The Year of the Hermit

After emotional trauma, I found myself withdrawing from the world. The Hermit kept appearing in my readings, card after card, persistent and clear. When I consulted with a reader, she offered a different frame: perhaps this was a season of necessary reflection.

I stopped fighting the impulse to be alone. I didn't force myself to be cheerful or social. Instead, I let myself inhabit the quiet—the solitude that felt less like loneliness and more like listening.

A year later, I stepped back into community, but I was changed. The withdrawal had deepened me. I returned with clearer sight, softer edges, and a kind of wisdom that only comes from being still long enough to hear yourself think.