Read. Meditate. Pray. Focus on the larger issues.
Sometimes you can get away. Sometimes the getaway is a mental time out in your living room.
Remember: Your light is your light. Your path is your path. After you’ve worked out things on your own, notice how much calmer and clearer things are when its over.
Withdrawing from your everyday life give you a new perspective.
Meditation
Go to your private and safe place. Settle in to your most comfortable chair or mat; whatever is the best place and position for you. Turn on some healing music. Light a candle or turn on your Himalayan salt lamp.
When you are ready to begin this meditation, remember a busy day in your life. Think of the busy-ness, the hassles, the deadlines of the day.
Now, leave all that behind you. For this short time, release your frustrations and stress.
Focus your attention on your breathing. Allow your inhales and exhales to become rhythmic and calm. Breathe in calm and positive feelings. Release toxins and negativity when you breathe out.
As you pay attention to your surroundings, notice that you are experiencing a quiet, still evening. You carry a lantern. You focus this meditation on a question that you have been trying to answer for some time now.
As you look around, you move your lantern around to familiarize yourself with your surroundings. You see a quiet area in front of you. There is a small bench waiting for you. Quietly, you walk over to the bench and seat yourself comfortably.
Somehow, you know this is a learning moment for you. You realize this learning experience a different kind of learning. You know you are going to learn –
without words
without pictures
without anything you can describe or analyze
In the silence of the moment, you receive insight which you will use. .
You sit with this moment. As you do this, you absorb the needed wisdom.
You sit quietly for a few moments and then realize it is time to return to your day.
You know you can return to this time and place anytime you want.
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When Belief Becomes an Experience
The Hierophant shows up in your life when you become personally aware of God. The Hierophant offers spiritual growth, a starting point for when you realize all your questions don’t have automatic answers.
You initially seek out a Hierophant to learn, receive sacraments, therapy, and for marriage counseling. This instruction connects you with traditional spiritual beliefs. The Hierophant shares spiritual wisdom and unlocks mysteries.
When you study with a teacher, mentor, priest, or therapist, the Hierophant helps you explore guidance on the spiritual meanings you find in life. The Hierophant understands your higher nature, an essential element of spiritual healing. He helps you deal with old wounds or trauma you experienced in a situation that no longer works. The Hierophant offers the experience of organized religion.
When studying with the Hierophant, expect to be honest with yourself and others. Expect to be responsible for your own actions. You should be exposed to traditional attitudes, ideas, and methods.
Expect to find the Hierophant in a community church, temple, or congregation. You will find a higher purpose represented by organized religious, philosophical, educational, and spiritual institutions.
The Hierophant is powerful. He shapes who you are and what you will become. He tells you what your world looks like. The Hierophant presents his students and clients with a choice. You will build a foundation focusing on history and tradition
Through his teachings, you will come to accept your own spiritual beliefs and truths.
Through the Hierophant’s teachings you begin to know your own spiritual beliefs and truths. You may see a need to learn from the more orthodox experiences.
If you feel disconnected from faith altogether, the teachings of the Hierophant can be comforting during difficult times because of his offerings.
When you go to the Hierophant, he passes down spiritual wisdom and unlocks mysteries, religion, rites, dogma, and doctrine.
This is a meaning-of-life experience.
STORY
I met the Hierophant when I was in Austin, Texas, and engaged to a Catholic man. I was preparing to experience life in a different way:
I certainly wanted things to work out right because this was my M.R.S. degree in action. So, I met with the Catholic Priest in Austin, Texas.
“You’ll need to convert to Catholicism before the wedding and you need to take marriage classes. You can practice birth control for a year to solidify your marriage before the children start coming.”
The young priest was definitely the Hierophant in my life. I received marriage counseling, life guidance, the sacrament of Baptism, and learned everything he had in his training manual to become a successful Catholic wife in Texas in the ’60s.
There does not always have to be a Hierophant as a go-between to embark on a spiritual quest but this slight young man in a black cassock took his job as a guide to help me in my journey into spousehood and motherhood seriously.
This Hierophant/priest felt his connection with traditional spiritual belief was crucial to my success. His job was to pass down spiritual wisdom and unlock mysteries for me.
I came away from those sessions believing that the family is a spiritual unit and that one was to engage with and interpret the sacred for my children. The young man in the cassock and I dealt with the importance of education, indoctrination, and spirituality in my family.
He taught me to be aware of a larger, mysterious order of things that sometimes exceeded our control. He explained that I didn’t have to fix every problem in life that I might encounter.
FOCUS IN
Journal about a time when you did what was expected of you.
MEDITATION
Find a safe and private space.
Get comfortable now; the goal is to be so comfortable that you can become unaware of your body.
Take a deep breath. Hold it for a moment and then release it. Repeat this several times. As you exhale, you release tension. Continue this until all the tension is gone and you are relaxed.
As you continue breathing, you see a light coming toward.
