Finding Inner Wisdom in the Year 2025

[00:00:00] Jessica: The world's getting louder and it feels like everyone and everything is fighting for your attention. Meanwhile, a tiny voice inside is just begging you to stop. You're asking questions like, why do I feel so off lately? Or thinking I need to step back, but from what? I feel like I'm in this weird waiting room, but I don't even know what I'm waiting for.

[00:00:22] If this sounds familiar, that is the hermit energy creeping in, and it's not about running away from life. It's about stepping back into yourself, shutting out that noise so you can figure out what really matters and what's just fluff. And in 2025, the year of the hermit, this card becomes a compass for navigating uncertain times.

[00:00:42] This means that the energy isn't just a whisper. It's more like a megaphone. And it's really asking you to stop, reflect, and get crystal clear on your next move, and then learn how to carry it forward into the world.

[00:00:59] Your [00:01:00] journey to the divine is an intimate exploration of self, where you are both the seeker and the source of enlightenment. I, Jessica Paschke, invite you to break free from the ordinary, to reforge your spiritual path with courage, curiosity, and audacity. Unleash the power of your spiritual connection, stepping into a purpose driven life free of have tos and shoulds.

[00:01:23] Join me on this profound exploration of rediscovery, where you'll not only redefine your own spiritual practice, but also inspire a collective awakening. Welcome to Reclaiming Our Spirit.

[00:01:40] Welcome to Reclaiming Our Spirit. Today, we're diving into the Hermit's Wisdom for 2025. So you want to stick around because by the end of this episode, you'll discover how to use this card as your compass, not just for your own growth, but to light the way for others too. But before we hop into that, let's talk about a moment [00:02:00] of joy for today.

[00:02:01] So this one is rooted in gratitude. Last month, I signed up for Grateful Living's, uh, word of the day, email. So each day they drop a quote based on gratefulness or gratitude. And it's something I've started to look forward to every morning when I get up. It's like a little tiny gift to get to open. And so you get a quote every single day.

[00:02:22] And one of my favorite quotes to drop in so far was this one. Tomorrow belongs to those of us who conceive of it as belonging to everyone who lend the best of ourselves to it and with joy, and that's from Audre Lorde. I love that one. That one really resonated with me. And that was my moment of joy that I wanted to share with you.

[00:02:41] Like I said, you can sign up for these little tiny emails on Grateful Living's website and you too can get the little gift of gratitude every single day. I love it. When joy can be that simple. Where all you have to do is just click and open an email and there it is show up with some curiosity. So let's talk about [00:03:00] the hermit card and I'm going to say something next that maybe you'll not hear me ever say again in this podcast, but let's kick this episode off with a little bit of math.

[00:03:11] So in case you didn't know, Every year has an assigned tarot card, and it's just really based on simple numerology. You just take the numbers from the year, so in this case it's 2025, and you add them all together, and you get a number that represents a card from the major arcana. So 2 plus 0 plus 2 plus 5 equals 9, and you get the hermit.

[00:03:32] And you can kind of think of this card of the year, like the energy that we're all exploring for the next 12 months, sort of like those year long astrology readings, but with tarot, the hermit acts as a guide or a focal point. Shining a spotlight on bigger themes, challenges, opportunities, things you'll kind of want to lean into and explore.

[00:03:57] And it's across the board for everyone. So [00:04:00] the card of the year is for the collective. It's for everyone. And there are personal cards too, but we're just talking about the big collective card. Before we dive deep into that whole thing and how it works and how you might see it, like show up for you. I want to describe the card.

[00:04:17] So you kind of know what the traditional Rider Waite, um, meaning in decks are. So typically with the Hermit card. When it shows up in a traditional deck, you'll see a lone person, usually wearing a robe, standing on top of like a jagged snowy mountain top. And they're cloaked, sort of how we would think of like a monk's cloak, giving off this like vibe of like wisdom and being detached from the world and very like going to a cave within.

