Daily Tarot: THE HANGED MAN
Finding the Inner Fulcrum, on which turns the Outer Awakening.
Every day, I get my daughter to pick a Card from the Major Arcana of the Rider-Waite Tarot Deck. Disregarding traditional interpretations and sceptical of ‘professional’ Tarot readers, I draw instead from my Hermetic background and psychological focus on Mythos and Archetypes. I'm exploring an experiment to deeply understand each card's archetypal meanings, delving into both its overt and covert symbolism while remaining open to the conversational nature of signs. This process embodies the concept of "Signal" as "Emergence," where being in tune allows for the unfolding and proper demodulation of universal, multifaceted messages, highlighting the pervasive relevance and context available to all.
The Invitation is to consider all the implications and let them form a constellation of context, from which you might derive some Meaning.
XII. THE HANGED MAN
This card represents Return to the Inner Fulcrum of Being, on which Turns the Outer Becoming
The number is XII (12) and is the 13th Card in the Major Arcana.
HOW TO CONSIDER THE TAROT
To appreciate Tarot, you do not need to subscribe to anything mystical or arcane, and you most certainly do not need to consult the booklets and the types of interpretations we encounter on the internet, which is no deeper than a typical lifestyle magazine for young women. You just need to appreciate how symbols and archetypes are windows into expansive maps of meaning.
Each card is a window into a holographic map of meaning.
Each card is a window into a holographic map of meaning, holding a trove of symbols, archetypes and other even less visible aspects such as numbers and geometry. When seen as a whole, considering all the subtle aspects, including the body language, the colours and the arrangement and the constellation of connection and meaning they imply, we begin to understand the true power of Tarot.
We begin each time with the abstract so that our subconscious minds can be primed with that which is most essential about the card, which would be overlooked by our human nature to scan for visual cues, recognise forms, faces and objects at a more literal level.
In this respect, Tarot becomes less of a tool for the kind of divination we associate with ‘pop astrology’, and instead a far more mature and meditative guide for connecting with the invisible aspects of ourselves, the world we belong to and the manner of that belonging.
The further invitation is to consider how the convergence of seemingly disparate elements which appear initially obscure and random, unfolds to reveal not only an emergent essence of each card but also an undeniable, deliberate web of meaning. This intricate orchestration underscores a genius in design and composition, hinting at a profound interconnectedness and the thoughtful intent behind each card's creation and the wisdom human beings have access to.
Each post, and the series as an emergent ‘Whole’, challenges the reader to view the Tarot through the lens of personal exploration and intuitive understanding. The synthesis of diverse disciplines provides a scaffold for interpreting each card's symbolism, inviting a deep, personal dialogue with the archetypes it embodies.
NUMEROLOGY
Numerology is the study of numbers. If mathematics is the language and the grammar, geometry is the syntax and poetry, and numbers are the base letters.
12 is the full zodiac, a full revolution of the celestial calendar. 12 apostles/disciples, 12 hours in a day (and on a clock face).
Pythagoras’ 12th theorem is the cornerstone of math that helps us ‘work out the missing side’: In a right-angled triangle, the square of the length of the hypotenuse (the side opposite the right angle) is equal to the sum of the squares of the lengths of the other two sides.
There are 12 Olympian gods, Hercules performed 12 labours, 12 tribes of Israel.
GEOMETRY
A 12-sided polygon is called a dodecagon, a shape that implies/contains the 3, 4 & 6 by way of the triangle(3), the square(4), the hexagon(6) through which is implied also the cube in 3 dimensions
The relationship between 12 and its constituent divisors 2, 3, 4 and 6, make 12 much more versatile and efficient as base-10—the power of base-12 is profoundly suited to creatively express the Whole through smaller proportions or parts of the whole.
Base-12 is deeply embedded in nature, showing nature's love for diversity and efficiency. This system appears in the basic building blocks of the universe, with twelve key particles making up everything we see. For example, carbon, crucial for life and the air we breathe, has a base-12 structure with six protons and six electrons, making it incredibly versatile.
Even the patterns in which plants grow and the twelve-note musical scale, which fits perfectly with our sense of hearing, follow this base-12 rule. This suggests that everything from tiny particles to the way we experience music is naturally aligned with the base-12 system, making it a fundamental part of the world around us.
