The Hermit

Librarian and Professor of Candle Magic

Mandrake’s school librarian usually scurries through the archives as quickly and quietly as a mouse. He’s hard to corner, and you might only catch a glimpse of him before he disappears into a secret alcove or a hidden reading room. He occasionally teaches a class in candle magic, but you’ll have to register early: the Hermit doesn’t like crowds, so enrollment is extremely limited.

Key Symbols

• The school librarian is an old man, stooped with age and wrapped in a heavy, hooded cloak. He moves through the shadows of ancient tomes by the light of a hand-dipped candle. He carries the light of wisdom for others to follow, but he doesn’t go out of his way to attract attention.

• The Hermit card usually represents wisdom, prudence, and illumination, as well as philosophy, introspection, and meditation. The card also illustrates the concept of solitude and the power of silence.

• The Hermit’s constant companion is a mouse, a symbol of quiet watchfulness, observation, and attention to detail.

• One of the books behind the Hermit is marked with the Hebrew letter Yod, a simple form that looks like a flame. It means hand, and it signifies the hand of God. It’s also a form that’s incorporated in every other letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

• The Hermit is carrying a book inscribed with a glyph for Virgo, the sign of work, duty, and service. Virgos are hard-working, practical, resourceful, and organized — but they sometimes isolate themselves in an effort to live up to their own high standards. In Latin, Virgo means “unmarried” or “self-possessed.”

• Virgos can be critical ¾ although usually, they are most critical of themselves. They’re also extremely helpful. Once you seek them out, they are more than willing to share the wisdom they have accumulated on their own journeys.

Practical Magic

Use candle magic to focus your intent on goal that you’ve set for yourself. Start with a small candle, because you’ll burn it in one sitting. Choose a white candle for purity, pink for love and affection, red for passion, orange for desire, yellow for clarity, green for creativity and financial success, and blue for insight. Choose a black candle if your goal is to reduce, eliminate, or banish something from your life.

Use a toothpick to inscribe meaningful words or symbols on the candle. Place the candle in a safe spot, and surround it with tarot cards that remind you of your objective.

As you light the candle, state your goal aloud. As it burns, visualize yourself reaching your goal and enjoying the results. When the candle burns out, record the session in your Book of Shadows.

Color Magic

• Red, the color of wine or blood, symbolizes passion, love, and sex. Red is also the color of Aries, the sign of the warrior, and Mars , the planet of energy and aggression. It can represent danger, anger, and alarm.

• Pink, a lighter shade of red, indicates passions that have cooled. Shades of pink and rose are soothing, calming, and symbolize acceptance, friendship, forgiveness, love, romance, peace, and harmony. Pink is associated with Taurus, the sign of comfort, and Venus, the planet of romance.

• Orange, like a blazing fire or a sunset on a tropical island, symbolizes the flames of desire and burning passions. Orange typically represents vitality and enjoyment, vigor, physical health, enthusiasm, and enjoyment. The color is associated with Leo, the sign of the showman, and the sun.

• Yellow, like the sun, symbolizes energy, clear thinking, and consciousness. Yellow is also the color of Mercury, the planet of speed and communication, along with Gemini, the sign of the twins. Yellow represents optimism, radiance, and brilliance. Yellow can sometimes symbolize cowardice and weakness.

• Green is the color of nature, growth, healing, and fertility. It symbolizes creativity and prosperity. In the United States, green is the color of money and financial success. Green can also symbolize envy, jealousy, and greed. Green is associated with Taurus and Libra, two signs ruled by fertile Venus.

• Blue, the tranquil color  of sea and sky, is associated with meditation and reflection. It also corresponds to Jupiter, the planet of luck and expansion, and Sagittarius, the sign of exploration.

• Indigo, like the midnight heavens, symbolizes cosmic mysteries. Lost in its inky depths, the color inspires contemplation, wisdom, spiritual realization, and cosmic wisdom. Indigo is associated with Uranus, the planet of revolutionary thought, and Aquarius, the sign of social groups and causes.

• Violet, the traditional color of royalty, symbolizes leadership and divinity, as well as luxury, wealth, and sophistication. It’s associated with Neptune, the planet of illusion, and Pisces, the sign of the subconscious realm.

• Black, the color of night, is linked to darkness and sleep, when our consciousness fades and our unconscious thoughts and emotions take control of our dreams. Black is mysterious. It can even be elegant and authoritative. Black is also the color of mourning, depression, darkness, and anxiety, and it can symbolize dark and destructive forces of nature. Black corresponds to Pluto, the planet of transformation, and Scorpio, the sign of life’s greatest mysteries.

• White, like the clouds, symbolizes innocence, pure spirituality, intuition and psychic ability. It can also seem sterile, cold, clinical, and easily marred. It’s often associated with the moon, the brightest luminary in the night sky, along with Cancer, the sign that’s ruled by the moon.

• Brown, the color of bare earth, symbolizes the potential of fallow soil. It can represent grounding, stability, and practicality. Brown can also symbolize poverty and dirt. The color is associated with Capricorn, the sign of earthly concerns, and Saturn, the planet of boundaries, limitations, and restrictions.

The Hermit’s Solitary One-Card Spread

The Hermit is thoughtful, introspective man, and he can get more information from a solitary card than most tarot readers can get from ten or twenty cards.

How to Read a Single Card

• Start by saying the name of each card out loud. “This card,” you might say, “is the Queen of Swords.”

• If the card you’re reading is from the major arcana, discuss what you know about its archetype, and the powerful life lessons that major arcana cards represent. It might help to bring up the stories and myths associated with each card.

• If the card is from the minor arcana, summarize what you know about the suit. Wands, for example, usually relate to spiritual issues, while cups are emotional, swords are intellectual, and pentacles are physical cards.

• Look at the numbers assigned to each card. They could indicate whether the issue at hand is in the beginning, middle, or end stage.

• Pay attention to the color schemes in the card. What moods do the colors convey? What accent colors are used? What do they add to the card’s meaning?

• Then describe the figures or characters in each card. Describe their clothing, their posture, their expressions, and their attitudes. Imagine what they might say if you could hear them speak.

• Look beyond the characters in the card, and describe the scenery that surrounds them. Look for meaningful images and signs in their environment.

• As you study each card, your eye will probably be drawn to a single image or symbol. That image might remind you of a word, a phrase, or an expression. It might trigger a visual image or scene in your mind’s eye. It might make you feel hot or cold, or inspire an emotional reaction. In fact, a card could activate any one of your senses: sight, sound, touch, scent, and even taste. Simply put your reaction into words. Don’t worry about being right or wrong; just describe all of the impressions you get from the card.

• Once you start talking, don’t censor yourself. Go with the flow and just keep talking, stream-of-consciousness style. Random words and phrases might pop into your head. Repeat them out loud, even if they don’t seem to make sense. That’s because the cards sometimes communicate through puns and wordplay. You might say “sun,” for example, but the person you’re reading for will hear “son,” and the message will make perfect sense. At any rate, verbalizing your impressions will help you assess each card, and you may even surprise yourself with the accuracy of your insight and intuition.

• Tarot reading is a collaborative process. If you get stuck, especially if you’re reading for someone else, ask them what the images could mean, and which symbols seem most important. There’s no need to pretend you’re psychic if you’re not. Even if you do have an especially sensitive sixth sense, asking for basic information is much, much easier than trying to intuit the facts. As you look at the cards together, you may even find that your querent has a good sense of what the symbols and images portend in their lives.

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