THE HANGED MAN
"The Space Between"
Rider Waite Tarot
Pamela Coleman Smith
1909Â
Water – Neptune
- upright -
· Independence
· Being Who You Are
· Peace of Acceptance
· Suspension & Waiting
· Inaction & Indecision
· Letting Go
· Deep Thought
· Sacrifice
· Different Perspective
· Contemplation
· Spiritual Path
· Surrender
· Suspending Action
· Stalling
· Stand Still Situation
· Stagnation
· Disinterest
· Apathy
· Avoiding Sacrifice
· Fighting the Inner Self
· Abandonment of Responsibility
· Procrastination
· Refuse to Accept Reality
· Stuck under Social Pressure
- Reversed -
Water – Neptune
Rider Waite Tarot
Pamela Coleman Smith
1909Â
- upright -
· Independence
· Being Who You Are
· Peace of Acceptance
· Suspension & Waiting
· Inaction & Indecision
· Letting Go
· Deep Thought
· Sacrifice
· Different Perspective
· Contemplation
· Spiritual Path
· Surrender
· Suspending Action
- reversed -
· Stalling
· Stand Still Situation
· Stagnation
· Disinterest
· Apathy
· Avoiding Sacrifice
· Fighting the Inner Self
· Abandonment of Responsibility
· Procrastination
· Refuse to Accept Reality
· Stuck under Social Pressure
It is now possible for you to recognize where you are stuck.
There is nothing to do.
Perceiving your reality clearly makes the transformation possible.
One who bows willingly to the cosmic order is able to become one with the Tao.Â
Where are you feeling stuck in your life?Â
Are you ready to let go of your urge to control and surrender?
Can you give space to a new possibility that is emerging in your life?
I trust life.
I accept and surrender to the will of the divine,
which reveals its highest intention to me step by step.Â
Surrendering to a higher being, causes a reversal in one’s way of life. In spiritual matters, The Hanged Man indicates wisdom, prophetic power, self-sacrfice. May also mean suspended decisions, a pause in one’s life. A silent, unostentatious reversal of one’s way of life, combined with perfect tolerance for the ways of other people, is the aim of the practical occultist.
— JULIA TURK, Navigators Tarot of the Mystic Sea (1997)
The Fountain Tarot
By Jonathan Saiz & Andi Todaro
2014
01. The Hanged Man has deliberately suspended himself in order to discover a new perspective and new way of seeing both world and himself.
The Hanged Man can indicate total surrender or self-sacrifice for the greater good. He asks us for readjustment and re-centering. He advocates for stillness, for a shift in one’s vision, in order to gain new understanding.
He simultaneously signifies change, transition, and also deep uncertainty. He asks for meditative consideration, thought before action. He is in suspense, the pause, the brief respite before and after a seismic shift. He is the moment between the transitory void and a decision, the gap between choice and manifestation.
02. The Hanged Man understands that his position is a sacrifice that he needs to make in order to progress forward – whether as repentance for past wrongdoings, or a calculated step backward to recalculate his path onward. The time he spends here will not be wasted, he does this as part of his progression forward.
His upside-down state can also symbolize the feeling of those who walk a spiritual path, for they see the world differently. Where there are others who do not understand the need to sacrifice, he sees it differently.
The Lioness Oracle Tarot
Alejandra Luisa Leon
2017
Dali Tarot
Salvador Dali
1984
03. The Hanged Man reflects a particular need to suspend certain action. As a result, this can indicate a certain period of indecision.
Actions or decisions that need to be properly implemented are likely to be postponed even if there is an urgency to act at this particular moment. In fact, it would be ultimately best if you are capable of stalling certain actions in order to ensure that you have more time to reflect on making critical decisions.
Keep in mind that taking action is not always the best solution. Surrender to the opportunity to pause, and view it as your chance to reassess and re-evaluate where you are on your path. Something new is emerging, and you won’t be able to see it unless you allow the time and space for it to come through.
04. The reversal of physical posture serves as a very direct symbol of the reversal of attitude and experience that comes through spiritual awakening.
The Hanged Man calls you to release the old mental models and behavioral patterns that no longer serve you, so you can see the world from a new perspective and embrace new opportunities that would have otherwise been hidden from you. Take time away from your routine to connect with a new way of thinking and seeing.
The Carnival at the End of the World Tarot
Nicolas Kahn & Richard Selesnick
2018
Amano Tarot
Yoshitaka Amano
2000
05. The Hanged Man can sometimes reflect that you are feeling stuck or restricted in your life. Ask yourself, what is holding you in this stagnant position?
The Hanged Man is advising you to surrender and let go. Instead of investing in specific outcomes you envisioned and resisting your current circumstances, accept them and allow yourself to flow with life. You are being called to change your perspective and shift your energy.
Alexander Daniloff Tarot
Alexander DaniloffÂ
2010
Aquarian Tarot
David Palladini
1988
- Turn Around -
06. The reversed Hanged Man suggests a time of stagnation and restriction. You are sacrificing a significant amount of time while getting nothing in return.
Despite your best efforts, things are at a state of absolute standstill without any resolution or movement. While you feel frustrated at the moment, it’s important to surrender to ‘what is’ and let go of your attachment to how things should be. Loosen your grip and be in flow with life.
07. When reversed, it indicates an inability to get free from social pressure. Rather than listen to your inner self, you do what others expect or demand of you. Your awareness of life remains second-hand, never a direct experience but only a series of stereotypes.
08. The Hanged Man reversed also means fighting your inner self in some way. It can mean you are trying to deny some basic part of yourself or you cannot accept reality and are constantly battling life.
09. The Hanged Man Reversed can also signal that you are stalling a decision or action from uncertainty. You may feel inclined to wait til you are 100% ready – but you’re never going to be 100% ready in life. So, take the leap now. Do it before the Universe decides it can’t wait for you.
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