The Hermit: A Musical Journey through the Major Arcana of the Tarot

Number: 9

Symbol: Enneagram

Sound/Music reference: Labyrinth

Quote: “The aim of music is not to express feelings but to express music. It is not a vessel into which the composer distills his soul drop by drop, but a labyrinth with no beginning and no end, full of new paths to discover, where mystery remains eternal.” – Pierre Boulez

"Music isn't just learning notes and playing them. You learn notes to play to the music of your soul." - Katie Greenwood    

Song: Revolution #9 – The Beatles

Seek Within and Ye Shall Find…

I call the ninth card of the Tarot, The Hermit, the Jimmy Page card. During my early study of the cards, I watched the Led Zeppelin movie The Song Remains the Same for the first time, and in one sequence Mr. Page transforms into the Hermit. I didn’t know at the time Page had a fascination for the Tarot. John Lennon had a thing for #9, and there’s nine letters in Rock ‘n’ Roll. Nine is the end of the natural integers, and therefore marks the completion of a cycle.

The Hermit stands atop of a hill with only a lantern to guide him. He represents a time in our lives for introspection, and searching inside ourselves for answers. He can also be a mentor, gently guiding you on your journey. A man who worked for Cheap Trick passed away shortly before my awakening, and though I’d only met him briefly a few times, when I asked the Universe for help with my writing of the book, he showed up symbolically in a dream. He even looked like the Hermit when he was alive. Over the years after my awakening, I believe his spirit had been my mentor as I’ve worked with him through the Tarot cards. Once again I was being shown that the cards truly do represent how our lives are patterned after these archetypes.

The Long and Winding Road

The physical correspondence to the symbolism of the Hermit is a traditional labyrinth, which represents our passage from the outer world of everyday life, to the sacred center. It is not intended to confuse like a maze, and only has a single route that spirals to the center, frequently originating from nine points at its core.  “The traveler reverses direction nine times through eight rings, cycling in rhythms of left and right, outward and inward. Reaching the mystic center at the eighth ring, the pilgrim completes the octave and transforms to a higher, or deeper, realm, the core of Self.” (Beginner's Guide To Constructing The Universe) pg 313 

In July of 2002, I asked the tarot, “What is the meaning of rock music to the people of my generation?” The Hermit showed up as one of the cards in this powerful spread. To me, it symbolized how many rock fans used music to connect with some deep part of themselves which seemed to go unnoticed in our daily lives. Drugs added another dimension to the experience. But true spiritual enlightenment does not come from a random use of a mind altering substance. It comes from understanding yourself, and the only way to do that is through introspection and a willingness to face our ego (at least IMHO).

Rock the House Down

I believe our souls wanted to make a difference with the coming of the new millennium, and so the old walls of morality had to be broken down before a new level of consciousness could come through. The dawning of the Age of Aquarius meant we could step up to the plate and change the previous millenniums of war by moving towards a vision of peace within ourselves. It wasn’t just about pointing fingers and blaming all the other Fools for screwing up our world. We are the world. For the first time in recent history, a generation of people attempted to use music to create a revolution and change in consciousness without the use of physical force. As a collective, we embodied the Hermit, at least for a while, and Rock ‘n’ Roll was the driving force in bringing us together to be the change in the world we wanted to see.

Sound/Musical reference: Labyrinth

According to Michael S. Schneider, “Initiates ritually traversing labyrinths changed tones as they followed the path. The lost clues to their music are built into the labyrinth’s structure. Each ring of this labyrinth corresponds to a note of the musical octave.”

I found several references of using sound and toning notes when walking the labyrinth. The notes reflect the paths you walk in the labyrinth, and correspond to your chakras.

    

Even if you can’t find a labyrinth to walk, you can print out two copies and trace the lines with your fingers. Some people swear this works just as well. See if any tones or sounds emerge from your voice when you travel along the path of the labyrinth. Just allow whatever comes up to be expressed without judgment. This is the sound of your soul!  Music can bring us inward, as we spiral towards the inner reaches of our consciousness. Enjoy the journey.

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