"I am the voice in the stillness and I am the listening. . ."

 

Today we meet the Grail Hermit - the Arthurian tales are full of helpful hermits in the woods who serve to explain the happenings to those who are questing and have missed the point!

So a paragraph about this major arcana figure, and then questions, a task and a meditation.

 

Questions.

1.   Looking over your work so far, what is the clearest theme or message which runs through your diary?

2.   Bring to mind the times you trusted or distrusted your inner voice. What led you to trust or distrust yourself at those times? what do you learn from this that you can draw upon in the future?

 

Task.

Make a list of the many different people i your life who have acted as special counsellors in times of confusion: note what kinds of qualities drew you to consut them, e.g. 'Y' person for clarity and kindness; 'Z' person for analysis and dependability.

 

Meditation.

Where you will meet the Grail Hermit - full versions of meditations are in the course books.

Often I don't post my replies here on the forum. They seem private to me, and as no-one else is currently taking part I've let it go. Funnily this card - HERMIT - is making me ask questions about how I behave Here's what I've got so far  . . .

 

"Both the questions and the tasks in this lesson simply serve to highlight my habit of solitude and independent nature. I don't know it's inherent or results from learned behaviors in early childhood, but I often don't feel that I can face people or situations; and I prefer to struggle and do things on my own rather than ask for help. ( I know these are my own issues, but then this is my journey)

I wonder

• Is this faulty thinking?
• Could I overcome it?
• Should I try and overcome it?
• Does it have benefits? "

 

So far I haven't got to the nature of the Hermit as a card or character, or thought about the meditation - but it has highlighted questions relevant to me, and so I'm going to explore that first. I'll do a simple reading where those questions become card placements - not as yes/no questions but allowing the cards that turn up to illuminate the situations to me. I won't use the Arthurian for this - because the cards with no people on them, although I love them (perhaps I love them BECAUSE they have no people on them?) - won't help to show enough facets.

 

So don't be afraid to use each week's lesson in broader ways, and as useful personal steps on the gaming board of the Stone suit. It's all fine!

 

PathWalker

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