Bohemian Gothic Tarot

XII THE HANGED MAN

Lighter or more conventional meanings

Illumination, spiritual enlightenment * Self-sacrifice - for altruistic reasons * Staying out of the hustle and bustle of everyday life - at least for a while * Trying to see things from a new perspective - though this is hard * Letting go of ego.

Darker, shadow or more hidden meanings

Too great a sacrifice, or a sacrifice made unwisely * Self harm, either physical or psychological * Becoming fetishistic or fanatical about religious or spiritual pursuits * Confusion, finding it hard to understand what's going on - everything looks topsy-turvy to you.

Those who are new to tarot tend to assume that The Hanged Man must be a grim image about death by execution. It may have begun as an illustration of just this - some of the earliest cards probably showed a traitor's execution, in which the victim was hung upside down. But in modern times the pose is interpreted symbolically as a voluntary one; a method of relinquishing control and making a sacrifice. So The Hanged Man stands for someone who has put themselves into a trancelike state of suspended animation in order to seek enlightenment; someone who is willing to undergo discomfort and even pain if, in the end, it leads to revelation and the successful outcome of their spiritual quest.

However, the card will not always have such a portentous meaning in every reading. It might well signify something as simple as a decision not to move on, but instead to stick with something, maybe just temporarily, to see where it might lead you emotionally or in a philosophical sense. The card could also stand for a decision to put others before yourself, to undertake some discomfort that you know is for a good cause, or it may simply refer to a religious or spiritual practice like meditation or prayer.

ln The Bohemian Gothic Tarot, The Hanged Man shows a quiet image. It emphasises the solitary and isolated situation of the central figure - he's dwarfed by the Gothic architecture around him and by the moonlit sea and sky. There is a strongly ritualistic nature to his uncomfortable posture and one wonders, looking at this scene, if he is in some way in thrall to the moon, looking to her to make, or break, a spell that hangs over him. It's an intense picture, and a mysterious one. The owl that sits watching this process signifies the wisdom that the Hanged Man will acquire. But the ordeal that he is going through is a hard path to follow and will not be right for everyone.

Some further ways to consider this card

What is the significance of the full moon? How does this card relate to others in the deck that show a full moon?

What is the story of this man, how did he get to this situation? Why is this scene set with the sea in the background?

I turned round and saw that I was being followed by the two hanged men. I started to run again, and I saw that the hanged men were left behind. But my joy was short-lived. These detestable creatures began to cartwheel and in an instant were upon me. I ran on, until finally my strength deserted me.

Then I felt one of the hanged men seize me by the heel of my left foot. I tried to shake him off, but his brother cut in front of me. He appeared before me, rolling the eyes dreadfully, and sticking out a tongue as red as an iron drawn from the fire. I begged for mercy; in vain.
- Jan Potocki, The Story of the Demoniac Pacheco.