XII – The Hanged Man
“sacrifice and devotion”
symbol: salvation, self-absorption, „Solutio“
element: Water
date and ritual: the night before Halloween – introversion, self-sacrifice
archetype: Prometheus, Odin, Schemchasai
path of Mem: Geburah – Hod
Odin is hanging on the tree of (Yggdrasil, the world tree in norse mythology) for nine days and nights to achieve hidden knowledge. In this myth his sacrifice is voluntary, which unfortunately is not always the case with the Hanged Man. In many narratives the act of symbolic hanging contains a huge amount of suffering, which is rarely understood during the process of affliction. Often mental torture, helplessness and depression are expressions of this archetype. Sometimes the agony is not even inflicted from outside, but is rather the consequence of our own actions. Like mentioned in the card of „VIII – The Witness“ humans tend to judge and convict themselves all the time.
The agony of this archetype sounds bad at first, but, if we are trapped inside our routines, we cannot see clearly what is going on within ourselves and in the world around us. Only when interrupted and confronted with stages of suffering (even between life and death), are we sometimes able to discover a hidden self, we could not grasp before. The veils can be cleared up and we are able to recognise our own true will. What is important in life is subjective and quite different for every single being.
In an alchemical context, the stages of falling are followed by a period of rotting, which then leads to absorption and rebirth. This narrative refers to the element of water and the great sea of Binah, which is connected to depression, sorrow, and emotional release of any kind. The inability to act, the fear and the captivity which we sense during this process, will eventually lead to an reversal in the point of view. That is the main challenge of this archetype – to turn the view upside down.
Positive narratives of our lives or beloved influences can turn out to be negative. On the other hand, dark, feared and ignored aspects or symbols are revealed to be positive in a greater context.
Only through the passivity of „hanging“ can we even begin to see clearly. In this helplessness, courage may be found within.
On every known path to any form of awakening, living through this archetype is relevant. The chance of initiation (or arising beyond our own cycles) is higher with people, who have suffered and therefore have seen the other side of the medal of life. Only when hanging, a look through the celestial veils and therefore a change in life is possible.
Previously hidden and achieved knowledge is never convenient. Once a displeasing fact is learned, it can never be forgotten. Even if we choose to ignore a learned lesson on a conscious level, the truth works in our subconsciousness as a subliminal force.
Only when considering the sources of a stroke of fate, can we transmute the greater consequences of our own actions. The changes we would have to make in our life cycles, often appear to be so huge, that it is sometimes difficult to start and alternate our decisions. In contrast to the card of „XIII – Death“, where we must start all over again, „The Hanged Man“ offers an insight into a solution, before it’s too late. Fortunately, life mostly offers a few chances to change, before it strikes downright.