At the heart of 12, is the number 6. According to Pythagoras, 6 was the first perfect number—a number where all the divisors excluding itself equals the number itself. 1+2+3=6.
The hexagon is recognised as the optimal structure in nature for strength and space optimisation. Hexagons can tesselate, or fit together without gaps or overlaps, in a two-dimensional plane, a property unique in polygons.
A cube is actually called a hexahedron, a platonic solid with six square faces.
In sacred geometry, the seed, the germ and the flower of life are all constructed by the natural intersection of the circle into six equal parts of 60 degrees, corresponding to the six symmetries of a hexagon
ETYMOLOGY
Vertical shallow Etymology finds the nearest root words and leaves it at that. Deep and Wide Etymology reaches down and laterally, to explore the full essence of meaning that is related to the word.
Hanged comes from the Old English hon meaning “suspend” and carries a connotation of being pulled by two opposing forces. An object hanging, or suspended, is held up by the rope and is pulled towards the source of gravity.
Where the rope is fixed acts as a kind of fulcrum, from which the suspended object can rotate on its own axis, but also swing forwards or backwards, or side to side in a pendulum motion, and thereby also in an ellipse.
The Hanged Man is an archetype with two distinct meanings, in one sense a person publically punished as an example to deter others, who has acted outside the earthy laws of the state, but also a martyr or redeemer archetype who faces consequences in pursuit of an ideal or objective.
‘Hanged’ is a specific term reserved for a ‘person’ consigned to the fate of hanging. If anything else is suspended from a cable, rope or chain, it is said to be hung. Hanging always denotes a sense of an ongoing process or state as opposed to hung, which implies a state of static suspension, implying “having come to a standstill”.
Additionally the term ‘hanged’, implies the involvement of Will—a deliberate choice or action—as in someone had to perform the hanging and therefore willed it so.
APPEARANCE & ARRANGEMENT
The card has a grey background. A young man, in a blue tunic and red tights, with a radiant halo is hanged upside down from a T-shaped cross made of living or freshly cut trees. His arms are clasped or crossed behind his back, he is hanging from his right foot and his left leg is crossed behind his right in the universal symbol of disclaimer or good luck.
EGREGORE
Egregore is an esoteric concept representing an emergent archetypal thought-form that arises from collective thoughts.
THE HANGED MAN card represents a return to the innate centre, to re-discover the axis and fulcrum of being, in order to catalyse an outer pivot, turning, or swing by which transfigurational change can occur.
God hangs the greatest weights on the smallest wires
Francis Bacon
The pauses between movements are just as relevant as the movements themselves. Integration happens when the momentum of actualisation is arrested and suspended. Rest is a necessary part of growth, and death is an essential part of life.
The ever-present nature of Reluctance and Tension are the inevitable consequences of the duality of existence and alongside coherence, the prime condition for emergence.
The great wheel of the solar system turns on the faintest axle.
THE UNFOLDING
A closer look at the unfolding symbolism of the card reveals a young man, suspended upside down from a T-shaped tree, that is sprouting fresh leaves. He has a serene, untroubled look on his face, his hands are obscured behind his back, so we cannot see whether he is tied up or doing something. He hangs from his right foot. His left leg is crossed behind the right in a pose reminiscent of the universal sign of disclaimer and/or good luck that people make with their fingers when committing to something but secretly disclaiming their apparent participation in favour of their true secret intention. The same symbolic hand gesture is also used as a western mudra to ward of ill luck, as in “keeping your fingers crossed”.
His blue tunic is belted with a red cord. The red cord symbolises initiation into the path of selfhood.
The hanged man is saintly, not unlucky. He has a radiant halo, shining like a radiant golden sun around his head. He is there by choice and is not subject to the full assumed consequence, there is a trickster element to the character and also a martyr element, being associated inevitably with the crucifixion.
The card used to be called “The Traitor” since the older established orders of orthodoxy, patriarchy and control would have perceived a person who makes personal sacrifice for the greater good, uncontrollable, disloyal to the petty order, and considered a traitor.