[00:04:49] And often they've got a lantern held in one hand. And sometimes that lantern contains like a six pointed star, which is called the Seal of Solomon. And that star symbolizes this idea of inner [00:05:00] guidance, spiritual illumination, universal wisdom, and interestingly enough, The lantern's light only illuminates a small area, so it's only like shining just a small way forward in the path, which really represents this idea that the path of the hermit is revealed step by step, which we chatted a little bit about in the last episode with the world and following the nudge.

[00:05:23] This idea that you have to see the next step to take the next step, right? So to take the next step, you have to see the next step. So as we move, the fog kind of clears a little bit way for the next thing to come. They're holding this lantern with a light and they've got a staff as well. And the staff symbolizes like the support, the connection to the earth, like being grounded and anchored into the earth.

[00:05:44] And giving you, um, the stability you need to navigate any uncertain terrain coming your way. But the rest of the card is kind of stark and there's not a lot of like visible imagery to distract you. It's really just this figure in the mountain [00:06:00] top. And the idea here is that the mountain symbolizes going to the top of the mountain, right?

[00:06:05] Often how the world thinks of spiritual attainment. We're going to go up to the top of the mountain. You're going to have this required solitude and you're going to like achieve spiritual enlightenment. Okay. And we're going to talk about more later in the episode how that isn't necessarily totally true, but that's how this card is portraying it.

[00:06:25] So when this card shows up in readings, or like if you're doing like a self exploration and it shows up when you pull it for your daily draw, it's often talking about concepts of like meditation, Contemplation, soul searching, time away, maybe even a retreat, some kind of, some kind of withdrawal from the outer world, the external noise, so that you can do that whole inner reflection thing, contemplation kind of stuff.

[00:06:48] And it's really a call to pay attention to your inner wisdom, your inner self. And to work on yourself away from like that external noise and just really focus on your self development. And often [00:07:00] that does, you know, include solitude where you have to kind of step away from everything that's going on around you in order to like tune in and really get clear.

[00:07:07] And there's also this idea, especially with this, the lantern, right, that glow about this light in the darkness, this inner light of wisdom guiding us through the unknown. And the hermit is on a path learning how to navigate the in between. That in between space by taking that middle road. So they're, they're up on the mountain and they're trying to see that bigger perspective.

[00:07:30] That bigger view. They're not leaning one way to the other one way extreme to the other extreme, but they're anchoring into this idea that more than one thing can be true at the same time. And they're really trying to get that bigger perspective. That 30, 000 foot view. Maybe not. There's a thousand feet, maybe very tall mountain view point.

[00:07:50] They're looking down there above looking down. And so the hermit's energy is really crystal clear. Step away from the noise, tune into your own frequency, tap [00:08:00] into your inner wisdom. And I think that as we move into 2025, it's not a super big stretch to see how this card is going to come into play because our world is getting louder by the second.

[00:08:11] I mean, spend like any amount of time on social media and you will be deafened by the noise. So the hermit's invitation couldn't be more timely. It's really saying, Hey, slow down and ask yourself, who am I? Because we are definitely in a liminal space and time in both our personal Evolution and our collective evolution.

[00:08:30] And whenever we enter uncertain times, introspection and self awareness become critical in navigating those periods. And so the hermit as this kind of personal guide for all of us for 2025 is saying, Hey, y'all, I'm going to invite you to retreat from the external noise, the distractions. And I'm going to ask that you make space for really deep self reflection.

[00:08:55] So this may mean less social media or less news. It could mean being really [00:09:00] conscious of choosing what you're listening to, what you're paying attention to, where you let your mind wander to. It's going to require us to lean into critical thinking and ask the right questions about what we're seeing, what we're hearing, what we're feeling and what we're knowing.

[00:09:16] And for many people, it is going to be so important to find meaning in what's happening in their personal lives and in the collective around them, really tapping into the power of choosing purpose. So asking yourself questions like, how am I going to lead myself through this year? And how am I going to lead those around me who require me to lead them?

[00:09:37] And how is my personal wisdom and exploration going to inform all the decisions that I make and how I interact with the world? Those are really big questions, really big questions that can't just be answered in like the flip of a moment or just jotting down a few ideas and that's where that hermit comes in.

