ShadowWolf - The Hanged Man
The Hanged Man
"The gallows from which he is suspended forms a Tau cross, while the figure-from the position of the legs-forms a fylfot cross. There is a nimbus about the head of the seeming martyr. It should be noted (1) that the tree of sacrifice is living wood, with leaves thereon; (2) that the face expresses deep entrancement, not suffering; (3) that the figure, as a whole, suggests life in suspension, but life and not death. It is a card of profound significance, but all the significance is veiled. One of his editors suggests that Eliphas Levi did not know the meaning, which is unquestionable-nor did the editor himself. It has been called falsely a card of martyrdom, a card of prudence, a card of the Great Work, a card of duty; but we may exhaust all published interpretations and find only vanity. I will say very simply on my own part that it expresses the relation, in one of its aspects, between the Divine and the Universe.
He who can understand that the story of his higher nature is imbedded in this symbolism will receive intimations concerning a great awakening that is possible, and will know that after the sacred Mystery of Death there is a glorious Mystery of Resurrection." A.E. Waite
The Hanged Man
The Hanged Man- how man of us ever feel like our life is suspended in time--maybe a few moments that last forever- or days spent in anticipation or waiting?
It is interesting that this card shows a person upside down- not particularly upset by the whole thing but think about just the physcial implications of the body being topsy turvey. Perhaps this is a time to make us see things differently- away from what we normally view as the world. For some reason I always think of how reversed from the Magician this figure is- instead of as above so below- we have, well what do we have? We have the below being touched by the head- the above.
One can visualize some of the cross symbolism in this card- and remember those
times when crucifiction included being hung upside down til death. As well,
there are references to this being reminiscent of the old fables of Odin- the
Norse spirit and wind God who suspended himself in a tree for nine nights to
receive the secrets of the runes--of other tales of mystic experiences
received from such a suspension (well heck, the physical part alone could
definitely alter one's perspective). There is also some reference (although I
can't recall for the life of me where I saw it) that this was turned around
mistakenly by some printer...but then what would we have- someone standing in
quiet contemplation. Hmmm, I rather think for a kicker of a card, the hanged
man is far more potent.
So what does this say to us? To hang back and wait? To take ourselves out of
our normal position and see things differently, from someone else's point of
view? Think now, we just left Justice, where we saw the flow of energy going
back and forth- ever attempting to find balance, that inner column of the
tree. And we had the Hermit where we were stopping to contemplate...but this
is so different. We are neither high on a hilltop in all our glory or safely
between the regiment of the structure of two columns.
Here we are in nature's grasp. Think of the way nature works- the storms that
have hit various parts of the country this past week showed neither pity or
discrimination as they swept through. Rich and poor alike are given the same
treatment- the same cleansing and purification as things are torn asunder.
What one saw from one's window is suddenly turned upside down and we see a
vision that is completely different. How does this affect us? Do we turn away
and close the blinds until that vision is 'righted' to our sensibilities...or
do we look at the naked brutal picture of the roots of an old oak tree torn
from its ground and SEE that which has sustained life for so long now gone in
an instant?
The Hanged Man can have many meanings in a divination and is often a good
'spot' card when there is a question about timing for something. But go a bit
further when you read this card in a spread and make sure that there is an
exploration of what might need revisiting- what might need 'seeing' in a new
way. Without judgment, without action- but a clear, and sometimes painful,
view of the world. Accepting this can allow us to move forward- wiser
perhaps, more aware of our own faults and foibles, or simply how we differ
from the world around us, and yet with a renewed sense of the totality of who
we really are. Remember--the dualities of balance that we find in each card-
even where not really obvious.
We have the Tau-cross, remembering tau is the last letter of the Hebrew
alphabet and symbolizes "salvation of life". This shows us that this card and
the exercise it demands of us is almost necessary to move forward..In Waite's
card we see a tree though, fertile with life- not the death of a stark barren
cross. The tree is a symbol of the earth, and nature, and our need to be both
of the earth and with the spiritual plane- balance again.
His legs are crossed in a backwards glyph for Jupiter, signifiying that all
will go well- the crossed legs indicating either sacrifice of the self as well
as the red color indicating desire and a passion to live in the real world.
His arms are crossed behind his body-- a triangle pointing upwards- albeit
behind the back...the blue usually conotates spirituality, the Spirit.
This can be a transformation card- one however that is not so much happening
to the individual as the individual is WORKING towards spiritual attainment.
Letting go of the past and looking at the world from a different perspective-
allows us to find a balance between ourselves and the world in which we live.
EXERCISE ASSIGNMENT:
Take something in your life this past or present week and think about how you
might simply turn that whole thing upside down- look at the people, the
emotions, the situation as if you were in a reversed mode...not from YOUR
perspective but everyone else's. Does this change you in any way? How?
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