Major Arcana 12 Tarot The Hanged Man

Description: A man hangs upside down on a pole, his hands tied behind his back. His head emits light.

The main meanings of the card in the upright position:

1. Teaching, a lesson to be learned;
2. An opposite view of things;
3. Temporary restriction of freedom;
4. A journey through your spiritual growth;
5. Abandonment of worldly concerns;
6. Friendliness, openness to new ideas;
7. A conductor of light;
8. Slowdown, stagnation;
9. A crisis in consciousness;
10. Dead end;
11. A long life alone/in an absurd union;
12. Experience, a period of trials;
13. Insight;
14. Selflessness, sacrifice;
15. Flexibility, adaptability;
16. A break with the past.

The main meanings of the card in the inverted position:

1. Concern about the worldly «I»;
2. Neglect of spiritual potential;
3. Materialism;
4. Martyr complex, victim;
5. Unsuccessful investments;
6. Melancholy, apathy, depression;
7. Triumph of egoism;
8. Death of the soul;
9. The desire to conform to public opinion;
10. The period of «suspendedness» is coming to an end.

A handsome youth is suspended by his right leg from a T-shaped cross made from freshly cut trees. His hands are tied behind his back — it would seem that he should suffer; but his face expresses peace, and his left leg is thrown freely over his right. His face radiates radiance, for he carries light within himself.

In everyday terms, the Hanged Man is a Student: after all, on the one hand, learning is always coercion, a restriction of freedom, albeit temporary. On the other hand, it is a new, perhaps directly opposite to the usual view of things. In the transcendental plane, he is an Initiate who has learned the mystical side of things, but also realized the impossibility of interfering with their course, and therefore is at rest, at rest. Temporary inconveniences are no longer able to confuse his soul.

This card was once called «Traitor» (traitors were hanged exactly like this) and was interpreted in the literal sense, as a threat of betrayal or punishment for it. However, the name «Hanged Man» appeared already in the 16th century, and one of the French names of the card, Potence, directly indicates its different meaning, because «potentization» is called raising to a new degree, and in homeopathy this is the name for the process of making medicines, turning poisons into medicines.

In the Egyptian Tarot it is called Sacrifice, although the modern meaning of the Hanged Man (upright) is that you are not required to sacrifice, it is unnecessary.

Other names of the arcana: Spirit of the Mighty Waters, the Hanging One.

SPIRITUAL EXPLANATION: This path of the Tarot, like the path of Justice, leads to Gevurah — the realm of action. The Hanged Man has his leg bent, symbolizing sacrifice, but due to the inverted position, he can also be compared to a reflection in water — the element attributed to this path. The Hanged Man's head sparkles — he reflects inspiring light, sending it to the lower levels of the Tree of Life.

TARO DIALOG MEANING: The Hanged Man is a conduit of the light of higher spiritual wisdom, so drawing this card means that you have begun or will soon begin a journey of spiritual growth. It may also suggest that you are about to let go of your old self, abandoning materialistic and worldly concerns in favor of a path that leads to spiritual enlightenment. This card can also represent goodwill and the ability to be open to new ideas.

REVERSED MEANING: You have neglected your spiritual potential and have become more concerned with your worldly self, meaning you have closed your heart and mind to spiritual guidance. You are vulnerable to the influence of others who do not have your best interests at heart and may deceive you, so you need to tread carefully and avoid making hasty decisions. It would also do you good to question the values ​​and beliefs you currently hold.

SELF-DEVELOPMENT LESSON: We are all capable of becoming conductors of light and learning to reflect the highest spiritual wisdom in our daily lives. By doing so, we will learn to refrain from the desires and concerns of the worldly «I» and surrender to the power of cosmic forces.

WORK: The first meaning is stagnation, that is, a slowdown in the course of affairs, perhaps even a significant one, if not a complete stop. Your project is «stuck», they promised a promotion — and then not a word, you can’t move on to a new task, the most important plans run into insurmountable obstacles. Although such stagnation rarely occurs unexpectedly. It all begins with troubles, small but annoying; we get angry, of course, but do not attach importance to them. Only when they accumulate in large numbers, the loss of momentum becomes noticeable, and then it is not far to a stop. And then neither persistence nor even forceful methods help. And the only way out of such a situation is to realize that we have reached a dead end. Only when we are truly ready to rebuild and retrain will the problems begin to be solved. Oh, if only we had thought about these little things...

