Apr 6, 2010

Tarot Tuesday

The Hanged Man

The Hanged Man is traditionally suspended between two upright poles but in The Deviant Moon Tarot, we see a gentleman who is suspended from one pole by a rope tied around his ankle and the other leg bent, holding his arms behind his back. Did you notice that there is a pocket watch dangling from his bent leg? We have seen this before in the Four of Pentacles, indicating once again, there is a time issue present.


In the Rider-Waite tarot, the Hanged Man represents the hope and fear of a different more challenging path, re-examining your priorities and establishing if they conform to the spiritual principals you choose to live by. Sometimes, The Hanged Man indicates that a lesson that needs to be learned and symbolizes the revelation that life is different depending on whichever way you choose to look at it.


Keywords for the Hanged Man are sacrifice, letting go, surrendering, passivity, suspension, contemplation, non action and waiting. In the Deviant Moon's Hanged Man however, the pocket watch seems to dangle  from the very edge of his boot reminding him that opportunities are being missed, valuable time is wasting away and stands as a reminder us that contemplation and non action can have it's consequences...if we become too apathetic, waiting and becoming passive, life will surely pass us by.














3 comments:

Willow said...

Your tarot posts are so helpful! A good friend of mine frequently draws this card when I do readings for her, so I know its meaning well. I'm not a huge fan of the Deviant Moon deck, but I do like this particular card. Thanks for pointing out the pocket watch.

Anonymous said...

I was at Borders book store on Good Friday, and while looking at the Metaphysical studies area with my friend, i stopped and looked at the boxes of locked up tarot cards. It turns out they carry the Deviant Moon cards! That made me very excited, though i didn't have money. ~.~

Fire Lyte said...

Liz, I hate to say it, but I disagree with your interpretation of this card. I don't see it as constraint or fear or anything negative. I see the Hanged Man as being there willingly, as truly letting go and letting God(dess) work through them. Surrendering to the will of the divine, like the peaceful severed head held by Kali. Surrender and piety and inner peace.

Reversed, however, I see someone bound not to Heaven and the will of the Divine, but to the world. Someone who isn't going anywhere spiritually or physically.