At a face-level, THE HANGED MAN represents a moment of profound pause and contemplation, a necessary ‘suspension’ of the ordinary flow of life that allows for a deeper inward journey. This card invites an exploration of the inner fulcrum of being, suggesting that true wisdom and enlightenment come from embracing periods of uncertainty, reflection, and the willingness to view the world from an unconventional viewpoint. It speaks to the soul's journey through periods of challenge and introspection, leading to eventual understanding, growth, and the emergence of new perspectives. Our whole life can be considered a period of challenge from which we are invited to grow.
This implies that the pauses between movements are just as relevant as the movement themselves. Integration happens when the effort of actualisation slows and stops for a moment. Rest is a necessary part of growth, and death, an essential part of life.
We do not run out of time, we run out of cycles.
SYMMETRY WITHIN THE DECK
Within the deck, there are symmetries and connections between the cards, defined by the relationship of the numbers, others thematically by the relationship of their symbols, archetypes and other essentialities.
To determine the integral symmetry of this card within the Major Arcana deck, we focus on the notion of the pendulum that The Hanged Man represents, fixed onto the fulcrum of his right foot, left to twist and swing, suspended between the force of the binding rope and the pull of gravity.
The persistent symbol of this arrangement is the Ankh: A T-shaped cross with a fulcrum from which the pendulum swings.
This symbol is repeated in the cards THE EMPEROR, JUSTICE and THE HANGED MAN, and alluded to in other cards including the posture of THE MAGICIAN, and the interplay between Form & Flow, depicted by the two cups of the TEMPERANCE CARD.
The implied inference can be considered in the sense whereby THE EMPEROR represents worldly power and dominion: the laws of man, JUSTICE represents divine and/or Cosmic Law and its dominion. THE MAGICIAN is the archetype that transcends earthy law and masters Cosmic Law (Logos). TEMPERANCE refers to one aspect of mastery, namely the law of harmony, by which this might be accomplished. Temperance shares a root with temperament, temperature and temporal.
KABBALAH & JUDAIC MYSTICISM
In Kabbalah and Judaic mysticism, the 12 tribes of Israel are arranged in a magic square of 3 down and 4 across, a representation of the trinity aspect and the 4 elements.
In this tradition, each of the 12 tribes represents a unique path that is taken from the bondage of slavery in Egypt, through the wandering in exodus, to the arrival in the promised land, the founding of the ‘state’ of ‘covenant’, and the founding of the first temple.
Of course, pharaoh, Egypt, slavery, wandering, the promised land, covenant and temple are all metaphoric, having allegorical meanings that pertain to the individual project of spiritual liberation, spiritual trial and relationship with divine nature. Even the word “state” refers to a spiritual state of being rather than a worldly political entity.
Each of the 12 tribes had a designated ‘path’ by which that journey could be followed. For the sake of brevity, we shall cover the first 3.
Rueben, the firstborn, represents the powerful energy of the prime, that which comes first.
Simeon, the secondborn, more aggressive because they have something to fight for. The archetype of being second is always more focused on being behind the first than they are on their state of advantage over the rest that follow.
Levi means “attached” or “joined” denoting the path of chosen fate being that that tribe was chosen to serve in the Temple. This is the path of freeing oneself from the bounds of worldly obstacles by attaching to higher purpose or service.
In summary, these are the archetypal Rota, the 12 spoked wheel of Dharma, each spoke or segment representing a different life path, with its own blessing and detriments.
HERMETIC LAWS & CONCEPTS
The Hanged Man is the magician, the alchemist who transcends the laws of nature (chemistry and physics), and the worldly laws of man, accepting ‘the cost of the gift’ in order to belong to a higher order of Cause and Effect.
The card is a window onto the notion of a pivotal moment of suspension, a voluntary sacrifice for greater wisdom or insight. The serene composure implies the way the hermetic magician or alchemist is deeply in the moment while remaining outside the worldly drama of the moment.
In the tradition of Hermetic wisdom and philosophy, the 7 laws are emergent, the higher law in each case indelibly governing the lower. Only by surrendering to the upper law (suspension), can the lower law be mastered. Only by surrendering to the truth of our own lower nature in contention with our upper nature, can the lower nature be mastered.
PENDULUMS
The notion of the pendulum intimated by THE HANGED MAN, alludes to several of the Hermetic Laws.