CONSCIOUSNESS: And here comes the crisis. We have clung to something for too long and now we see that this was the biggest obstacle for us. But this is the great meaning of this card. It often happens that a person has been ill or unemployed for a long time, and this weighs on him and will weigh on him until he rebuilds and retrains, gets used to a new view of the world or to new conditions and activities. If we have already come to the conclusion that we have reached a dead end, but have not yet understood where we made a mistake or what we clung to for too long, then only finding peace in our souls and patient self-contemplation can help us. And, having examined and analyzed our problem properly, sooner or later we will come to the knowledge of its essence, we will discover what we have overlooked until now.

PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS: In this area, the Hanged Man card most often shows its saddest sides. We are firmly stuck in the current, not at all cheerful situation. This may be living alone for quite a long time, a series of unsuccessful attempts to find or restore reliable partnerships, or, conversely, to free ourselves from an absurd union into which we got involved through our own carelessness. But, be that as it may, this card here too means the need to rebuild and, above all, to realize what we misunderstood or did at the time, after which this threshing machine started working.

Names in other languages: Il Penduito, Le Pendu, The Hanged Man, Die Selbstlosigkeit.

Astrological correspondences: Pisces and Neptune. Saturn in the 8th house. Planet of the Limit, separation and farewell, dying and rebirth.

Kabalistic meaning of the arcana: experience.

Occult meaning of the arcana: open hand.

Physical meaning of the arcana: victim.

Places: those places where we go out of necessity; a boring report; a hateful job; tortured family or friendly gatherings.

Upright

Keywords and phrases: Cancellation. Suspended actions. Uncertainty. Respite. A period of testing. A lesson to be learned. Cosmic consciousness. Insight. A unique point of view. A new outlook. Dancing to a different tune. Spiritual consonance. Selflessness. Sacrifice. Dedication. Flexibility. Adaptability. Bold action to change oneself. A break with the past. Correction. A voluntary sacrifice in order to achieve the highest Good. Stagnation. Calm. Slow movement. Apparent stillness. Crossroads. Reflections. Serenity. Higher wisdom. Mysticism. Attachment. Unexpected changes at home or at work. Let everything go as God wills. One foot there, one here. I can see the promised land. Naked we come into this world, naked we leave it. Allow yourself to be real.

Situation and advice: Now is the best time to pause your actions. You need to reconsider your attitude, your goals and priorities, so as not to deviate from the spiritual path. It seems to you that time drags on slowly and now you live as if in slow motion. At present, a period of trials has come in your life, which dictates the need to learn some lessons. You are going through a transition period, realizing that you are stuck halfway between the old and the new. But you are capable of selflessly taking on a significant project or realizing your dreams. You have a unique perspective that others simply do not understand or appreciate.

You may have to let go of something in your life or make a sacrifice in order to achieve a higher purpose. You may join a group of people who have made similar sacrifices. You need to let go of the old to make way for the new. You may sacrifice your own selfish desires for the love of your neighbor. You may want to end a relationship because you realize it is no longer viable. Time spent in contemplation, rest, relaxation, and reflection will pay off in spades. You need to reestablish a spiritual value system in your life. Perhaps you have been worrying too much about something and now you need to turn to a higher power. Most likely, those around you will not understand you.

People: Those who selflessly devote themselves to the realization of a certain goal. People who step away from the bustle of life in order to engage in meditation. Those who are able to find the courage to change. A hospital patient. A spiritual person. A saint.

Reversed

Key words and phrases: Materialism. Refusal to make necessary sacrifices. Martyr complex. False security. Bad investments. Problems in resolving financial issues. Lack of interest. Triumph of selfishness. Dissatisfaction. Depression. Longing. Apathy. Insufficient effort. Feeling of futility. Maintaining neutrality. Refusal to break with the past. Lack of spirituality. Excessive conformity. Death of the soul. False self. Denial of an important part of yourself. The desire to conform to public opinion. The end of indecision.

Situation and advice: For some reason you are deceiving yourself. Perhaps you have sacrificed some part of your life in vain. Perhaps you are living your life to meet someone else's expectations, and you are giving up your own needs and values ​​to do so. Are you playing the role of a victim in a relationship? This behavior can only lead to a feeling of worthlessness and an unwillingness to devote yourself to achieving a more worthy goal. Perhaps you are unwilling to sacrifice anything even for the best results. Are you afraid of disappointing others by dancing to «your own tune»? Remember Emerson's saying that foolish consistency is the bugbear of narrow minds? It seems that you need to turn your world upside down in order to see the light. Do not waste your energy on useless projects. If what you asked about was related to financial matters, then at this time beware of making bad investments or following questionable advice.

