The Fool Meets The Hermit:

Lantern Bearer of Inner Truth

After the gentle courage of Strength, the world around The Fool grows quiet once more — not empty, but vast. The vibrant meadows fade into misty twilight, and the path narrows into a winding trail etched into the side of a mountain.

There are no signs, no sounds… only the crunch of stone beneath each step, and the soft hum of solitude.

And there, high above the world where stars whisper their secrets to the earth, stands The Hermit.

Cloaked in grey and crowned with wisdom unseen, he leans gently on his staff, holding a single glowing lantern that casts just enough light for the next step — no more, no less. His eyes are kind, weathered, and knowing — not because he has read every book, but because he has listened to the silence between thoughts.

The Fool approaches and instinctively lowers their voice, as if in a temple. The Hermit does not offer answers. He simply raises the lantern.

"To seek truth outside yourself is only the beginning," he murmurs. "But to follow the light within — that is the path of the soul."

There are no crowds here. No applause. No finish line.

Just the deep breath of reflection and the stillness where revelation is born.

From The Hermit, The Fool learns:

🔦 Solitude is not loneliness — it is communion with the self
🔦 The answers we seek often whisper, not shout
🔦 The light within can guide us through the darkest woods
🔦 Wisdom is not gained by doing more, but by being more present

The Hermit does not walk beside The Fool, nor does he point the way. Instead, he places the lantern in The Fool’s hands and nods. “You are ready.”

With this light, The Fool now knows how to pause, how to reflect, and how to listen — not just to the world, but to the quiet knowing within.

And when the time is right, The Fool will descend from the mountain — not with noise, but with clarity — for the next chapter awaits… where destiny spins and turns in cycles unseen.

Next: The Wheel of Fortune — where fate dances, change is inevitable, and the cosmos reminds us that nothing stays the same.