The most obvious is the Law of Cause & Effect: »Every effect has its cause. Everything that is, is so according to Law.«
Implied also is the Law of Correspondence: »Everything that is, is dual. Everything that is, exists in correspondence, relative and in relation to everything else.«
Also evident, is the Law of Rhythm: »Everything that is, ebbs and flows according to the tides of its form and the cycles of its flow.«
The inference then is about the nature of Cause & Effect, as well as the nature of Time—time being the medium, and thereby, in turn, the Rhythm in which Cause & Effect play out. The law of Correspondence provides the duality of rhythm and causality, the axis on which the movement turns.
In one sense The Hanged Man archetype enters a state of ‘suspension’ whereby the the upper law can be invoked to ameliorate the confining effects of the lower law. The law of Cause & Effect is echoed in Newton’s third law stating “that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.” Said another way, relating to pendulums, “the measure of the swing to the right is equal to the measure of the swing to the left.”
Visit the earlier article to explore The Seven Hermetic Principles in greater depth.
GRAVITY
The way gravity works between two objects, both objects actually orbit around their common centre of mass (also known as the barycenter). Most of the planets in our solar system are so small relative to the Sun, that they orbit the Sun’s centre of mass. Jupiter is so massive in fact, about 1/1000th the mass of the Sun, which is significant by planetary standards, the Sun and Jupiter orbit around a common centre, which is slightly outside the surface of the Sun. The arc of Jupiter’s orbit is still defined predominantly by the mass of the Sun, but the Sun also makes a small orbit around the barycentre, causing it to wobble slightly.
The more we Become, the more influence of our own we can exert on the world. Similarly, things that we create, can cast an influence on (or over) us.
In a Hermetic sense, gravity is a metaphor for Will. The Law is an archetypal metaphor for the Will of the Divine, the imposing array of forces and principles that determine reality.
The tormentor is Choice. The mercy is Surrender. The Judge & The Law, is Will.
ASTROLOGY
12 is the number of the whole Zodiac, 12 signs, 12 houses, and 12 months in the solar calendar.
The 12th house is considered the house of the unconscious, the collective. The Hanged Man’s state of suspension and the subsequent enlightenment echo the lessons of the twelfth house, where the surrendering of the ego leads to profound spiritual discoveries.
The hanged man is associated with the sign of Pisces and its ruling planet Neptune, which has the nature of being ethereal and unbounded by impositions of firm reality. Neptune is the god of the sea. The sea is a body of suspension, where the forces of wind and gravity work differently. In Water, Fire is not present in its native form, Air and Earth and their influences are ‘suspended’ and the ocean has its own bounds, depths and currents, into which even light is bent and ultimately cannot fully penetrate.
MYTHOS & LOGOS
The notion of a fulcrum and an axis, and the suspension between two points whereby the bounds of reality are formed, is an analogy of psychological paradigm. Our paradigm is defined by the mythos, and the logos we subscribe to, consciously and unconsciously.
The T-shaped cross is the Greek letter Tau or Hebrew Tav. Tav represents “mark” or “x” or “+”, as in where someone signs on the contract or the covenant.
The T cross features in Celtic engravings, which druids marked venerated trees, Thor’s hammer in Norse Mythology, Coptic gravestones, and part of the Ankh symbol. This was also the mark made on the forehead of the men of Jerusalem to spare them from God’s judgement.
T cross was the symbol of the Roman god Mithras.
The two points of suspension equally can be considered to be Fate & Destiny—that which we cannot change, that which is indelible about how we belong to the world and that which draws us onto our own path of Belonging, towards our Telos, our fulfilment of Form and Purpose.
GREEK MYTHOLOGY
In establishing the 3rd successive ‘order’ of divine rule, Zeus installs the 12 Olympians as the central pantheon of gods and goddesses who will rule over creation.
JUDAIC / CHRISTIAN MYTHOLOGY
The bronze serpent, the Nehushtan, is a serpent mounted on a T-shaped cross. Copper is the metal of Venus/desire. The snake is the kundalini, but turning at the T and looking down, is a return of the divine awakening turned back in on itself, inspecting its deep roots.
Jesus has 12 apostles, each representing a different archetype.
NORSE MYTHOLOGY
Odin sacrificed himself to himself, in his quest for wisdom, and was depicted as hanging in a T shape on a tree.
