The Vision
FIRST THOUGHTS: He's there by choice,
or he wouldn't look so serene.
MY OWN DESCRIPTION: He is sacrificing at
least his physical comfort, yet gaining spiritually. Star of David
formed by his body position also symbolizes spirit over matter. Or
spirit descending into matter and rising again. Or ". . .the descent
of the light into the darkness in order to redeem it."--Crowley
"Sacrifice (Latin: sacra and facio) means 'to make sacred,' and has no immediate correlation with the denial to oneself of benefits." (I think this is from Brian Williams.)
TIME: spring equinox, morning
TRADITIONAL MEANINGS OF CARD UPRIGHT: sacrifice, surrender, reversal of things, suspension, waiting, different outlook or perspective ALSO: Sacrifice for a noble cause. Wisdom, self-sacrifice, surrender to a Higher Force or Wisdom, descent to the depths of the self. Nothing can be forced to happen at this time, action is inadvisable, surrender to inevitable circumstances. A surrender to the inner, higher self has to be allowed to happen before nature and destiny can proceed along its course. Inner strength.
TRADITIONAL MEANINGS OF CARD REVERSED: stagnation, self-absorption, fruitless pattern ALSO: A personality stuck in a material, physical world unable to grasp any higher meaning of or in life. Self-absorption. Lethargy. Following a barren or fruitless pattern that no longer fits or works. Sacrificing too much of ourselves to others, regarding self as the victim.
BIBLICAL/MYTHOLOGICAL: All
resurrected ones: Jesus, Osiris, Persephone, and don't forget
Sleeping Beauty! Prometheus; Odin. The
Trees: Yggdrasil, Golden Bough, Yule tree or log, Tree of
Knowledge, Tree of Life, Bo tree,
Great Tree at the Center of
the Nations.
ASTROLOGICAL: (1) Virgo--modifier; (2)
Capricorn--pragmatist; (GD) Neptune
ANIMAL; INSECT: male mantis, dove;
flies on a strip
PLANTS: mistletoe--the original hanged one
MUSIC: A song from Iron Maiden, can't
think of the name, that says, "the secret of the Hanged Man, the
smile on his lips"; folk music from British Isles (dulcimer)
PUBLIC PEOPLE OR EVENTS: Generally,
people who stick to their religious/spiritual beliefs regardless of
the physical/material benefits they might otherwise gain. For
example, Jehovah's Witnesses who were in Nazi concentration camps,
and could have been released merely by signing a paper renouncing
their religion. They sacrificed their physical comfort and lives to
remain true to their spiritual ideals. JWs stick by their "Truth"
regardless the physical pleasures and societal acceptance they would
have if they would bend even a little bit. Is it they who are
"upside-down" or is it the world?
OCCUPATIONS: tree surgeon; escape
artist, telephone or electrical lineman, ski lift worker, volunteer.
PERSONAL THOUGHTS: Whenever I have a choice between self-sacrifice and selfishness, I find that if I choose self-sacrifice, whatever I thought I would lose, I actually gain twice over. So I shouldn't let material/physical or selfish desires get in the way of "doing the right thing." And most of the time, what seems a *loss* is in fact a trade--depends on the perspective. Self-sacrifice is victory over vanity: What's really YOURS anyway?
SITUATIONS IN MY LIFE: I had a dream
about Hanged Man on the winter solstice '96. In the dream, my best
friend was here in Switzerland, and we were together at a party. I
saw that I had the Hanged Man in my hand, and looked up to see a
certain person across the room.
My best friend visited me in August '97. While she was here, we
partied with that person. That was the end of the "suspension" and
the beginning of the resolution of the situation--the "resurrection"
of our friendship.
FREE ASSOCIATION:
OTHER DECKS: Other decks have features such as: flowers and fruit on the tree, an ankh rather than a tree, water in the background. Some unique examples include a fetus and representation of a Native American Sun Dance.
QUOTES FROM OTHER SOURCES: "It must be difficult to fill yourself up with divine Power, when you're already so full of yourself."--People of the Silence, Kathleen O'Neal Gear and W. Michael Gear
OTHER: Baptism: As the Drowned Man, this card also reflects baptismal rituals, where, in most cases, a person pledges themselves to a higher purpose, placing their individual will in subjection to Higher Will.
ALSO: The Philosopher's Stone, with which one sees the whole, rather than the parts, and everything really is turned to gold, but more precious than metal. Since his head is surrounded by golden light, everything must be golden in his sight, heh? (Halo=spiritual enlightenment.)
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The Vision
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 Tarot |
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This page is excerpted from my original contributions to an online Tarot course discussion of this card graciously sponsored by Pandora's Bookstore.
http://www.moonchild.ch/Tarot/major/Hanged/12IMHO.html
