Numerology and stuff

The Hanged Man 12

Upright:

Keywords

(To Follow)

On first glance at The Upright Hanged Man, it already appears to be Reversed. The Hanged Man is often considered one of the most interesting and complex cards in the Tarot.

A man hangs upside down from a tree or T-shaped post. Leaves appear to be growing from the tree on either side and down its front. Only one leg is bound to the post while the other rests tucked behind it. His arms are tied behind his back and a yellow halo emanates from his head. The background is totally grey.

The Hanged Man is a card that deals with surrender and sacrifice. We must not take an understanding of his meanings at first glance for they are often multi-layered. After all the activity of the Upright Wheel of Fortune, the positive change in circumstances, life and opportunities flowing with abundance, there now comes a time when all the having, getting and doing grinds to a halt. Life appears to be suspended or on hold.

As The Wheel of Fortune so aptly reminded us, there is a time or season for everything. The Hanged Man represents that time when no matter what we try to do, it just doesn't work out. No matter how much we plan or try to force life to obey our commands and desires it seems to have a mind of its own and goes the opposite way. It can be a frustrating time when we become impatient and negative, and compare our failings and obstacles to the apparent success and luck of others. We may feel powerless to change our circumstances and feel restricted. Justice has appeared in our life to address our situation and now attempts to balance the scales. Finding the right balance may be difficult, and may also take some time. Justice has stepped in to remind us of our Spiritual Purpose and Duty. She has stopped us in our tracks, hung us up and restricted our movement so that we may focus our attention inward for a while. The knots Justice has tied cannot be undone by any mere mortal, and so The Hanged Man may as well surrender to his fate and wait.

The Hanged Man appears at this time to remind us that struggle at this time is futile and it is best to surrender to the situation and let it go, for as much as you fight to stay on top of whatever is involved, it will only succeed in depleting your energies, encouraging you to slide further into despair, negativity and pessimism. You are just not going to get anywhere at the moment or change much.

If we look closely, The man hanging from the tree doesn't look terribly concerned or distressed about his dilemma. In fact he looks quite serene and contemplative. He hangs casually and his body appears relaxed. He is resigned to his fate. He knows that the ropes that bind his foot and hands are tight and well-knotted. He knows that no matter how much he pulls, twists and writhes they are unlikely to become undone. He may very well inflict more pain on himself in the process. Justice has tied him up to learn a valuable lesson, and will only be let down when he has achieved this. This does not essentially mean that he has committed a terrible crime and now has to be punished.

The Hanged Man knows that if he was allowed to continue on his present course of action, rushing around, never stopping to think, then he would never learn the lesson and gain true understanding. So here he is with nowhere to go except hang out on his own, alone with just his thoughts for company. This gives him plenty of time and the space to go within to meditate on his situation. He can reflect on how he got where he is. Without his material connection to the world he can now focus on his spiritual one. The Hanged Man takes this time to go within and re-connect with his spiritual purpose in life.

By hanging upside down The Hanged Man has a wonderful opportunity to view the world, or his situation from a different perspective. He had been so engrossed and absorbed with all the things he was doing, getting and wanting, that he lost sight of the bigger picture. Upside down he is able to see things in a different light.