The Hanged Man
The Hanged Man calls for deliberate suspension of action to avoid harm and to gain perspective. It symbolizes stasis and patient waiting—choosing reflection over immediate movement—as embodied by Sleeping Beauty, who opts for sleep instead of death. Upright, the card points to suspension, restriction, sacrifice, and readjustment that can lead to improvement. Reversed, it warns against willfulness, useless sacrifice, rushing, and thoughtlessness that culminate in martyrdom.
Keywords
Title
The Hanged Man
Character
Sleeping Beauty
Origin
Italy, Italian Fairy Tale
Description
The Hanged Man ceases forward momentum to avoid disaster and instead favours reflection. Sleeping Beauty is a symbol of stasis; with the options of sleep or death, she chooses to wait for more favourable conditions.
Upright
Suspension, restriction, sacrifice, readjustment, improvement.
Reverse
Willfulness, useless sacrifice, rushing, thoughtlessness, martyrdom.
Visual Description
A blonde figure is suspended upside down from their feet near the top of the card, hair flowing downward. They wear a red jacket with white cuffs and a deep teal skirt that fans out beneath them; their hands are clasped together in front forming a triangular shape. A thin golden rope or pendant hangs toward the chest and the scene is framed by dark thorny branches dotted with red roses. The Roman numeral XII appears at the top and the title "The Hanged Man" is printed along the bottom.
Tarot of the Divine
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