The positive meaning of this card is that the period of «suspense» and uncertainty will sooner or later come to an end. If you can rethink your priorities and set new directions in life, you will be ready to take decisive action.

People: Victims. Egoists. People who try to live up to the demands of others. Unreliable people. Selfish people.

The Hanged Man Card's Inner Meaning

Something new has come into your life. Now it seems strange, inexplicable to you; unexpected things are happening to you, things that could not happen. But don't let this confuse you: be open to everything new, look at the world differently. If the world has turned upside down, you too stand on your head! Learn, be patient, maintain clarity of spirit — and wait.

In practice, this card means the need to learn something new. Thus, this is one of the cards that gives a positive answer to questions like: «Will the child go to college?» However, it also advises adults not to hold on to old ideas, but to try to find a new point of view.

In an inverted form, it means that a person is not ready to perceive something new, so studying and revising old views are unlikely.

For a businessman, the Hanged Man is most often advice to start mastering new areas of business. If it is turned upside down, then one of two things happens: either the company is rich and strong, and then it must stand its ground, without changing a single letter in the previously concluded contracts (then it will win), or it is a small company that risks a lot, and then it is better for it to immediately surrender «to the mercy of the winner», that is, the one who came first and offered a certain amount of money.

The Hanged Man Tarot requires that you willingly suffer some loss or sacrifice pleasure in order to achieve a goal. The higher the goal, the greater the sacrifice. If you pay the price, the goal is attainable. All you need to remember during this difficult time is that the sacrifice is voluntary: either pay the price or sacrifice the goal.

As with the Hermit, many religions and myths describe a divine or semi-divine figure who made a personal sacrifice in order to achieve divine wisdom or even divine status. In Norse myths, for example, Odin, the ruler of the gods, hung for 9 days and 9 nights from a sacred tree in order to penetrate the wisdom of the runes. In the case of the Hermit Tarot, solitary questing is a means to attain the goal. The Hanged Man teaches that personal sacrifice is necessary to achieve the goal.

The Hanged Man Tarot is not sacrificed by or for others. It is his choice, and he will be rewarded. That is the idea of ​​the card. There are goals for which you must make a personal sacrifice, that is, endure something unpleasant. If you endure it, the sacrifice will pay off. (If there is another benefit, as in the case of Odin's runes, this is just icing on the cake — it was not for this that the sacrifice was made.)

It is important to understand that you make the choice, the sacrifice must be voluntary, because the goal is worth it. Both the sacrifice and the goal can be anything: physical, intellectual, spiritual. But whatever the goal, you must sacrifice your childish or selfish illusions so that your mature dream can come true. As God created man in his own image and likeness, so you must recreate your I in the image and likeness of the chosen person.

Type of person in the upright position: a person contemplating life; a diligent but unproductive worker; a student devoted to his teacher.

Type of person in the inverted position: a person living according to a strictly defined once and for all plan; a refined or too orthodox person; one who uses various stimulants.

Psychological meaning of the Hanged Man Arcana: something new has happened in your life, and for now it seems strange to you, difficult to comprehend. Strange and incomprehensible things are happening to you — things that cannot really happen. But this should not frighten you, try to be open to everything new, look at the world with different eyes. If the familiar world has turned upside down, remember that you can do the same. Learn to observe, but try to maintain clarity of thought and peace of mind. It is even more important for you to maintain a balance between what is inside you and what is happening outside. Do not try to withdraw into yourself and limit yourself to the world of your own experiences. Patiently wait for events to develop. Yes, you have stopped for a while, but soon life will carry you forward again — try to be psychologically prepared for this.

The Hanged Man, if you look at it simply, means that we are «stuck», at a dead end. Upon closer examination, it turns out that behind this external immobility lies the need and a good opportunity to rethink many things in life, and as a result — to make profound changes, both in life itself and in the outlook on it. The passivity to which we are condemned during this period most of all resembles the image of a bedridden patient — this is also one of the meanings of the card. K. G. Jung said well about the Hanged Man as a feeling: «To hang means (...) and even a completely positive hanging on, which, on the one hand, means some difficulty, although surmountable, but for this very reason represents that rare situation that requires the greatest effort from a person, giving him the opportunity to reveal himself entirely.»

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