[00:09:56] It's like, Oh, I'm going to need time to explore this. I'm going to need time to [00:10:00] really figure this out. And that's where you kind of come back to that visual of the hermit sitting on top of a mountain. They didn't just land there. There's a journey that's happening to get there. Think of it like this.

[00:10:11] Yeah. The hermit driven to the mountain to not only get away from the distractions, but also wanting to position themselves to see like a bigger picture of things. So they begin to climb because to get to the mountain, you have to climb. And as they climb, the journey itself helps them to understand who they are and how they're moving through the world.

[00:10:33] And the goal here is to really know that, to really understand like, Ooh, who am I like to really step into that, embrace it. Really know it and embody it. And then with that knowledge, you actually begin to see how you impact the world around you and how you ripple out that ripple effect that we talk about all the time, how you ripple out to those around you.

[00:10:52] But it's definitely a journey because that hermit was not dropped off by a ski lift. You do not see a ski lift in the picture of that tarot card. [00:11:00] They hiked the whole way and the hike that quest for self understanding and self awareness, that is no small feat. It's going to be bumpy at times, and maybe you even find yourself slipping or falling because getting to the top to get the view of everything below is worth it.

[00:11:17] And so you keep going, you keep going. Okay. So it's not like we flip into 2025 and we find ourselves sitting on top of the mountain. Like, Oh, look at that. We teleported in. No, no, no friends. We're actually making the journey to the top of the mountain. That is part of what 2025 is about. Is that is part of what the hermit is trying to explain to us.

[00:11:39] We don't just find ourselves there. We don't just remove ourselves from society. It's going to be a path that we travel. You're the hermit this year. You're going to wind your way to the top. That path is going to be made up of self development, self awareness. You are going to eventually see the bigger picture, but as you hike, you're going to go inward.

[00:11:58] And you're going to bump into things, [00:12:00] right? This path is going to bump into things. You're going to be looking at things like the inner critic. Yeah. What's happening in that inner landscape? What stories are floating around in there? The inner critic. Everyone loves the inner critic. Yeah, that's going to be popping up this year.

[00:12:14] Quite a bit. What beliefs are surfacing? Is self judgment floating in? Is it just popping up? Say, Hey, hello, here I am. This year is the year you decide. Is the inner critic, is that the inner voice I want to be listening to? Is that the voice that I want speaking to me? Is my inner critic, the one running the show and telling me all the stories and telling me what to believe, that's something that you're going to come to terms with this year, you're going to see popping up.

[00:12:41] So if you find yourself slipping into self judgment or being really critical about yourself, give yourself some grace. It's actually part of the hermit's journey. It's part of what's happening. I think you're going to find that if you look around, a lot of people are going through that already and, and will be more so.

[00:12:56] So navigating the inner critic will be big. [00:13:00] The hermit actually calls on you to look at your emotional fulfillment too. That's something that you've got to cultivate emotional fulfillment. Does this, it doesn't just happen. It is a consciously created state of being. So you've got to be looking at things like what fills your cup.

[00:13:15] What brings joy into your life? Where are you finding peace? What do you need to do to set the stage? So more of this joy, more of this fulfillment can enter your life. It's got to be intentional. Journeys always require resilience. I don't care what story you, you know, read, you're going to have to have resilience.

[00:13:31] You're gonna have to build your resilience. Any good journey has resilience building. And especially anytime we're navigating the unknown, resilience is going to be a key player. So what does resilience mean to you? What does that look like for you? How do you define that? And how can you be more conscious in building that?

[00:13:48] And then remembering to step into it when the time calls for it. Remembering to call on that resilience to tap into that pool. The hermit has very strong spiritual [00:14:00] vibes, very strong spiritual guide. You cannot avoid that when you're looking at the hermit card. So one of the things you're really going to want to tap into is your spiritual support system this year.

[00:14:10] You are definitely going to need to focus on your connection to self and to spirit, to your team. Hey team, what is going on? What wisdom do you have to share? What's happening on that soul landscape? Who's like supporting you from the other side? Is it your spirit guides, your angels, your ancestors, who is stepping forward to help you with this?

