Hung up. Strung up. That’s what I sometimes feel and see when I see the Hanged Man.

And then other times it’s just a wait. Pause. Break in action. Surrender to the moment, on the dot. Do nothing. Breathe. Hung up. Strung up 🙂

This is one of THOSE Tarot cards though — double dose of enigma (and confusion?) surrounds it. See, the dude (I’ve never seen a version of this card where the figure didn’t appear to be male) is hanging upside down. He’s hanging from a tree branch. He’s hanging by one foot. The other leg crosses behind. The nimbus around his head suggests, to me, that he’s blessed. He’s living his life in the light of the Divine. He’s guided, whether or not he knows it. So although he’s suspended, although he hangs from a tree branch, arms behind his back, he’s got this. He’s okay.

When you see this card? The same applies to you.

I remember, early on, when I first started reading/studying Tarot, seeing the word sacrifice associated with this card and yes I have had that meaning come up in readings. There may be something you have to give up in order to get. An offering made. A bargain.

Another common interpretation: new perspective. Makes sense right? Hanging upside down, can’t move. No wonder you see things differently now. Make the best of it. And perhaps that, in and of itself, is the sacrifice. You have to give up… what you thought you knew. Gravity.

The Major Arcana cards are RBD (really big deals). They aren’t the mundane daily-do of the pip cards or the people of the Court cards. The Major Arcana are the larger cycles, terrain you must travel. Unavoidable. Fate. Like the transits of the outer planets in astrology. The Major Arcana is your Jupiter through Pluto.

He’s waiting. You’re waiting. He’s willing. You’re willing. Willing to wait.

So many layers and levels to this card but let’s stop here for now 🙂

Some keywords to keep in mind:
*surrender (of ego, of belief, what you think you know)
*suspension (you are here, nothing you can do, can’t make life move any faster)
*letting go (releasing, eliminating, giving away, clearing out, sweeping)
*waiting (for the right conditions, right time, right person)
*sacrifice (can’t have it all, have to choose but feel you can’t choose? then wait until you can)
*feeling stuck (relax despite the discomfort, pain is inevitable but suffering is optional)
*waiting (to see what will happen, who will show up, giving people rope, slow down, breathe)
*finding yourself/self-discovery (who you are truly, madly, deeply)
*peace (is all around you)
*reversal (of your energy being drained. If you’ve been depleted, you start feeding yourself better. Chakra balancing)
*new perspective (of course you will see things differently now, can you practice seeing through new eyes?)
*the mystic (is who you are now, don’t fight it, believe it)
*with God (you are not alone, you have never been alone, you are not alone)
*slow down (in through the nose, out through the mouth, alternate nostril breathing, sit)
*listening (say less, hear more, listen with your entire body, from crown to toes)

P.S. Are you interested in receiving a personalized Tarot/Astrology reading? I have a new Special going on for folks who find me through Beliefnet. Click here to get in touch. Ask my about my new Astrology class forming!