Moving at the pace of the hermit’s lantern
Big picture goals, stressors, and unanswered questions make it hard to move step by step. That’s where the light of the Hermit can anchor us in the moment. Photo by Vlad Bagacian.
The nines won’t leave me alone. They keep popping up—sometimes it’s in revisions. Recently I cut my cast of characters down from 12 to 9, and it really felt right. I remembered how my favorite high school English teacher engaged us in a writing activity where we selected animals, colors, numbers, scents, and I chose nine for my number. I also chose otters. I don’t remember how these things went together in the end, but I’m sure it was magic. She was one of those beloved teachers who can encourage even the most reluctant writers to tell a story.
Nines are popping up in my Tarot reads as well. The Hermit, the ninth card in the major arcana, has been a frequent visitor—I know some of you have been experiencing this as well. Is it any coincidence that 2025 will be a Hermit year, according to many Tarot-minded peeps? Exhibit B. Maybe Lindsay Mack was searching for the same stock images of lanterns as meeeeeee!
Speaking of which, there’s something very gentle about looking at a lantern flame that invites you to slow down and breathe, right? It’s that Hermit energy that says: You can’t go any faster. This is all the light there is. Right here. Step by step.
Nines are almost at the end, but not quite. It might feel counterintuitive to pause and move slowly with the end in sight, but that’s exactly what Hermit suggests.
I was forced to move a bit more slowly this past week thanks to a sprained ankle. This included a trip to a favorite museum where I’m typically inclined to move-look-quick-look-move, often out of enthusiasm for what I’m observing and out of a desire to absorb as much as possible. Not all museums are accessible and considerate of patrons who might need to pause and rest, even though there are lots of folks who would love to see all they can but perhaps not at the standard pace of looking. Luckily, this museum had a cozy library corner with places to rest, plus books and zines inspired by the current exhibitions.
There is nothing ideal about being less mobile than an environment allows, but there is something to the slow looking of it all for the writer’s life. For a beautiful articulation of this, see Nicola Griffith’s blog post “Writing From the Body” which I’ve oft quoted. Oft!
Back to the museum and the books—I grabbed a few and rested my ankle on an obliging stool. One of the texts was Slow Looking by Shari Tishman. Well, goodness gracious. As someone who’s spent most of my working life in classroom settings, I’m fascinated and challenged by notions of slowing down conversation, inviting learners to pause and observe before they’re obliged to answer. Tishman’s book examines how different individuals apply slow looking to their own creative or educational practices. This includes the art of slow journalism—telling a story over years as opposed to hours, and in so doing, going against the grain of how most of us produce and consume media. Very Hermit-like! I love musing on how we can apply this to the writing life, in particular character development.
As Tishman says…
When you look for a while, you become aware of how a thing might look to somebody else; you also become aware of your own lens...
The Hermit in the Modern Witch Tarot deck by Lisa Sterle held up against purple blooms of Mexican sage.
Often when we want to obtain an answer or complete a project, we start to look out, out, out, as if to see the light we need to push the very light away from ourselves. What if instead we paused to look inward? Even as we can see the very threshold before us, even as the cycle is set to complete and reboot? What if instead of asking where a character ends up, we ask how their shoulders move when they inhale? Or how they take a single bite of an apple, or how their eyebrows shift when they’re confused, or how they check their pockets before they leave the house? What is their favorite number/animal/scent? Did they pick otters, meerkats, Carolina wrens?
How truly weird and how truly right that feels to slow down! Very both-and. Very on the cusp and yet in the heart of it all. Very nines.
Writers who took my Lantern for the Path class many moons ago will remember that while the energy of the Hermit isn’t particularly interested in what society has to say about who they should or shouldn’t be, the Hermit is not cut off from society either. The Hermit can be making something / building something / learning something / creating something FOR others, for community, and yet there needs to be this slow-looking process to make that possible.
We’ll get more into Hermit as well as 1-2 minor nines (Nine of Cups, Nine of Swords) in Magic & Hope in the Nines, but here’s a 20-25 minute writing activity to help set the stage for this energetic exploration, both for the session on December 9 as well as the longer version to come in 2025 (stay tuned). Enjoy!
Guided Writing with a Hermit in Mind*
Warm up with light. What is your favorite kind of light? Srsly. Take a moment to describe it—you might have a favorite window or view, or a type of weather that creates dappled light or shadows that you love. Write for 6-7 minutes, describing both the source of light and the environment it creates.
What is it you’re wishing to complete or release in this coming month? Jot down your ideas or even make a list. Take a few minutes or as long as you like.
If you were to describe a hermit-like character, how would they move/dress/speak/laugh? Are they a person/animal/creature? Tell us everything about them. Write for 8-9 minutes. See how they surprise you.
How can you take inspiration from this hermit character? What have they shown you? If they were to give you a magical object to aid you in the art of slowing down, what would it be? Write for 4-5 minutes.
Pause and take a deep, lovely breath.
Stare into space for three+ minutes.
*Want another opportunity to explore slow making/movement? This past blog post by guest editor Kay Teekell invites you to engage in slow-writing! Check it out.