The Hanged Man, Major Arcana, XII
In
the most basic sense, the Hanged Man represents peace of mind that comes from
personal knowing and experience. It’s when you learn not to make a fuss about
little details or changeable situations, and choose to make delicious lemonade
with the lemons life hands you.
While you acknowledge that life can’t always be perfect or to your liking, you have
also become wise enough to know that both the good and the bad come and go, and
then come and go again. What remains is what you’ve learned and how much you’ve
grown.
The
Hanged Man is such a good omen, a truly amazing card to have in any card spread,
sometimes changing the meaning of the whole reading – especially if it’s a
negative reading, the existence of The Hanged Man means you’ll be able to
understand the unfortunate situation thoroughly, stay calm, and act in the best
way possible to bring about good outcomes.
It’s
also a great card to visualize, contemplate, and meditate on if you are feeling
negative, overwhelmed, or out of focus. Notice how calm the figure in the card
is even though he is upside down. He is so chill even with one leg bent, all
the energy and light around his head, symbolizing wisdom and spiritual
awakening. You can also paint this card if painting is fun for you.
What does The Hanged Man Tarot card mean for love?
For
singles, The Hanged Man signifies a whole new approach to finding love. You
might be realizing that what you’ve been doing up until now hasn’t worked, or
hasn’t produced the results you’ve wanted. It might now be time to take a
different approach – take a 180 degree turn and maybe even do the exact opposite
of what you were doing till now.
If
you were rushing things in the past, maybe it’s time you take things slow. Or
if you were taking things really slowly in the past, it might serve you to add
some excitement and passion into the mix. The Hanged Man is such a good card
for people who feel like they have been dating the same person over and over
again. Identify the patterns and do the opposite from now on.
For
people in relationships, The Hanged Man points at how, even though there might
be rough patches, destructive patterns, or just days where you’re really
annoyed with one another, you have what it takes to make your relationship
work. You and your partner can rise above all the troubles and
disagreements, and find solutions that are good for both of you. You’ve both
grown so much thanks to this relationship and you should continue doing so –
your relationship is a blessing.
What does The Hanged Man reversed in Tarot mean?
The
Hanged Man reversed points at a stubborn I-know-it-all attitude that prevents
you or a loved one from overcoming difficulty and arriving at a less negative
or even a positive outcome. It means refusing to look at things from a
different perspective, despite new evidence or support from others around.
We
all sometimes experience this kind of helplessness where we feel so overwhelmed
by outside events that we can’t find solutions and we feel so stuck. Psychologist Martin Seligman calls this “learned helplessness” – whereby, if in the past you
couldn’t help yourself and change a situation, you expect it to be the same
now. It’s a learned response.
But
remember, each experience is unique, and you aren’t the same person you
were before. Even if you had a difficult childhood, you are an adult now, with
access to friends whom you’ve picked. When you’re in a difficult place, The
Hanged Man suggests getting help from your loved ones, which could even just be
in the form of ideas and advice. Getting help doesn’t mean you’re dependent or
needy.
Astrological association
The
Hanged Man is associated with the planet Neptune, which is very far from Earth and
its brightness can’t be seen without a telescope. It’s a great metaphor –
sometimes in life it’s difficult to see the bright side without some help!
In
Astrology, Neptune is the planet that helps us to transcend problems and bring
us to a truly spiritual, deep place. It’s associated with the intuitive right
brain, seeing into situations with psychic clarity and spiritual ability. It
could point at a time in your life where you’re feeling very connected and
having good hunches, or a time when you might need the help of a psychic or spiritual advisor
Neptune
has slow-moving, feminine energy and rules the sign of Pisces. While the Tarot card
directly associated with Pisces is The Moon, The Hanged Man might also
suggest Piscean energy in the sense that it is intuitive and psychic, and can
work nearly invisibly in our lives. The card might represent you, someone
important in your life, or the type of energy you might really be needing
nowadays.
Neptune
is also known as the higher octave of Venus – the planet of love and beauty.
With the influence of The Hanged Man, one learns to see love and beauty in all
situations, including difficult ones. It is the highest spiritual
accomplishment to acknowledge that even emotions such as grief can bring a
divine touch to our lives. The Hanged Man’s advice is, be curious about
challenging situations and difficult emotions.
Can
you be curious about your depression without fighting it or trying to numb it
by overeating, shopping, or ignoring it? Can you keep your curiosity alive even
when things don’ seem to go your way? The Hanged Man reminds us to be curious
about everything in life, the way a child is, and this includes all the things
we consider unpleasant.
The
Hanged Man is a wonderful card to have in your reading, in any spread and in
any card position. It connotes a life well lived where the spirit has grown and
learned, and even though things might not be perfect right now, the spirit
knows deep down that it is worth being here on Earth and experiencing love and
beauty.