[00:14:29] And what wisdom are they bringing forward? What wisdom are they bringing forward? And how are you going to apply it? Not only to your spiritual development, but to your human side of life as well. So spiritual support big this year, if you. Are thinking, Oh, back at the end of 2024, I want to, you know, connect with my spirit team.

[00:14:47] This is the year to do it, folks. This is the year to do it. This is the year to do it. The hermit's saying you're going to need it. If you're going to hike up this mountain, you're going to want some help. Okay. And then [00:15:00] the one thing I think that we forget a lot that the hermit reminds us is that we have to celebrate our success.

[00:15:07] Inner work can be. Wildly challenging. So remember 2025, you're also going to need to make sure that you take a minute and you celebrate your wins. These are the things you're going to see pop up in probably your external environment, like things rooted in all of that inner work you're doing as you make the climb.

[00:15:26] And celebrating the wings can be the hardest thing. I was just writing about this in the From World to Fool newsletter that I issue. And I was just writing about this this week because 2024 was challenging in so many ways for me. And the word I had chosen for 2024 was sore. And I did not feel like I was soaring at all.

[00:15:48] There were so many crash landings. So many crash landings. So many so that every time I felt ready to give up, Spirit would drop in an image of the Wright brothers, Wilbur and Orville Wright, kind of known for their first powered [00:16:00] flight, the origin of modern aviation. And so my Spirit team, always, always good with the random references, they just kept reminding me of the Wright brothers and their first powered flight, which was actually only three seconds.

[00:16:14] Long, and they only went like 105 feet. That is not much folks. That is not much, but it was enough to prove to them that their dream was possible and they kept going. So this year, your wins may be super big and they may be really easy to see and they may not be. They may be small, incremental three second steps.

[00:16:38] Forward on the mountain path, but the hermit is reminding you to keep celebrating, even though maybe they're only three seconds long, no matter how small, because those small steps, each step on this path this year is building a foundation for the rest of your journey to come. And that journey, that journey is a focus.

[00:16:58] The mountaintop is amazing. [00:17:00] Right. And that's what we see with the card, but the hermit is the hermit because of the journey, not because of the mountaintop. And I think it's important to talk a little bit about that external expression. It's, it's what we call a teacher card. So for the hermit, it's number 18, which is the moon.

[00:17:21] Once again, we're going to math, probably one of the last times we math on this, on this podcast. One plus eight equals nine. Hermit is card number nine. The moon is card number 18. It's really that simple. And teacher cards show us how the card, in this case, the hermit, expresses itself externally. And this might help you actually with seeing winds or at least understanding how the winds could show up for you.

[00:17:43] Because it is a struggle sometimes to get that view, especially like when we're hiking the path and we're not on the mountaintop. Getting that mountaintop view, which we have to get glimpses of it or we wouldn't keep walking on the path. It can be challenging. Think of it through this lens. The teaching card tells us that choosing [00:18:00] authenticity over societal expectations is going to be key.

[00:18:03] So you're turning down that outside noise with the hermit. You're getting really clear about who you are, what your intentions are, what your values are, who you are. You're like, you're very core, both on a human and a soul level. And then when you hop back over, into like the noisy world, the everyday, the in real life, you're clear about who your authentic self is.

[00:18:29] You're choosing to be your authentic self rather than maybe what society wants you to be. That's going to be one of the big wins. So if you're looking like, okay, what, when, what, when? Choosing your authentic self. That's going to be huge, no matter how small choosing your authentic self. The other thing that it's calling for you to do is to shine your light as a beacon for other people.

[00:18:50] So with each step of the climb, you step into your authentic self more. And this is where I sort of disagree with the traditional tarot. Cause yes, part of the hermit energy [00:19:00] is going into that quiet solitude, like caving it out, figuring yourself out, having everyone leave you alone. It's really easy to be our authentic selves if we're in a void and there's no one around, correct?

