The Card of the Year is determined by numerology — 2+0+2+5 = 9, and Major Arcana card IX is The Hermit.
Last year, my post on 2024’s card, Strength, came quickly and effortlessly.
Ruled by Leo, Strength’s fiery energy burst forward with momentum. That’s not how Virgo or The Hermit move. Here it is, March, and though I’ve been working with The Hermit and the Queen of Pentacles since December, I’m only just now clear on what they have to say.
That is how The Hermit moves. Slowly, deliberately, and with just enough light to see the next step ahead of him.
He’s alone, in the dark, with only a lantern to guide his way.
Sound familiar?
We’re just seven weeks into this new regime, and already, the darkness feels like it’s closing in.
While this new administration moves to dismantle civic institutions, and while the richest man in the world robs the poorest humans on the planet to justify tax cuts for multi-billionaires, we are left in the dark.
This is unfamiliar terrain. We’ve never been here before. We’re doing our best to move forward, one step at a time, with no clear path.
The Hermit understands that in a blizzard, it’s wise to drive slowly.
In any year, the Major Arcana card of the year doesn’t suggest what we’ll experience that year. Instead, it offers an invitation and a framework to explore the journey of the year.
The slow energy of The Hermit can be frustrating, and for that, I’m calling in support from the Minor Arcana card, the Queen of Pentacles.
It can be helpful to think of the Major Arcana and Minor Arcana cards as nature and nurture, or alternately the Majors are the seasons, and the minors are the weather.
If The Hermit is the nature of this year’s season, the Queen of Pentacles wants to help nurture us through its weather.
Like The Hermit, the Queen of Pentacles moves with care, grounded in her earth energy.
She understands how to balance concern for the world with care for herself, ensuring both can grow.
I am not in the business of making predictions. We don’t need to look into the future to see that we are already in wild chaotic times.
We need to stay engaged in the world around us, without losing hope amidst the chaos. We must make space for all our feelings and not fall into despair.
That is what the Hermit and the Queen of Pentacles are here for.
The Hermit: A Seeker of Ultimate Truth
The Hermit is ruled by the mutable earth sign of Virgo, which helps us transition from summer into fall.
The Hermit treks high into the mountains, away from the villagers, to seek God through personal experience.
He carries just enough light to see the next step before him.
Though The Hermit removes himself from society, he does not withdraw from humanity. He’s not seeking escape, but wisdom. When his spiritual quest has been completed, he will return to the villagers as a guide.
If all that sounds a little far out, you’re not wrong.
As a professional reader — and a Virgo — I have found The Hermit frustrating to write about and describe.
This whole ‘just enough light to see the next step’ thing? That’s not what we’re hoping for.
When we’re in the Strength card’s fiery energy, the sun shines, and we feel powerful. With The Hermit, it’s so different. It’s a seeking energy. ‘Go seek’ isn’t a game, or even a chore, it’s a mystic riddle — that can be very frustrating!
It’s easy to get frustrated when we don’t have clarity, especially when we can’t rely on our old familiar tools. And, that’s what we are up to in 2025.
We crave clarity. We want answers. And in 2025, we’re unlikely to get them.
Tariffs are on, then off. The government may shut down, or it may just threaten to shut down. The treasury may default, or maybe not. Uncertainty is certain.
How very frustrating.
But The Hermit’s wisdom is to stay out of frustration and revisit the question, “What would you have me know now?”
The Hermit is a seeker of ultimate truth.
I am horrified to have a front-row seat to the fall of my democracy. I never imagined I would be living under an autocrat. I didn’t think that the billionaire oligarchy would take what little healthcare we have away from us. From me.
And, it happens. It’s happened in history, it’s happened in Hong Kong and Venezuela and Hungry. It’s happened in my lifetime in other countries and it’s happening here now.
So what, dear Hermit? What would you have me know now?”
I love my family. I love my dog. I have hopes and dreams for my future. And I am still here. On this planet, in this timeline. It’s still okay.
The Truth, the actual truth of my spirit, is still connected to everything. Nothing can threaten that.
Nothing.
