The Art of Being a Hermit

About once a year, I steal away from the constant noise of my everyday life and spend a few days, maybe even a week, in my sacred space.

My sacred space is a tiny cottage in the woods in the middle of Minnesota. Here, the only sounds besides those of my own footsteps are the singing of the birds and the scampering of the squirrels.

For my stay, most of my needs are readily taken care of. Freshly cooked meals, vegetables, fruits, and a variety of teas and desserts arrive a couple times a day in a picnic basket placed quietly on my front step.

The cottage itself is built from knotted pine. My bed is a cozy little twin with a patchwork quilt. There’s a communal journal on a tiny table where people write about their stays.

My cottage is officially called a hermitage, for it is a one-person-only space. And the staff, the ones who ensure I am fed and cared for, call me their “hermit.”

The Lost Art of Silence

Of all the kinds of pollution that threaten our world and our bodies, noise pollution is probably the most overlooked. Our world has gotten steadily noisier as humanity has progressed, to the point that many people are uncomfortable in absolute silence. People sleep with fans or white noise. Background music is always playing in every elevator or bookstore. You can’t even pump gas for your car without being inundated by a screen blaring the latest news and commercials. True silence has become nearly impossible to find.

Unlike our other senses, there are few ways to block yourself off from noise. Earplugs, as anyone who has slept next to a snorer knows, only muffle sound. So-called noise-canceling headphones still don’t create true silence. Peace in the summertime is interrupted by road construction, winter by snowplows, fall by leaf blowers, and spring by lawnmowers.

In our world, we understand quiet. We know what it means to hush, or to whisper, or to modulate our volume. But quiet is not the same thing as silence. Quiet is forced suppression. But silence, true silence, is freedom.

The Archetype of the Hermit

In the Tarot, the Hermit belongs to the major arcana. It is always one of my favorite cards to draw.

When we draw the Hermit in a tarot reading, it is a reminder to turn inward; to return to the source of wisdom that lives within us, wisdom that cannot be found in the outer world of sound.

The Hermit offers the respite of solitude and reflection. He knows the importance of stopping the onward march of life and returning to something simpler.

The Hermit represents the archetype of the introvert, the movement of withdrawal, and the power of stillness and self-reflection. He might not be as popular as extroverted, externally focused tarot cards like the Queens or the Chariot. But the Hermit’s power is not derived from outside sources.

The Hermit is largely undervalued in our productivity-forward culture. On a subconscious level, perhaps we even fear the Hermit because, culturally, spaces of silence are often equated with rejection or even punishment. But in a world that is overrun with the hum of constant, steady noise, there is no better time than now to reclaim the power of solitude and silence that the Hermit bestows.

How to Practice the Hermit Way

If you find yourself hungering to awaken your inner hermit, here are a few guidelines to follow. Nothing needs to be adhered to in totality, but rather, find a movement toward increasing stillness and silence that is enjoyable and restorative rather than punishing or suppressing. A few things to consider:

The Place: Depending on the noise that is currently around your living space, your hermitage may or may not be far from home. It can be a bedroom, an office, or a place along a lake or in the woods.

The Duration: While any amount of time in silence can be restorative, it takes time to release the noise from our system and to truly return to the silence within. Prepare as much as you can ahead of time so you can let go of the outer world and rest.

The Simplicity: To find quiet within, we need stillness without. Simplify your surroundings. If you are traveling somewhere, pack lightly. Have food prepared or arranged ahead of time, if possible. The more the basics are covered, the more you can truly settle in.

The Activities: When I first started hermit-ing, I saw it as an opportunity to get a lot of stuff done. I packed bags full of books and work that kept me busy from morning until night. Needless to say, these trips were not very restorative! I have learned instead to bring just a couple of things to do, maybe some light reading or crocheting, but otherwise permit myself to do little to nothing.

The Engagement: When I hermit, I try to stay as silent as possible, both within and without. This is why it is so lovely that the staff leaves my food on the step without a word. It is a relief to not even need to leave my inner sanctuary to engage in pleasantries.

The Silence: At first, deep silence might be discomfiting. But over time and practice, it becomes a powerful rejuvenator. Give yourself time to unwind, to do little to nothing, to simply be.

Getting away to a quiet place is no easy task. Sometimes, we can’t do much more than take a trip to a local (quiet) park or library. But every choice we make to spend some time in silence awakens the healing, restorative energy of the Hermit.

Learn more about the benefits of silent retreats.