[00:19:12] Like, super simple to do that. And, always an and, the more you align with your personal purpose, the more you begin to affect the collective purpose. So the more you know about yourself, the brighter you shine. And the brighter you shine, the more people will start to look to you as a wisdom leader or a wisdom keeper.

[00:19:34] All right. As the hermit, this means that there's going to be that ripple effect of you shining your light outward. And even though it starts as a question for personal clarity, even though that hermit starts the quest just to understand themselves more and to understand their soul's wisdom more, they inevitably inspire others on their climb.

[00:19:58] The more you climb. [00:20:00] The more you shine, the more you end up being seen as a guide. Your personal growth influences the wider world. It just does. Whether you choose to grow or you don't choose to grow, it influences the world. Your personal evolution helps the collective evolution. So just working on yourself impacts.

[00:20:21] The world around you, and as the hermit, you have the responsibility to own that impact, whether you want to or not. And so while the traditional tarot says, yes, go hide on a mountain, work your shit out, the world, the modern world, says, yes, please work yourself out. Please, please explore your authentic self.

[00:20:45] But know this, you cannot do it alone. And you cannot do it in isolation. You are part of the collective and as such, you cannot disconnect completely. You must do both. Find that inner [00:21:00] sanctuary and navigate the world in all of its messiness. If you just hermit, You'll miss the calling of the card, the whole reason of the card.

[00:21:09] You'll miss the whole point, which is to bring more light into the world and to move through these times with more compassion, empathy, and love. So the hermit is less of a trek or sojourn into the wilderness. And it's more of a daily practice during these modern times, during these uncertain times, a daily practice, those moments where you can carve out that mountain experience.

[00:21:34] Because not only does it help you clean up your side of the street, but it gives you the energy and the light you need to step back into the everyday of the world. And this is where the next episode of Reclaiming Your Spirit is going to come into play. A while back, I have done a podcast as a guest and I met the most lovely human being, like minded soul.

[00:21:53] Her name is Sabrina Marie Chase. She's a diviner and a terrorist. And we got to chatting about All things tarot, almost to the [00:22:00] point where we almost forgot to hit record on the podcast. We got really excited about all the things and over winter break. We had the chance to connect and we fell into conversation about how now more than ever, we need to shift from the traditional view of the hermit as this monk on the mountaintop to one as a leader of collective action and collaboration with others, one that forges the way.

[00:22:25] So while it may feel like you are alone on the mountaintop, you are actually the edge of the way you have broken the path for others, you have cleared the way forward and they're coming. You just happened to make it there first. You just happened to see the view before them, but you were like leading the way.

[00:22:42] You're saying, Hey, I'm up here. Come look at this. It's pretty amazing. And it's about really finding that balance between that introspection. And that community connection. So the next episode, Sabrina and I are going to chat about the hermit as a light bearer for uncertain times. And we'd love to have you join us because this [00:23:00] episode we talked about like, okay, what's it going to look like for you personally?

[00:23:04] What's it going to look like for you when you emerge? When you come into the collective, when you go in personally, and all of a sudden there's this calling, this chosen purpose that like is in you and it needs to come out, what is it going to look like? So Sabrina and I are going to talk about that.

[00:23:21] We've got you. We're going to support you. We're not just going to leave you hanging, but before we part today, I do want to leave you with a question to step away with and ponder, and it's this, how can you create intentional space? That mountain space we were talking about for reflection and growth this year, while also bringing that light into the world for all to see.

[00:23:41] How can you find that internal reflection space and be part of the collective? I would love to hear your answers. Shoot me an email, find me on socials, drop me a comment, a DM. What are you working on? Like, well, how do you see that unfolding for you? How do you see the hermit already [00:24:00] coming into play?

[00:24:01] Thank you so much for tuning in. It would mean a lot if you could take like five seconds and leave a review. It helps the podcast connect more people and it allows that ripple to spread even further. Thank you for listening to Reclaiming Our Spirit. To find out how I can help you reclaim your spirit, reach out to me at www.

[00:24:23] jessicapaschke. com. Leave me a message and I just may share how you reclaimed your spirit in the next episode.

‍