Covid-19 and The Hermit Archetype

[Emerald]

I decided to share a piece of content that I thought would be helpful during the pandemic. I just wrote this message to my subscribers about Covid-19 and the quickly increasing influence of the Hermit Archetype on the world at large:

"Right now our world is slowing down and settling in, due to the social distancing measures in the wake of the Corona Virus. And for many of us who are used to being busy, this marks an abrupt change in lifestyle that can be both relieving and unnerving at the same time.

It can feel like life has been put on pause with no clear end in sight. And from some perspectives, that's absolutely true. We may be facing times of great boredom and isolation ahead.

But boredom, stillness, and social distancing can be of great value to those seeking deeper awareness, self-knowledge, and inner peace. And so, the outer life may be put on pause for a time, but the inner life becomes ever more vibrant to us when it's all we have to focus on... just like stars in a sky with no light pollution. We often need these types of contrast to see the light that would otherwise be hidden. And in the contrast and dearth of stimulation, we find what was otherwise drowned out in the rigamarole of daily life.

So, I see the world in the wake of this pandemic as a world that's VERY quickly falling under the influence of the archetype of the Hermit. And it marks a sudden shift to passive Yin from our typically active world of Yang. It is a time to let the dust settle, so that our deeper selves come through more clearly.

It is like the Earth is beginning to meditate now, just as the Hermit does. Even pollution levels have dropped in some areas that have had to quarantine... just as the chatter of the mind starts to drop in the Hermit's meditation practice.

My advice for this time, is to begin viewing this situation as a valuable experience for your personal and spiritual growth by purposefully stilling yourself and turning inward. Lean into the feelings of boredom. Lean into the feelings of isolation. They are great teachers... and very strict ones at that.

To embody the archetype of the Hermit is to have embraced solitude to the point that you have found your own North Star and know yourself deeply enough to see your connection to all things. It is a feeling of completion and wholeness unto yourself and a peacefulness that needs no external stimulation. 

The Hermit is someone who is called inward to know themselves deeper, and voluntarily chooses to forego socializing and participation in the revelry of society. This helps them meditate with deeper concentration and hear the inner voice better. 

So, I recommend using this time of the Hermit to do Inner Work.

Inner work includes (but is not limited to) meditation, journaling, recording your dreams, starting an Active Imagination practice, engaging in the practice of Shadow Work, or simply allowing yourself to sit with the feelings that crop up without distracting yourself.

Don't think of this time as an interruption of life... but moreso as an inversion of life."  

[The Lucid Dreamer]

Great post. I was already living the semi-hermetic lifestyle even before all this happened, so not much has changed for me. Most days, all I do is go to work, come home and then run off into the wilderness where I meditate and contemplate existence.  If it’s my day off, I’ll often take a psychedelic of some sort. This is my idea of living a profound life.

[Emerald]

5 minutes ago, The Lucid Dreamer said:

Great post. I was already living the semi-hermetic lifestyle even before all this happened, so not much has changed for me. Most days, all I do is go to work, come home and then run off into the wilderness where I meditate and contemplate existence.  If it’s my day off, I’ll often take a psychedelic of some sort. This is my idea of living a profound life.

I am a bit of Hermit myself as I work from home. I seldom go out.

But for me it's a strangely serendipitous time. Recently, the aspect of me that feels deep levels of loneliness and isolation has been very palpably rising to the surface. And it came to a head in the days before Covid-19 was a clear threat.

So, it's like I've been Hermiting for a very long time. But now, as the aspect of me that wants connection is in the forefront of my conscious awareness, I am now being confronted by a mandate to live as the Hermit. And the discomfort is making me go deeper into my pain.

So, very serendipitous indeed...

[billiesimon]

Amazing insight about what seems like a random "unlucky" event to the masses. 

I actually think that this event is Consciousness imposing a moment of self reflection in humanity, because of the rampant ego and corruption it has developed. 

But that's just my guess. 

It strikes me that I have started hardcore self inquiry at the beginning of this year and become less distracted by social life, and now this event happens 

[Emerald]

1 hour ago, billiesimon said:

Amazing insight about what seems like a random "unlucky" event to the masses. 

I actually think that this event is Consciousness imposing a moment of self reflection in humanity, because of the rampant ego and corruption it has developed. 

But that's just my guess. 

It strikes me that I have started hardcore self inquiry at the beginning of this year and become less distracted by social life, and now this event happens 

I totally agree with that. It really does seem that way. 

[Gili Trawangan]

1 hour ago, Emerald said:

But for me it's a strangely serendipitous time. Recently, the aspect of me that feels deep levels of loneliness and isolation has been very palpably rising to the surface. And it came to a head in the days before Covid-19 was a clear threat.

Same here. I wonder how much of this is a collective thing... sounds like you understand your loneliness feelings better than I do though, I'm still grappling with them and just trying to let them go as 'ego'...

[Consilience]

I love this. Thank you for sharing. 

[Emerald]

13 hours ago, Consilience said:

I love this. Thank you for sharing. 

Thank you and you're welcome!  

 

[Petals]

the 'finite player' wants to bring everything/all play to an end and so for him almost everything is in the way (including being forced to be a hermit). 

the 'infinite player' takes everything into the game.

 

Edited March 18, 2020 by Petals

[Annoynymous]

@Emerald can you tell us more about hermit archetype? What are the features of a hermit? What it brings to our life and why it is necessary to connect with it?

By the way, thank you for sharing your post. Certainly it has brought some peace inside me 

[Nahm]

@Emerald Great post, thanks for sharing that. ♥️

 

 

Great time for a dreamboard.  What matters most is clearer than ever. 

[Javfly33]

Hermit? I´m very pissed because I just started socializing for good in my life and now THIS happens.

[TrynaBeTurquoise]

Been thinking about all of this as well. People are being forced to face a level of solitude they are unused to. With all the go go go, constant state of "doing" our society is in that results in burnout and general unhappiness, people are given an opportunity to slow the fuck down for once. This is a major positive.