Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Intuitive Tuesday -- The Hermit

Every Tuesday I select one card and give you my interpretation of it. See how it applies to your life. What messages are here for you?

Each Thursday I choose one reader's comment from Intuitive Tuesday and pull an additional card for more clarity...so check back on Thursday to see what cards come up.


Today's card is The Hermit, a card of searching within. This card comes from my brand new deck, the Legacy of the Divine Tarot by Ciro Marchetti.

From the picture, you can see a cloaked man, holding a wand with a crystal at the end. There are mountains in the distance, indicating a long and winding road -- possibly isolation and distance from daily distractions.

I've written about The Hermit card here and here. Some of the key phrases about The Hermit are that it is a card for searching within, not so much of an intellectual search as an intuitive search. The Hermit symbolizes turning within and purposely taking time to meditate, contemplate and become centered. The Hermit calls you away from the pressures and distractions in life to pursue your spiritual journey. In your quest for knowledge, you may seek advice from others, but The Hermit indicates that your best counsel is by tuning in and listening to your own wisdom.

Today, I got another intuitive insight for this card and its meaning for us. It came after reading the book that accompanies this deck, Gateway to the Divine Tarot, by Ciro Marchetti. In the book Marchetti states:
"Some knowledge takes the form of light and some takes the form of shadow. The knowledge of light is meant for the world. The knowledge of shadow is meant for you alone, but it is concealed until you are ready...the Hermit divides the light from the shadow and initiates you into the mysteries of both." (page 107)
There is a theory about the light and the dark. I remember reading about it in Debbie Ford's book, The Dark Side of the Light Chasers. Although I read her book a long time ago, I remember her theory was that each of us has both a light and a shadow side. Light traits are those that we deem as "good."  Shadow traits are ones that we consider "bad" and so we have locked them away. Out of sight. Out of mind.

One of the ways to identify your shadow traits is to notice traits in other people that either irritate you or infatuate you. The more they charge you (irritate or infatuate), the more you have this trait yourself and are expending energy to deny it or cover it up.

Here's an example, I recently met a guy who asked me a couple of questions about being a life coach. Shortly thereafter, I found out he was offering his services as a life coach. My defensive reaction was, "So, when you fly in a commercial airliner, do you suddenly feel as though you have the expertise to be a pilot?"

One of my shadow traits may be about pretending to be something I'm not or feigning expertise at something where I have no formal training.

"What? I would never do that!"

Do you see how this works?

By life coach, Bill, talks about how each of us contains ALL of the traits that we witness in humans -- whether we label these traits as "good" or "bad." He has an exercise that I believed he learned from his mentor, Dr. John DeMartini, called a Quantum Collapse process where you identify a situation that charges you (brings ups positive or negative emotions). As part of the process (which is fairly extensive), you list traits that you admire ("good") in another person or in a situation and traits that disgust you ("bad").

The first time I did this exercise with him, it was tough to even find traits I liked in the person who was charging (irritating) me. It was equally tough to find places in my life where I displayed his "bad" traits. "I'm just not like THAT!"

By going through the entire Collapse process (which is tough), I found that it really helped me to find a sense of calm and peacefulness within myself...as though my thoughts, emotions and the associated feelings were neutralized.

Coming back to The Hermit and his message of pondering both the light side and the shadow side, try neutralizing a situation that is charging you. Think of one trait that charges you ("good" = infatuation or "bad" = irritation) and list how you are like this (good or bad) and when you exhibit these traits and possibly who in your life sees you exhibiting this trait. For me this exercise was challenging, humbling and enlightening.

I'm curious to hear about your experiences with this exercise.

5 comments:

Tami said...

To an extrovert, The Hermit seems it would be a "bad" card, one that asks me to do the opposite of my nature. But now I realize the value of introspection and its application in my spiritual growth.

Bill has guided me through The Quantum Collapse Process as well. The relationship with the person I "Collapsed" was forever better, as I found unconditional love for her, as well as for myself, which is quite rare. When I was able to discover that I not only possess every one of her "annoying" habits, I actually benefit from them, I experienced an overwhelming rush of love and light that I never had before, or since.

You've brought that experience back to me this morning, and all of the opportunities for continued growth and ascention that accompany it.

If life coaching were flying, I'd say you've earned your wings!

Lori Lavender Luz said...

You two have told me about the Quantum Collapse and I do think there would be value in going through it with a person who "charges" me.

But surely I'm not like THAT PERSON!

I had a problem recently with a person I saw as a competitor. I turned mental somersaults all night one night. During a yoga class the next day, I set the intention to release the struggle. The line that came to me was simple yet profound:

"There is no Other."

That's about as collapsed as you can get.

suzicremecheeze said...

Hi Sheri!

I am probably looking at this differently but this quote is the one that talked to me...

"The Hermit symbolizes turning within and purposely taking time to meditate, contemplate and become centered. The Hermit calls you away from the pressures and distractions in life to pursue your spiritual journey. In your quest for knowledge, you may seek advice from others, but The Hermit indicates that your best counsel is by tuning in and listening to your own wisdom." This really applies to me right now. I thank you for pulling the Hermit and reminding me to listen to my own wisdom!

As far as a situation or person that is "charging" me... I cannot really come up with any one thing or particular person who "irritates" me... although I can think of some general traits that SADDEN me more than irritate me.(negative) I can also think of people in my life who have traits that I admire and respect. (positive) They always bring a smile to my face and joy to my heart... and I am blessed to have them in my life...

When I do occasionally run into a situation or person who "gets to me", I always take some deep breaths and try to surround the situation or person in a loving light... That usually takes care of it for me and leaves me at peace. (and sometimes leaves melaughing at myself for allowing it to upset me in the first place!) So, as I said, I am probably reading this all wrong and perhaps am not getting the point. Or am I just not seeing what I need to see??? I am not certain...

Quiet Dreams said...

When I saw the title of this post, I thought, "this is for me!" I've definitely traveled inward as I've been dealing with pain and healing. My challenge is to use my alone time for ME and not for being "productive."

The people I thought about who "charge" me are my parents. There are a number of traits they have that really get to me, particularly lately. I know I also have a tendency to do some of these same behaviors, and I HATE it in myself. When I'm with them, however, I can only see their fault, not how I am similar. (And I tend to blame them for any similarity I find in myself.) I am definitely going to work through this exercise in a more thoughtful way. Thank you for this.

excavator said...

The Hermit has described my internal state lately. I've stayed away from the blogs awhile to give myself a chance to hear myself think...

You know, it's funny. There are a few people that I've had uncomfortable feelings about for years. And I'm not sure I WANT to love them unconditionally...not in the way I love my children unconditionally (to the extent that I'm able to do THAT). I'm not sure if that's the same as rejecting aspects of myself. It's tricky.

What Lori said, "There is no Other," resonates for me and is easier for me to reconcile with the way my inner self recoils from these people like nails on a blackboard.