The 5-Minute Hermit: How to Find Solitude in a Busy World

But I’ll tell you what hermits realize. If you go off into a far, far forest and get very quiet, you’ll come to understand that you’re connected with everything. – Alan Watts

If there’s any archetype (aka., universal energy) at the core of lonerwolf, it is the hermit. 

In fact, of all the energies that surround the path of Self-understanding, I’d say that the hermit is the most powerful archetype of awakening.

Without this inner guiding force, we wouldn’t have the space or impulse to go searching for who we truly are and what we truly want in the first place.

The hermit teaches that you can’t see beyond the crowd when you’re in the middle of it.

Embracing this deeper aspect of your psyche gives you a way out and a road to freedom.

In this post, I’m going to share with you the value of being a modern-day hermit and how to access this ancient energy within you in five minutes or less, even if life feels chaotic and super busy. 

The Symbolism of the Hermit Archetype

The hermit archetype represents our need to find inner wisdom, direction, counsel, and the thirst to have a direct personal connection with the Divine.

As the European equivalent of the Eastern yogi or ascetic, the hermit is an energy that you’ll encounter on your life path, often in the form of either an outer guide (teacher, guru) or an inner guide (Soul, spirit guide from the unconscious).

Examples of well-known hermit figures, some real and others fictional, include Julian of Norwich (English Christian mystic), Merlin (mythical figure), Emily Dickinson (poet), Henry David Thoreau (writer), and figures such as Nietzsche’s Zarathustra, who descends from his solitary time spent in the mountains to share his wisdom with others.

We all have the energy of the hermit within us – or at least the potential to embody it at different points in life. If you’re drawn to this archetype, you’re being invited to explore the following themes:

• Withdrawing from the external world
• Finding wisdom in solitude
• Creating a ‘healing cocoon’ or safe space for yourself
• Searching for the truth
• Going on a vision quest
• Entering a new inner journey
• Finding a teacher or guide to light the way
• Accessing your own inner Light
• Introspection and self-awareness
• Self-growth and maturation
• Developing an intimate connection with the Divine

My two favorite depictions of the hermit archetype (which is the ninth card within the tarot, as you’ll see below) depict an old man holding a lantern with a wolf by his side and a withdrawn tortoise with a lantern on top of her shell:

(Images courtesy of the Druidcraft Tarot and the Wild Unknown Tarot – pic by yours truly.)

These images perfectly sum up the essence of the hermit, which is the solitary pursuit of truth, knowledge, wisdom, and spiritual awareness. 

The Dark Side of the Hermit Archetype

All archetypes have a light and shadow side, and that includes the hermit.

If you find yourself drawn to this energy, it’s a good idea to be aware of where you could be tripping up, deluding yourself, or making life more difficult than it needs to be.

When the hermit archetype within us becomes imbalanced or extreme, the following shadows and issues can arise: 

• Withdrawing in solitude due to a fear of other people (social anxiety) 
• Wandering into blind alleyways seeking advice
• Looking too hard in the wrong direction
• Delaying action due to overthinking
• Being intolerant of other’s thoughts, advice, or opinions
• Avoiding responsibilities due to fear, insecurity, or laziness 
• Being isolated by false teachers and cult-like communities
• Chasing after external answers and solutions 
• Avoiding alone time or alternatively feeling lonely when being alone
• Feeling extra special due to spiritual experiences (aka., the spiritual ego)
• Confusing the voice of the mind with the voice of the Soul

Can you think of any more that I might have missed? 

I know for me personally, the shadow side of the hermit has emerged within my life in response to being an extreme introvert.

Don’t get me wrong, solitude is great. I’m a total homebody, and I love my space with all my favorite things and cozy nooks. 

But I’ve noticed (for me at least) that time alone can become a prison when it’s not a choice but feels like a necessity based on fear of the “outer world.”

Part of this may be nature/nurture (my mother has what I believe is undiagnosed agoraphobia), and I was taught that the world is a bad place by fundamentalist religion. 

But the other part of this avoidance of the outer world may also be because I’m an empathic HSP or highly sensitive person – meaning that the world of senses overwhelms me, and I struggle to process the chaos that is the hustle and bustle of the external world.

Nevertheless, I know that being in the world is necessary for learning, exploration, and integration – yet the dark side of the inner hermit wants to keep me locked away.

