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.
Table of contents
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.”
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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:
- Disconnect from the loud voices of others
- Find the voice of your Soul
- Learn what your deepest needs and desires are
- 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.
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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!
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2. Shadow & Light Membership: Do you crave consistent support on your spiritual quest? Receive weekly intuitive guidance and learn to embrace your whole self, including your shadow side. Cultivate deeper self-love with our affordable, personalized support.
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My heart fluttered as I read this post :) What a magical coincidence o_o as these past few days I began writing my own version of Meditations – a bunch of thoughts written as my fictional / fantastical characters.
I’m still working on finishing my copy – it’s A LOT to dissect and sticky note!!! I admire Aurelius’s work; his book really shows he was just chilling in solitude with a lot on his mind. Now that I feel like I’m in his shoes, writing my own version feels like the perfect ritual to do some inner work, and work with my empathy too as I embody my characters.
The specific characters I write as are very much considered hermits facing their own challenges, analyzing the world in their unique perspectives. One of them is an elf :D
I can go on about it but writing these meditations / journals feel really good. Great food for the soul!
I love this! I can definitely relate to the archetype of a hermit. And I hear your warning that it can be driven by an aversion to the noise of external life – gosh, particularly right now – there is so much unpleasant noise. But I like your action plan. I think I would also add: iv) Go for a walk in nature, v) Meditate and vi) Switch off from news and social media (except for your posts that is!)
Oh my! Yes, yes, yes. I have been in hermit phase for a few years now. It began as an emergency necessity during the flooding/breakdown/dark night 😩 era and as I slowly began to heal, it morphed into insatiable seeking which is how I found you and Mateo (and now Sage🥰). Thank you for also revealing that shadow side as I was unaware! I can confirm that is real and now I get to work with that too! LOL Thanks so much for all you do for us!
Aletheia, this article brought so much peace to me and resonance in a time where there seems to be a ton of fluctuations. I am still getting used to flowing with so much change. I definitely identify with the hermit energy and as a general hermit :) I am also a HSP and was recently diagnosed with autism. I find that a shadow of this energy for me lies in overthinking which then rolls into staying stuck and not taking action. This article was so helpful for me to see both light/dark sides of the hermit, and to know that things are always shifting. I also feel that sometimes in this quest as hermit, we may strive too much for idealism or perfection – which, as we know, doesn’t exist – which defeats the purpose of that truth, freedom, and peace we seek. Ironically, it’s often in the change/storms we find what we’re looking for, or at least when the dust has settled. I have not found a ‘live’ teacher yet, but love how you framed “external teachers” from the books you read. I consider you a teacher and mentor as well as books and Divine support that I receive.… Read more »
I agree with everything in this writing but would ad that it’s imperative to create a private space if at all possible.
As a live in housekeeper I am working on making some kind of office/escape room that I can retreat to avoid constant contact with others.
I summer I can go outside to my small garden but in winter, there is only my bedroom which is small with few places to just sit or store things I want to look at.
You need a quiet place to go. It needs to be a place you like being in.
Congratulations with the birth of your child! 🙏🏼🤗 This can be a very overwhelming time dear.
Owning your own body (again!) and just feel (your breath) is an instant “ME” Time, always and everywhere 💞
I am in the crone years now, but remember well the struggle to find time for myself during the time I birthed 3 children within 5 years. Talk about hectic. One piece of advice I have to give you is to create a nap routine, When they were babies we had 2 naptimes—one at 10 am and another at 1 pm. As the baby grew older we dropped the morning nap but kept the afternoon naps well into toddlerhood, or as long as we could. (Each child is unique and different and may drop the afternoon nap earlier in age than you’d like.) The nap became a scheduled time of rest, quiet, and personal pursuit. We also planned driving trips during that afternoon nap as the children tended to sleep during travel. Another thing that helped was to play children’s music and stories from the A Gentle Wind company. My late husband Paul Strausman had award-winning children’s recordings with that company, but all the contributors were great. The company no longer produces new music but you can access many of the artist’s work on Spotify. Teach your child how to amuse themself as they grow. You need to interact with… Read more »
I often get the Hierophant card in Tarot readings, similar to the Hermit. I
stay in a cocoon for 5 days a week and work on my cat toys and beanies.
It’s my comfort zone I crave and I can’t wait to get my work days over with.
This post is timely when my dad battles cancer, cardiac issues and finances. Prayers requested
OMG you just had a baby?! Congratulations, I’m so happy for you!!!