Warning: Incoming Knowledge!

If you have any defensive measures, use them now so that the Knowledge won't seep further.

If it seeped anyways, know that you didn't have the sufficient level to resist this authority in the first place.

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It is known that Symbols are the origin of Authorities, and which all abilities stem from. Consequently, all abilities are a mere lesser manifestation of Symbolism. 

Now, what does it mean for The Hermit to grant "genuine, distinct **symbolic power** in the true sense" to Digital Objects?

To find out, we'll use The Red Priest's **Destruction** authority as an example. 

The mentioned authority is able to shatter an entire planet at the highest level and rapidly kill a True God at the lowest level. 

If we apply this with The Hermit, then They are able to translate Their knowledge of **Destruction**, albeit without the relevant authority, into Digital Objects which They can then imbue with Symbolic Power. 

However, does this mean that The Hermit's Symbolically-bolstered **Destruction** is more powerful than the Red Priest's **Destruction** or that The Hermit's version is able to kill a True Diety the same way a Red Priest's does? 

Not really.

In keeping with the premise that Symbols are the origin of Authorities, the Red Priest's **Destruction**  is likewise sourced from a specific Symbolism. That Symbolism is **Destruction** at the Above the Sequence level and **Termination** at the Pillar level.

Meanwhile, The Hermit's *Destruction* is invoked through the authority of **Mysticism Knowledge** which is consequently sourced from the Symbolism of **Knowledge** as per the mentioned premise.

And since The Hermit's **Destruction** is not sourced from the Symbolism of **Destruction** like the Red Priest's is but rather from **Knowledge**, it cannot therefore directly kill a True Diety to the same extent as Red Priest's **Destruction**.

This is what it means for The Hermit to grant "genuine, distinct symbolic power in the true sense" but "significantly weakened compared to the original."

In this scenario, The Hermit is actually similar to its bane -- Error, in that everytime They use Their **Mysticism Knowledge** authority, They are actually utilizing the Law of Similarity.

Said law which states that like produces like, or that an effect resembles its cause. One can produce any effect he desires merely by imitating it.

Ultimately, it may appear that The Hermit is overpowered in that They can grant "symbolic power" to anything but that symbolism does not translate to the actual symbolism of the original. 

Indeed, it lacks the same exotic effects that the original has.

That said, if The Hermit (as well as The Paragon) were to encounter an opponent that possesses the hypothetical Symbolism of Ignorance;

Then The Hermit's **Destruction** for example would likely express the same exotic effect as the original's and directly kill that Diety.

On the other hand, it does mean that every single move of The Hermit may contain Symbolism. Hence, as long as the authorities the opposing Diety use does not counter The Hermit's nor have any Symbolism supporting those authorities;

Then ironically, excluding Twilight Giant and Red Priest who can each call upon the power of Their Sefirah, as well as Error which is the bane of Their Pathway, then the scholarly Hermit is confident of facing any Deity in a straight up head-on clash. 

*Sheeple Indoctrinated*

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Poster's note:

This post is actually sourced from my discussion with u/Embarrassed_Cicada57 on the same topic. 

Over-all, the general points are mostly the same with my discussion with Them. 

In any case, I hope that The Hermit's ability to grant genuine Symbolic Power to anything is a little bit clearer to understand.

So No. 

They're not OP. 

But They're also not weak either. 

Indoctrination: On the Symbolic Power granted by The Hermit [LoM V8]