As this light approaches, it surrounds you and the space where you are meditating. It further relaxes your entire body – relaxing your muscles. Every muscle and nerve in your body relaxes. As your muscles relax, stress is replaced by a light.
This relaxing light fills your muscles, nerves, and energy with love – the love of God for you and your love for others.
This light protects you from negativity and harm. This light becomes a wall of protection surrounding you.
When you include your friends, relatives, and loved ones, this light protects them also.
This light sends love as it shines through. Physically, mentally, and emotionally, this love shines on.
As you feel relaxed, you are protected, healed, and loved.
Now, slowly, you begin to return to the awareness of now. You feel physically, mentally, and emotionally relaxed.
Your muscles and nerves are relaxed, loose, and refreshed.
You open your eyes and look around. You know you can return to this space any time you want.
Thank you for reading this article. You can find out more about Thurman Greco at www.Thurmangreco.com
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What Lights Your Fire?
Take a peek at your potential. When you ponder your 5-year plan, you’re taking the slow train ride into the future.
You can enjoy the ride a little better when you explore your options.
Let yourself respond to whatever sparks your curiosity and attention.
As this happens, notice how you feel about the attraction, the unknown challenge. Leaving your comfort zone allows you to welcome adventures and opportunities.
DO THIS:
What are some ethics and morals you want to take with you on your journey? What are some strengths you’ll need? What are your gifts? How can you advocate for more than yourself?
MEDITATION
Begin this meditation by arranging yourself in a comfortable position. Close your eyes and focus on your breath as you follow your breath in and out of your nostrils. With each exhalation, your body becomes more relaxed.
As you open your eyes, you find yourself in a quiet, discreet garden. You are seated on a comfortable bench in this garden. The sky today is a beautiful blue with a few puffy clouds drifting overhead.
A wise being is walking up to you. This is your future self being introducing herself to you as your future. You have a conversation with your future self, learning from the life experiences and wisdom. Your future self shows you a picture of the future with the colors, sounds, smells, and tastes.
Your future self reaches out to you and you sit down together. Your future self holds you. You feel the wisdom, power, love, and forgiveness of yourself in the present and the future.
After a few moments, your future self returns to the future time and space.
You think for a moment about things you experienced in this meditation. You become aware of who you are now and in the future.
You realize you can return to this garden and your future self at anytime you want.
You are aware once more of your breath. You are fully present, refreshed, relaxed and in the here and now.
You gently move your muscles with small movements.
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Sorrow: Is There a Storm in Your Heart?
When someone inflicts pain, it changes you deeply. It creates a cellular memory.
At times, your body responds to this memory as if the event were happening now.
Knowing sorrow is to experience it. The more experience you have with it, the more you know it – inside and out. Some of this is internal.
When you know it, you are getting to the heart of the matter.
What to do?
Now is a time to grow. Evolution does not come skating in.
No sirree. It rides in on despair and loneliness.
It’s time to go in another direction so you can be stronger – more resilient. You are transformed.
You will evolve!
How?
Dance – Scream – Roll around on the floor – Write – Beat Drums – Journal – Draw pictures – Run – Change jobs – Move away – Apologize
DO THIS:
Move on
MEDITATION:
This meditation focuses on making your coping easier and more effective if you are under severe stress.
Find a comfortable and safe place to sit. Select a place where you will not be disturbed. When you are in this safety zone, settle into the quiet where you can feel positive and relaxed. This is your sanctuary.
Turn on some healing music. Light a candle. Fire up some incense. Do whatever makes you feel calmer. You may enjoy lighting a Himalayan salt lamp.
Now get comfortable. You may prefer a chair or a mat on the floor; whatever works best for you.
Breathe slowly, calmly and deeply. Breathe deeply – into your heart. Breathe into those places needing healing. Breathe healing and positive energies into your deepest self.
As you exhale, release negativity, stress, fear, and anything that needs to go.
Develop a pattern: breathe out to release negativity and pain.
Breathe in deeply as you receive the wisdom of your heart and your light. Breathe the wisdom of your being.
Let this breath pattern lead you to an inner sanctuary.
Open your eyes to find yourself in a tranquil place where you feel secure and strong. Your surroundings make you feel comfortable. Notice the details of this space.
Notice what this space is like. What does it look like? What is the temperature in this space?
Notice everything. Include the smells, noises, colors, textures, and shapes of this space. Examine everything about this space.
Possibly this space is from your past. Possibly it is one you are creating for your own special healing needs.
Whatever this space, you are in control of this sanctuary. Take time now to create this place just for you and your healing needs.
Notice the areas and objects that represent safety, security, and peace. This space is your refuge. Explore it now. Immerse yourself in this sanctuary, feeling its protection and beauty.
Feel the protection this space offers you.
It is time for you to return to your day now. As your breathing brings you to now, carry the safety and calm of your sanctuary with you.
Know that you can return to this space whenever you choose.
Tune into your breathing now.
Peace be with you.
