The Hermit: Listening To The Inner Master

By Renato: In Blavatsky’s Theosophy, our Higher Self (or Reincarnating Ego) is regarded as a triad composed of Atman, Buddhi, and Manas.

It is what we commonly know—albeit in a highly simplified way—as our immortal soul, the “eternal pilgrim” that periodically roots itself in matter for a new evolutionary journey through this dense world.

This Higher Self is also referred to by Blavatsky as “The Voice of the Silence.” It is an inner, silent wisdom that, throughout the Hero’s Journey portrayed in the Tarot, guides the traveler whenever the rational mind becomes confused or overwhelmed by life’s challenges.

This Inner Master is represented by the archetype of the Wise Old Man, symbolized by The Hermit (Card IX of the Tarot), the bearer of wisdom accumulated through countless incarnations.

The Hermit is often misunderstood as a card of isolation, sadness, old age, or renunciation. While it may indeed represent periods of withdrawal, this is not a form of misanthropy or an escape from the world. Rather, it reflects a need for self-knowledge—a genuine pause for inner realignment, during which we must ask ourselves:

What is our true path? Are we really following it?
What belongs to us, and what belongs to others?
What do we do out of genuine conviction, and what do we do because of social pressure
or external expectations?

In this noisy world, people often seek to appear rather than to be. They become attached to titles and positions, devote themselves to exhausting pursuits of goals, deadlines, and achievements, and live under the constant influence of social media, which frequently presents a superficial, edited, and illusory version of reality.

How often do we choose a profession because of the status or income it offers without considering whether it truly suits us?

Does a highly competitive and often hypocritical corporate environment really fit someone with a more technical or reflective temperament?

Is political activity suitable for someone who speaks bluntly and has little taste for games of influence?

Does competitive sport genuinely reflect the nature of a more intellectual person, or is it merely an attempt to gain social acceptance?

Only honest—and often uncomfortable—self-examination can provide these answers. To do so, however, we must withdraw for a time and listen to this Inner Master, whose wisdom seems to transcend the limits of a single lifetime.

When we return from this encounter with ourselves, we come back to the world more conscious than before. We gain a clearer understanding of who we are and begin to live in greater harmony with our true nature. The Hermit, therefore, does not abandon life. He returns to it with deeper awareness. He returns to work, relationships, family, and society, but without losing himself so easily in external expectations and pressures.
Yet most of the time, we neglect this need for reflection. We move through life almost like sleepwalkers, operating on autopilot. Eventually, a crisis—often appearing at one of life’s crossroads—forces us to listen to this Inner Master, whether we wish to or not.

In Astrology, such crises frequently coincide with transits or progressions involving the so-called “Gods of Change”: Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. These periods confront us with choices, losses, endings, and profound transformations.
Upon returning to ordinary life after such a process, we understand ourselves more clearly. This does not mean there will be no losses. Quite often, the crisis itself demands sacrifices or leads us to abandon paths that no longer make sense. The outcome is usually bittersweet. There is almost always a price to be paid, whether at the beginning or at the end of the journey.

A professional crisis may lead us to realize that the field in which we have worked never truly reflected our talents or values. We may then move toward a vocation more aligned with our nature, even if it offers less financial reward.

A health crisis may reveal that we have sacrificed our bodies for years in order to maintain an exhausting social or professional routine that never truly served us. In such cases, we may be called to leave that lifestyle behind.

The loss of a loved one upon whom we depended emotionally may uncover strengths and qualities we never knew we possessed. Yet they were already there, dormant and waiting for the right moment to emerge.

A romantic rejection can lead us to reflect on our self-worth and the extent to which it depends on external validation. After such reflection, we may choose to continue our lives alone, or gain valuable insight into the type of person who is truly compatible with us.

In any case, we must periodically seek this ancient wisdom, this Wise Old Man who dwells within us and helps us correct our course whenever we drift away from ourselves. Better that we do so voluntarily, through reflection and silence, before life compels us to do so through crisis.

After all, The Hermit does not invite us to abandon the world. He invites us to walk through it without abandoning who we truly are.

Best regards,

Renato