The Hermit represents the inner search for self.  It is the solitary quest many people experience when they are trying to gain insight into their life.  It can also symbolize the need for guidance, wisdom and caution.  I can symbolize temporarily withdrawing from others or from your normal environment in order to get some perspective on your situation.  You already have all the knowledge and wisdom needed to understand what has been happening but not it's time to think things through before rejoining others.  The Hermit is also the 9th card in the Major Arcana.  9 (1+8=9) is a mathematically magical number - its square root is three and the sum of any number multiplied by nine equals nine when added together (e.g.. 9 x 8 = 72, 7 + 2 = 9).  Nines can represent struggle, attainment, having the end in sight, bringing things to an end, completion and conclusion.  The Hermit is about seeking your inner self, the knowledge that will allow you to learn more about yourself and what you truly wish to achieve in your life. 

Gail Fairfield:  It's time for retreat.  You need to separate yourself form others and from your routine activities in order to gain some perspective on them.  You have, within you, all the knowledge and wisdom you need in order to understand what has been happening.  Now, you just need to take time to think things through before you rejoin the group.  You are involved in an actual physical withdrawal from your usual life, you may be going out of town for the weekend, locking yourself in your room, or otherwise showing people that you want to be alone to gain some perspective on your life.

The Hermit is a trailblazer in many ways.  He (or she) is willing to explore the unknown and unfamiliar in order to help others who will follow.  The Hermit is solitary but not lonely.  She realizes that sometimes we need to be on our own in order to learn out own truths.  The Hermit is about more than plumbing our own depths.  She is about being willing to gather and transmit what has been learned to others.  The Hermit is the "mad scientist" who would walk through live fire to find truth and knowledge.  The Hermit is the one who must know.  That this information might help others is a side benefit of The Hermit's journey.  The Hermit is not a teacher per se.  In fact, my guess is that The Hermit would be an abrupt and irascible person whose tolerance for the learning curve of others is very limited.

Despite her occasional cranky moments when trying to share what she has learned with others, The Hermit loves the quest.  She loves going out there beyond the beyond and tramping through the unexplored, undiscovered country.  The Hermit would have been a fabulous crew member on a starship - exploring strange new worlds, seeking out new life and new civilizations and boldly going where no one has gone before.

Sometimes this path requires actually going out there into the wild or perhaps researching a topic that has gone largely ignored.  Sometimes it requires looking inside ourselves and uncovering parts that we had thought lost or that we did not cultivate.  One I've face some of those dark, unfamiliar places within myself I will emerge with a better, clearer view of who I am and what I want out of life.  I will shed light onto the unexplored space and take a previously unexplored path.

I think this card is trying to tell me that I need to spend some time taking stock of what I've discovered and creating a plan of action.  Maybe I need to also find a way to use what I've learned in a way that will help others.  Who knows perhaps my own light will help someone else find their way through their own darkness.