The Hanged Man is the twelfth card of the Major Arcana in occult Tarot decks. Considered as one of the most enigmatic cards, it symbolizes salvation and redemption. The hanged man's eyes are open and his gaze is alive and attentive, observing and knowing everything around him. Discover the meaning of The Hanged Man in the Tarot, the indications it gives when it comes upright, reversed or combined with other cards and its possible application to the various facets of life and everyday issues.
The Major Arcana number tells you what stage you are in for a particular situation or problem. Ask the Tarot your question and interpret the Arcana according to its number and its position in the deck. These cards follow a storyline that tells of the spiritual travels taken from the innocent wonder of The Fool to the oneness and fulfillment of The World. In other words, these cards tell the story of humanity's spiritual evolution into enlightenment and individuation - when his life experiences are complete, he returns to zero, The Fool. Despite the divinatory meaning of the cards, think of the Tarot as a journey. If you look at the cards that come out in this way, with each question you ask, it becomes easier to intuitively interpret the cards and see their messages as a life story.
Index
The Hanged Man Tarot Card Description
- Major Arcana XII
- Zodiacal Affinity - Neptune
- Keywords - Transition, readjustment, limbo, paradox, self-awareness, need for expression, spirituality, salvation, redemption, defeat, starting over.
- Key Expressions - It may take a sacrifice, a relationship that is stagnant, a need to see life from another perspective, a change in priorities in life, a relinquishment of control, a desire to move forward, a need to step back in order to move forward.
- Advice - Accept where you are.
- Reversed Meaning - Naivety, unnecessary sacrifices.
The Illustration
In this card, a young man is seen suspended by one foot, turned upside down. The gallows are green and the rope is short. The gallows are supported by two wooden stakes, with scars on each cut branch. The illustration's legs and arms are crossed, the latter behind his back.
Like The Devil or The Death, this card can arouse disquiet when out on a Tarot reading. However, his interpretation also has a positive side. This arcana is linked to the martyrs and, therefore, it brings the message of salvation and redemption. In Kabbalah, it corresponds to path number 23 on the Tree of Life: the severity of the splendor.
The Symbology
The Hanged Man is considered to be one of the most enigmatic Tarot cards. The ambiguity of this card is related to mandatory or voluntary sacrifice in a specific situation. It can represent a temporary inversion of the natural order of things or a self-sacrifice, above all, of spiritual values. It can also point to the need to let go of old habits and beliefs to make room for new realities.
The apparent sacrifice of The Hanged Man figure has a spiritual implication. In some ancient religions and mystical practices, personal sacrifice and ordeal were part of the rituals of purification and passage. In this sense, this card can mean a change or passage from one phase of life to a fuller one, at the same time that self-awareness and spirituality develop.
The Hanged Man Tarot Card Meaning
Upright Hanged Man Meaning
- Upright Love Meaning - Love can’t be rushed, avoid romantic pressure, sacrifice for love.
- Upright Career Meaning - Uncertainty about career, waiting, forced break, thinking of next steps.
- Upright Finances Meaning - Change in perspective about finances.
This card reminds us that it is not possible to fight against facts. The best option is to accept the situation, surrender to the circumstances, and look for solutions. It's like a starting point to start something new, whether on a personal or a professional level. The person may feel stagnant, trapped in a given situation or relationship.
These limitations or obstacles can either be self-imposed or come about through pressure or influence from another person. The consultant is tied to something or something. All you have to do is accept this circumstance and define what you want to do to change it, or accept the situation.
Reversed Hanged Man Meaning
- Reversed Love Meaning - New perspectives on love, changes in romantic life.
- Reversed Career Meaning - New career move not working, procrastination, stalling for time.
- Reversed Finances Meaning - Indecision, failed investment, wasted financial sacrifice.
When in the reversed position, the illustration on The Hanged Man appears to stand on only one foot, which holds it in place. Symbolically, this can mean that the person has a desire to move on but some difficulty letting go of the past. This position may also indicate that the consultant is being manipulated by third parties, who will use emotional blackmail to get what they want.
On the other hand, it can symbolize that it is the consultant who is playing the martyr, to draw attention to himself or that he is being a masochist by punishing himself unnecessarily for imaginary undesirable acts.
The Hanged Man Combinations with Other Tarot Cards
The self is the key to all combinations of The Hanged Man with any other card of the Tarot. With The Empress, it is the emotions that must be controlled; with The Justice objectivity is necessary in the interpretation of facts and reality. With The Moon, The Hanged Man has a higher expression, referring to spirituality, informing about possible obstacles in the karmic path.
The Major Arcana Tarot
The Major Arcana, or Great Mysteries, are seen as symbols of great issues, moments or people. Each card represents a human archetype, evoking the most varied feelings, moral positions and behaviors.
- 0 - The Fool Tarot Card Meaning
- I - The Magician Tarot Card Meaning
- II - The High Priestess Tarot Card Meaning
- III - The Empress Tarot Card Meaning
- IV - The Emperor Tarot Card Meaning
- V - The Pope/The Hierophant Tarot Card Meaning
- VI - The Lovers Tarot Card Meaning
- VII - The Chariot Tarot Card Meaning
- VIII - The Justice Tarot Card Meaning
- IX - The Hermit Tarot Card Meaning
- X - The Wheel of Fortune Meaning
- XI - The Strength Tarot Card Meaning
- XII - The Hanged Man Tarot Card Meaning
- XIII - The Death Tarot Card Meaning
- XIV - The Temperance Tarot Card Meaning
- XV - The Devil Tarot Card Meaning
- XVI - The Tower Tarot Card Meaning
- XVII - The Star Tarot Card Meaning
- XVIII - The Moon Tarot Card Meaning
- XIX - The Sun Tarot Card Meaning
- XX - The Judgement Tarot Card Meaning
- XXI - The World Tarot Card Meaning
Reading, Meanings and Interpretation of the Tarot Major Arcana
Tarot is used as a tool for self-discovery and self-knowledge. In this sense, more than guessing the future, it serves to read and interpret all the elements of our life: it describes the current moment, clarifies the motives, desires and intentions, pointing out the path and the energies present in our life.
The possible readings for each Tarot card are practically infinite. There is no unique interpretation for each card, for each layout of cards or for each reading method. Tarot is based on intuition. Each person who reads the message of a card, or a set of cards, intuitively unravels the meaning of the card's message and how it connects with their own reality and circumstances of life.
The word "arcana" comes from Latin and means "secret" and, in the Tarot, the Major Arcana are considered universal, symbolic and figurative: they are considered symbolic of great issues, moments or people. They are archetypes, that is, they represent the most diverse feelings, moral positions and human behaviors. When they appear in a reading, it indicates an important event or decision, whether practical, spiritual, or emotional. They also establish correspondence with the astrological signs and planets.
