From the Smith Rider Waite Borderless Deck
The Hanged Man is one of the 3 cards at the centre of the 22 cards of the Major Arcana. The Wheel of Fortune 10, Justice 11, and The Hanged Man 12 – they all represent the mid-point in our journey from ‘birth’ (in the physical sense, of our spiritual growth, and of our personal development) towards what Jung called ‘self-actualisation’ or becoming whole or fulfilled.
All three cards speak to us about the importance of finding a balance in life. They warn us about the danger of becoming too self-important, of believing that we have the power to control not only our own lives but everything and everyone around us. Narcissism is rife in politics and in the daily lives of so many of us – it may even be the true pandemic of the early 21st century.
Too attached, too invested in our own prejudices, in our ingrained habits of thought and our actions, we find it difficult to recognise or even look for the Truth. And what is the Truth? Is it merely a question of individual perception or is there an ultimate reality? Can we even recognise the lies, the ‘alternative facts’, the propaganda that we are subjected to every day – and, most important, do we recognise them in ourselves?
When The Hanged Man is drawn in a reading it tells us that we need to take time for reflection on what is really true, and truly important, in our selves.
Surrender is the word most often used to describe The Hanged Man. He has surrendered his power, his control, his ego, and is looking at his world from another perspective. He is perfectly balanced, relaxed, letting his thoughts come and go as he allows himself to be swung gently from his branch. The yellow light around his head tells us that by suspending his life, putting it on hold for a while, he has learned what is truly of value to him. Now he is ready to move on with new attitudes, fresh values and a renewed vigour for the journey ahead.
This card might represent a period of illness which, despite ourselves, gives us the opportunity for reflection. A great example of The Hanged Man in action came out of the 2020 pandemic which forced so many of us into isolation, made working from home compulsory for some, gifted us with unexpected time with family, or denied us the company of our dearest companions. For many of us this was a time when our leaders looked incompetent at best and stupid or self-serving at worst, when politicians failed us, when places of worship became vectors for the disease and closed, when we felt alone, swinging helplessly from our branch.
It had some unexpected outcomes. It seems that during the lockdown many people turned towards new spiritual paths, re-engaged with neglected mind and body practices, embraced fresh ideas in this interregnum while the rapidly turning wheels of our lives slowed down. Huge numbers realised that certain societal norms, accepted for so long, were entirely unacceptable.
After the initial weeks and months of isolation, the BLM protests, supported by people of every race and gender across the world, made us all re-evaluate the stories and histories of our ancestors and the narratives by which we live our daily lives. We took on new values as a society; millions clapping for the previously taken for granted, overworked and underpaid people who care for the sick and dying; raising our voices against the brutal treatment of minority groups worldwide; many refusing to send their children back to school for the sake of the economy; breaking the rules to sit in the sunshine in parks and on beaches because breathing in fresh air and communing with nature seemed so vitally important in the face of an unpredictable and potentially lethal virus, and dishonest and incompetent leadership across the world.
For many this was the time of The Hanged Man in full expression.
The Hanged Man asks to take time away from the busy incessant voices urging us to: Hurry! Hurry! Buy now! To accept and believe the advertisements, the propaganda or the lies of self-serving influencers, corporate and world leaders with opaque agendas.
Being mindful, learning the value of living in the moment, taking long bike rides, the slow movements of yoga and meditation, breathing in the landscape in parks and on mountains, in forests and on beaches, lying close to your lover, hugging a friend, sleeping beside your child or alone beside the ocean, lying in a desert and seeing the stars, making pasta or wine or a simple rice dish, growing a seed and smelling a rose – surrendering to the moment. These are The Hanged Man times when we truly appreciate what matters most to us.