78-Day Meditation Challenge: Day 57

Honoring the Quiet Wittiness Withing

Card of the Day: The Hermit (Reversed)

I have been waiting for this card to arrive—hoping that when it did, I would be ready to channel the energy it always conjures.

Of all the cards in the deck, this is the one that resonates most deeply with me. It is the card that, when pulled, brings instant peace—a slow, deep breath in and out. A release of tension. When I pull this card, I feel seen by the Universe. I see a reflection of myself in it. The Universe sees me, and a reflection of itself in me.

The Hermit stands alone on a lonely, barren path, dressed simply in a grey tunic. It is just before dawn, yet the sky is not a vibrant hue of red or violet. The sky is grey.

In one hand, the Hermit holds a staff. In the other, a lantern. Both glow brilliant yellow against the canvas of grey.

The Hermit does not look forward, though his lantern shines ahead. His head is bent low—not so much because the terrain is treacherous, but because bearing witness can be treacherous. His gaze is cast down because his mind has yet to catch up to what his eyes have seen.

Yes, the world leaves a residue on us. And we are called to engage with that residue.

This is the card of the introvert. The card for those who perceive the world internally. The ones who reach out with heart and soul—and sometimes feel wounded for it.

It can be exhausting. And it can be exhilarating.

The introvert prizes being alone but is not lonely. It is through intentional moments of solitude that I release the residue of the world. It is in quiet that I remember: by witnessing, I do not become what I see. I acknowledge. I name. I smile to those feelings, and they enter—and they respectfully exit.

Time alone is time to reflect, recharge, renew.

And yet, even the introvert has an inner extrovert—a part that is called to engage. Between the two, I find balance. To do so with grace is to respect my own boundaries, to recognize when I have bandwidth and when I do not. To align my day with my nature.

I embrace my inner introvert. I honor the awareness it brings. I honor my need for space, quietude, and stillness. I honor my inner extrovert, and I lean in to conduct the space between the two.

How can I apply this today?

• I will notice when I need time alone and allow myself that space without guilt.

• I will remember that witnessing does not mean absorbing.

• I will honor my rhythms and balance solitude with engagement.

• I will respect the boundaries that protect my spirit.

I welcome all parts of myself—known and unknown, shining and shadowed.

I honor my past for what it has taught me.

I trust my intuition to lead me.

I release what no longer serves me.

I walk forward with steadiness, guided by the light within me.

Be well, be present, be at peace.