Can you relate to this struggle?

The 5-Minute Hermit: How to Find Solitude in a Busy World

Despite the potential flaws of the hermit archetype, becoming a modern hermit gives you the space to:

1. Disconnect from the loud voices of others
2. Find the voice of your Soul
3. Learn what your deepest needs and desires are 
4. Begin to live in a way that feels true to you

But how do you embody the power of the inner hermit when life is super busy?

As someone who has just had a baby AND who runs a household and this website, I don’t have as much time as I used to.

Between changing poopy nappies, writing articles, answering comments, and doing seemingly endless chores, I don’t have as much time to dedicate to the bliss of solitude as I used to. 

But, I have found a few ‘hacks’ for staying in touch with the sacred energy of the hermit, even when life is packed and there’s not much energy left.

If you struggle with feeling ungrounded, overwhelmed, or out of touch with your inner Center due to living a busy life, here’s my advice (you can do all tips in 5 minutes or less):

i) Make alone time a non-negotiable habit that you pencil into your calendar 

Even if it’s just five or ten minutes, set aside some time just for you, away from other people and other distractions. 

Right now, for me, that looks like resting on the ground and having a break between writing posts like this for a few minutes, in the solitude of my room, while Mateo takes care of the baby. 

For you, that might mean taking a few minutes to focus on your breath before you step into the shower at night or scheduling time to take a short walk before the day begins, alone.

ii) Wear noise-canceling headphones and create an inner sanctuary

When the world around you is noisy and chaotic – such as on train rides or lunch breaks – take some time to close your eyes and block it out with some noise-canceling headphones. Ahh, the miracle of technology, am I right?

I use these relatively affordable headphones, but any will do. What I love about this trick is that you can create your own sanctuary of solitude in a few seconds amid the bustle of daily life.

Spend the time in total silence, or, if you choose, listen to something you enjoy, like some ambient music, to help you stay grounded and come back home to yourself.

iii) Journal, read, pull a card (the holy trifecta)

Other than solitude, the hermit archetype represents finding both an external teacher and an internal guide on the path of awakening to our true Self.

When life is hectic, it can feel tough to tune out the external noise and tune into the inner voice of wisdom. This is why I recommend embracing the power of setting clear daily habits (Atomic Habits is a great book for that, by the way).

One habit I’ve kept, despite all others essentially withering away in the background after having a baby, is my holy trifecta: journaling, reading, and pulling a card.

While I don’t necessarily do each of these every single day, I do at least one every morning (often takes less than 5 minutes), and that helps me to stay in touch with my inner hermit.

I journal to stay connected to my inner voice. I read good books to stay connected to wise external teachers. And I pull an oracle or tarot card in a present-moment (non-predictive) way to serve as a mirror of my inner wisdom so that I can find direction.

If you’re not into pulling cards with images to reflect on, that’s fine. Maybe you’ll find joy in creating your own holy duo of reading and journaling or something else that puts you in touch with inner and outer wisdom.

Remember that you don’t need to do this for an hour. Even just a couple of minutes is enough to make a difference.

Go Deeper

Think of me as a teacher, counselor, therapist, or spirit guide, whichever role appeals to you when you seek advice. I will not give you the answers, but I will help you to find them for yourself. Using my principles of patience, contemplation, and examination before action, you can step back from troubling situations and see them from a broader perspective. – The Hermit from Spiritual Tarot by Signe E. Echols

The hermit archetype is the most powerful archetype of awakening as it helps us to go deeper into the mysteries of consciousness and existence. 

It is that special part within you that has the insatiable impulse to go searching for truth, peace, and freedom. 

Without this energy present in our lives, we’d be stuck in a fog of other’s thoughts and beliefs, not knowing who we truly are and what we deeply want in life.

Make time to connect with your inner hermit each day. They’re waiting for you patiently, and you’ll be rewarded greatly.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this exploration. How do you connect with your inner hermit? I’d love to hear from you below.

If you would like to go deeper into this archetype, you can find a more in-depth examination in our Spiritual Wanderer Course, which also includes a Hermit workbook for embodying this archetypal energy and an atmospheric meditation journey where you’ll meet your inner wise one. I also explore the four other archetypes of awakening, which you can find more about here.

That’s it for now, thank you for reading!