XII - The Hanged Man

Description:

A nude man hangs upside down from a blue cross.  His left foot is loosely tied by a golden figure-eight rope at the joining of the crossbar.  His right leg is bent at a 90-degree angle across his left thigh.  Both arms are placed behind his back, forming an upward-pointing triangle shape.  A downward pointing blue triangle is in the center of his chest.  The Hanged Man’s eyes are closed, and there is beatific smile on his face. 

Symbology:

The Hanged Man is willingly suspended upside down on the cross, as indicated by the loose rope that around his ankle and the beatific smile upon his face.  With his closed eyes and hands behind his back, this indicates a posture of inner reflection, and not outer action. 

The leg crossed in the shape of an inverted number 4 symbolizes a reassessment of his position in the material world (matter is often related the number 4).  The golden triangle with its point at the top of the Hanged Man’s head indicates that through his willful self-sacrifice, he is getting to “the point” or the One within. 

The swirling bands of blue and green reflect the Hanged Man’s submersion in the watery cosmic womb from which all forms are born.  This is reminiscent of an isolation tank or a cocoon.  He must experience a dissolution of his former patterns and lay to rest outdated forms and conditioned limitations, so that a new evolved being can emerge.  This is a willful metamorphosis. 

Divinatory Meaning:
(from "Tarot of the Spirit" companion book, by Pamela Eakins)

•  It is time to retreat, withdraw and surrender to quietude

• When the internal waters are stilled, you can see and hear your deep eternal self which is your own truth

•  Through meditative contemplation, you will arrive at truth

• Your glorious nature is revealed when the clear waters of your mind cease to be disturbed by rippling thoughts

•  This is a time of voluntary withdrawal; reenter the world only when you know you have received answers

•  Do not be pushed or agitated by the whims of others

Personal Reflections:

The smiling Hanged Man reminds me of the smiling Fool.  The Hanged Man is the Fool who has now gone completely over the edge into the abyss.  The leap of faith has been made.  The Hanged Man is at peace with his new position.  The ties to the past are being loosened, and he plunges head long into the cleansing waters to be absorbed, heading for transformation.