The Hanged Man
The Hanged Man represents the necessity of voluntary sacrifice to achieve something greater. It teaches acceptance of passivity, limitation of actions, and the inability to influence a situation. This card embodies the lesson of self-sacrifice, reminiscent of the Norse god Odin who hung himself from the World Tree to gain wisdom. It suggests that sometimes surrender and letting go are the path to enlightenment and growth.
Keywords
The Lesson of Voluntary Sacrifice
The card signifies the necessity of voluntarily sacrificing something in order to achieve something greater, accepting one's passivity, lack of freedom of action, and inability to influence the situation.
The Legend of Odin
The lesson of self-sacrifice can be understood through the legend of Odin (Wotan), the Scandinavian god who, in the name of comprehending the wisdom of the runes, pierced himself with his own spear to the trunk of the ash tree Yggdrasil and hung there for nine days.
Visual Description
An inverted black bird is suspended by one foot from a rope tied above the frame. Its wings are partly spread and a circular halo inscribed with runelike markings frames its head while a small key rests near its beak. A thin streak of reddish fluid runs along its neck, and the background shows a wood-grain texture with a teal strip of stars at the left. The Roman numeral XII is at the top and a ribbon at the bottom reads "THE HANGED MAN."
Forgotten Legends tarot
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