In this story, Odin sacrifices himself and pierced in the side by his spear, he hangs on Yggdrasil, the world tree, for nine days and nine nights in order to gain knowledge of other worlds to obtain the wisdom of the Runes. The sacrifice was necessary because the Runes would not reveal themselves without it—nothing for nothing—something must be given or endured to obtain something else of meaning.
In this tradition, the Runes are not ordinary letters of the kind used to communicate everyday matters in. They are the 24 sacred letters that were a part of the world, not crafted by men or gods, but came into being as creation and life unfolded, and whose knowledge granted the user mastery over the forces and forms of creation.
At the bottom of the great world tree, dwells the Norns, the three sisters of Fate. The one sister, Urd was the guardian of the well of Memory, from which the Runes could be discerned.
After the ninth night of hanging on the world tree, at the border between life and death, all the while peering into the depth of the well, the Runes at last revealed their secret forms to Odin, as well as the secrets that lie within them. Having fixed this knowledge in his formidable memory, Odin concluded his trial with a great cry of exultation.
INNER REFLECTION
At a face level, THE HANGED MAN represents a moment of profound pause and contemplation, a necessary ‘suspension’ of the ordinary flow of life that allows for a deeper inward journey. This card invites an exploration of the inner fulcrum of being, suggesting that true wisdom and enlightenment come from embracing periods of uncertainty, reflection, and the willingness to view the world from an unconventional viewpoint. It speaks to the soul's journey through periods of challenge and introspection, leading to eventual understanding, growth, and the emergence of new perspectives. Our whole life can be considered a period of challenge from which we are invited to grow.
This implies that the pauses between movements are just as relevant as the movement itself. Integration happens when the effort of actualisation slows and stops for a moment. This allows us to observe Rest as a necessary part of growth, and death, as an essential part of life.
This is fundamentally definitive of all pulsation and radiation, either via packets, particles or waves. The mastery of Time, is in the intervals.
Suspended between heaven and the earth, time flows differently. The relationship to all forms and forces can be traced more clearly by fixing to the single fulcrum on which we hang, perspective is shifted and the surface of the earth can seem as the ceiling, the branches seem as the roots and the hidden roots seen as the branches of source, that the tree grows down into. The fruits then are what is hidden below the surface, locked in shadow, waiting to be revealed.
This is a liminal space, between perspectives, between two opposing poles, between the heavenly and the worldly, wherein can be discovered the core, inner fulcrum of Being, pivotal to the process of transcendent evolution and Emergence of Becoming.
This is not merely about inaction but a deliberate choice to view things from a different perspective or to embrace a period of waiting as an opportunity for introspection and growth. The gestalt here suggests that true wisdom and enlightenment come from embracing such periods of uncertainty and using them as catalysts for change.
A subtle but powerful theme throughout your exploration is the importance of perspective. The Hanged Man, hanging upside down, sees the world from an unconventional viewpoint. This shift in perspective is symbolic of the shifts in perception we are invited to undergo—seeing beyond the surface, questioning established norms, and finding deeper meanings in our experiences.
The reflection speaks to the soul's journey towards enlightenment, marked by periods of challenge, reflection, and eventual understanding and growth. The emergent idea we get from peering through the window of the card reveals that true understanding and power come from a willingness to embrace the unknown, to sacrifice immediate comfort for deeper, more lasting insights.
THE INVITATION
Between what forces am I suspended? At what point am I fixed—what is the fulcrum on which I can turn? What is it that I can give up on, and what is it that I am aiming to obtain?
The title image depicts a reproduction of the Nehushtan, the coiled serpent on the Bronze cross. Here we consider the image of the rising serpent of the kundalini, heading towards the crown, but turning back to discover its own fulcrum, its own source, to obtain true mastery via self-knowledge rather than the child’s project of reaching up towards the ideal of the divine.
The pendulum's ability to swing and rotate, describing an ellipse or a cone, symbolizes the range of human experience and consciousness. It represents our ability to move between different states, emotions, and levels of awareness.
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Subtly, THE HANGED MAN is via the association with Odin, linked actually to Chiron and The Wounded Healer archdetype. Being that he chooses the circumstance by which he will be pierced in the side by the Spear. The spear is Odin’s chief weapon. And his power and wisdom come from the wound, he carries with grace because of the great Meaning he attaches to wounding and to sacrifice, not in meekness but in great sovereignty.