The Hanged Man
By Astarte
There are many cards of the tarot that are often misunderstood -- the Devil and the Death cards, for instance. These cards are often looked upon as malevolent, evil symbols. The Hanged Man is also often misunderstood when a querent sees the gentleman in the picture hanging upside down from one leg.
What is the first impression you get when you think of the words "hanged man"? Many who are unfamiliar with the tarot would picture a criminal from the Old West swinging from a rope in the gallows. This must give one the impression that the Hanged Man represents hopelessness, suffering, and the condemned. Nothing could be further from the truth.
The first thing you notice looking at the twelfth card of the Major Arcana is that the person in the card is hanging by his foot rather than his neck. One leg is bent at an angle, giving hima casual look. In some decks, there is a halo of light surrounding his head, suggesting spiritual enlightenment. This is what the card is all about.
The Hanged Man represents wisdom and the search for spiritual growth. Hanging from the tree, , a symbolic act, isolates him so that he may find spiritual purity. This is exemplified in the Norse Tarot, where the Hanged Man is represented by Odin. For nine days and nights Odin hung from the tree of Yggdrasil searching for wisdom. He had sacrificied himself to himself through a wound from a spear. He stared down into the darkness of Niflheim, until reaching down into the icy waters and crying out loudly, he grasped the runes that symbolised the wisdom that he was seeking.
This card often appears when the querent is at apoint in their life where they want to advance, but they don't know what direction to take. They may be at a crossroads, or they may be dissatisfied with their life so far and want to better themselves.
The Hanged Man lends itself well to tarot meditation. By ritually hanging from the tree, the man isolates himself and immobilises himself from the world, thus allowing no distractions to hinder the wisdom he seeks, suggesting that there is something we all can do that will benefit ourselves spiritually.
February's Card: the Hanged Man
Profile of a Deck: The Norse Tarot
Interview with Ellen Cannon Reed: Designer of the Witches' Tarot
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