And, it can be very frustrating. Coming back to the present can be a struggle. And for that, we can call upon the Queen of Pentacles for assistance.
The Queen of Pentacles: Embodied Magick
The Queen of Pentacles is ruled by the cardinal earth sign- Capricorn.
Cardinal signs are the initiators of the Zodiac, meaning they begin each season. Capricorn brings the energy of winter. Along the Wheel of the Year, we meet the Queen of Pentacles at the Winter Solstice — the darkest day with the longest night.
The Pentacles are also earth-elemented. They represent our beliefs and our bodies.
Once we reach the Court Cards in the Minor Arcana, we begin working with two elements. Different readers element the courts differently. Some say Pages are earth, others say Kings are earth.
No matter who you ask, all of the Queens are elemented by water. Water represents our feelings, our emotions, and our capacity to receive.
The Queens occupy a room in your spiritual home that is just for you. It’s not a secret, it’s just not shared with anyone else.
Queens don’t build castles — they are seated on thrones. They have an innate sense of belonging.
The element of the suit leads, then the element of the court, so the Queen of Pentacles is earth, then water. Her energy is watery earth, say a cool stream or a lush rainforest.
In the past, I’ve said that the Queen of Wands is the witchiest card in the deck, which is true in a way, she has the black cat to prove it.
The Queen of Wands can hold a flame inside a glass of water, which is what we imagine a powerful witch might do.
The Queen of Wands combines her passion (fire) with her emotions (water), which makes for a great show; but, the Queen of Pentacles combines her emotions with her beliefs, which makes her the most magickal Queen.
Magick — (not stage magic) — is the application of beliefs, rituals, and actions to work with natural and supernatural forces.
She understands that magick takes time, patience, and practice. As a Capricorn, she has the discipline and fortitude to do the work — though as a Queen, she would never describe it as hard work.
She has a love for, and a unity with the physical world. That extends beyond beauty to business, finance, and horticulture.
She grows herbs. She brews teas. She extracts dyes. She weaves, knits, sews, crochets. She cooks, arranges flowers, and perfumes candles.
She has an inner compass that is attuned to her body’s data.
Things she learns from her body include desire, arousal, pleasure, and discomfort. She allows all of these sensations to inform her and guide her back to a place of centered balance.
The Queen of Pentacles' magick comes from her practice of embodiment.
In a recent session, the Queen of Pentacles came forward for my client. As we explored the card together, she expressed that her therapist had asked her to be more mindful, and asked me, was that the message of the Queen?
Certainly, the Queen of Pentacles is mindful, but the medicine she brings forward is really one of embodiment. There is a subtle difference.
Mindfulness and embodiment serve the same goal — to cultivate a non-reactive awareness, improve emotional regulation, and promote balance.
But when we use the term mindfulness, we’re immediately focused on the brain. The brain doesn’t want to stay in the present moment. It doesn’t even see itself as part of the body, part of your whole integrated self.
It’s easy to become frustrated when we try to practice mindfulness because we’re asking the brain to do the thing it enjoys the least, stay in the present. That is the same frustration that we encounter in The Hermit.
The Queen of Pentacle’s embodied magick is the key to unknotting this frustration.
Holding What Matters
Picture yourself as the Queen of Pentacles. What is it that you are holding? What is your pentacle?
The Queen of Pentacles has been associated with fertility and childbirth. We can easily imagine her holding a baby.
We can also imagine her playing guitar, writing a book, or writing this blog!
What is it that you spend the most time alone with? What do you give your attention to?
For most of us, the answer is simple. Our screens.
I’m not here to shame you around your screen time. Shame is the handiwork of the brain and the Queen of Pentacles is here to help us embody love.
If you are reading this now, you’ve given my voice your attention on a screen, thank you!
Take a moment to check in with your posture. How are you holding your device? Is there anything you could adjust to make yourself more comfortable? What is the quality of your breath?
It’s so easy to lose our embodiment to our devices. Billions of dollars go into the ‘attention economy’.
This year, one way that we can resist the forces of hopelessness and despair is to stay embodied whenever we dip into that digital attention economy.
