The Hanged Man

A serene looking man hangs upside down by his left leg, this is The Hanged Man. Perhaps you see this man as Odin hanging from Yggdrasil in living death to gain knowledge of runes. Or maybe you see St. Peter, insisting to be hung upside down because he was not as holy as Christ. Both men sacrificed themselves to a higher purpose as perhaps this man is doing. I see this person as The Fool/ Hermit awaiting yet another transformation. At this point in his journey his life is in suspension waiting for the judgement of his most recent life to be passed.

1 Around his head there is a halo. Halos have long been a sign of an enlightened, and holy person. The halo we see here is no different. He has been enlightened by the experiences of his life past and has readjusted his mindset to accommodate his new knowledge. The expression on his face is calm, this is the respite between important events and he is appropriately apathetic.

2 His clothes tell the tale of change. While his legs are clothed in red, a color of passion, excitement, and fury; his upper body is clothed in blue, a color that is synonymous with calmness and healing. This symbolizes a reversal of the mind and in one's way of life.

3 He is held to the gallows above him by a single rope. His right leg is crossed while his left leg is held out straight and tied up. As the left side is associated with higher consciousness it tells us that he has renounced his previous way of life, and is currently being controlled by his spirit. The right leg is crossing the left. This could mean the submission and repentance of his conscious mind or it could simply be pointing to the fact that he is at a crossroad in his journey.

4 The gallows themselves are in the shape of a Tau Cross. This symbol is associated with two particularly famous religious figureheads involved with death and resurrection, Tammuz and Christ. This symbolizes the upcoming changing of life's forces. He is about to experience a regeneration of sorts as a new soul.

5 The background is white, suggesting a neutral surrounding. Everything that is about to happen will happen within and because of him. His surrounding has no influence over the next stage of his life.

Key Words: Transition. Abandonment. Sacrifice. Awaiting transformation. Life in suspension. Readjustment. Respite between important events. Apathy. Change. Reversal of the mind and in one's way of life. Renunciation. Repentance. Changing of life's forces. Regeneration.

When Using Reverse Meanings: This person is preoccupied with their ego, they aren't willing to make the personal sacrifice necessary to allow their higher consciousness to take over. Or perhaps they have sacrificed themselves unnecessarily. It could be that they're not ready for this type of change or there was no change that needed to be made. If you sacrifice yourself when it's not necessary you risk losing yourself altogether.