How do you feel after scrolling?
The Queen of Pentacles does not waste energy clutching what she cannot control. She nourishes what she can sustain.
Like The Hermit whose lantern casts light on only the next step, the Queen of Pentacles gives her full presence to what she is holding.
She may have several projects, but she doesn’t engage with any distractions.
In Capricorn season we aren’t able to plant or harvest, yet the Queen of Pentacles is surrounded by a lush garden. By holding her pentacle she is planning what she will grow without leaving the present moment.
She understands that a mature system goes through cycles. She is not impatient for something else to arrive — she is too engaged in what her body is doing.
She lives richly by living simply.
The Hermit and The Queen of Pentacles: A Lantern in the Dark
Working with the Queen of Pentacles means cultivating a practice of noticing the body’s sensations and trusting that they have rich data to support us, especially in times of external uncertainty and overload.
The Hermit is like a lighthouse that looks out at the ocean of our experiences scanning, not for danger, but for truth. Without the grounding embodiment of the Queen of Pentacles, we can quickly become overwhelmed, both by what sliver of that ocean we can see, as well as the immensity of all that we cannot.
We cannot predict what this year will bring — but we already see its shape. The erosion of public services. The gutting of protections. The extraction of wealth from the working class.
Temptations to doom-scroll will be endless. If you are not a billionaire, this is going to hurt.
And so? What would you have me know now?
Physical Well-Being: Nurturing the Body
Take care of your health. With vaccines, Medicaid, and the FDA under attack, your self-care has never been more important.
Love your food. The Queen of Pentacles isn’t in a rush to eat. She will not try and lose weight because of someone else’s body image projections. She’s going to enjoy shopping for groceries. She’ll taste and smell her cooking and she will pause and bless her food before slowly enjoying her meal.
Move. Stretch, walk, dance, swim. Though the Queen is seated on her throne, she is not chained to her desk. She enjoys being in her body and our bodies are built to move. She’s not going to punish herself at the gym. Instead, she builds muscles with organic movements and playful practices.
Notice. Notice how you feel after scrolling on Instagram or drinking a large coffee. Don’t judge, just notice. Notice how your body feels after a nap. When we allow our bodies to inform us, we can become tolerant of all our emotions. When we can tolerate our feelings, we don’t need to reach for addictive coping mechanisms. Sadness can pass, anger can rise, joy can flow, and balance can preside.
2. Mental Fortitude: Trusting Your Own Wisdom
The Hermit’s lantern is small but steady. He does not seek clarity in the chaos — he seeks it within himself. When are the times you feel most at home in yourself? When do you feel the presence of love in your heart? Cultivate those experiences and know they are not dependent on anything external.
Curate what you consume. Not all information serves you. Doom-scrolling will not help. It’s important to stay informed, but there is only so much that you can influence. If you are embodied as you consume information, you will be able to feel when it’s time to unplug.
Choose your community with care. The Queen of Pentacles does not waste time convincing others of her worth — she builds with those who already know it.
3. Trust in Your Own Magic
On a somatic level, you know how to take care of yourself.
The power of NO is just as important as the power of YES. Say no to what drains you. Say yes to what nourishes you.
You do not have to see the whole path to know that you are on it.
A Light to Guide Us, A Foundation to Stand On
Both The Hermit and The Queen of Pentacles offer us guidance on how to stay steady in uncertain times, but they do so in different ways.
The Hermit teaches us to trust our inner wisdom, to move forward even when we can only see the next step.
The Queen of Pentacles teaches us to root ourselves in the present, to tend to what is within our control, and to find stability in care and embodiment.
One looks inward for truth, the other grounds that truth in the physical world. Together, they remind us that wisdom is not found in endless searching or anxious grasping, but in quiet trust — trust in our own instincts, in the resources we already have, and in our ability to meet each moment with presence and resilience.
As we move through the instability of 2025, we can carry The Hermit’s lantern and The Queen of Pentacles’ deep sense of care — lighting the way forward, one step at a time, with our feet firmly planted on the ground. 🌿
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