The Hanged Man — The Power of Standing Still
A man hangs upside down from a tree. At first glance, this can be one of the more frightening images of the deck. For this reason, the card frequently makes an appearance in pop culture alongside Death and the Three of Swords. Yet, after looking more closely, it’s easy to see that the man has one foot free and is there of his own volition.
At any moment, the man could take himself down, and he’s quite content with his awkward state.
The Hebrew letter Mem, equivalent to the English letter “M”, is also reflected in the card’s meaning. As one of the Three Mothers — it depicts the element of water. There are two versions of the letter mem in Hebrew. The most common version is written with a small opening at the bottom. This “open” mem symbolizes the portion of the Torah which has been revealed. There is also a version where the entire letter is joined and is, therefore “closed”. This second mem represents the mysteries of the Torah, which can only be revealed to the seeker from within.
Mem is also associated with the womb. The closed mem is the nine months when the child is being created within the mysterious protection of the mother’s body. Likewise, the open mem is the birth itself, when the completed child is born into the world to be viewed openly by others.
Fittingly the letter M is used in the word Mikveh, which is the ritual bath, again tying in the element of water. It is also used in the name Miriam whose name means the “Star of the Sea”. Miriam is Moses’ sister, a prophetess who helps lead the slaves of Egypt out into the wilderness with her tambourine or sistrum (an instrument used by the priestesses of Isis). This name is also given to the mother of Jesus in the New Testament and to his “beloved” Mary Magdalen — “the Lady of the Tower”.
Within Gematria — the letter Mem is assigned the number 40. This is the number of days of the flood of Noah — again bringing in the water element. It is also the number of years that the Israelites journeyed before reaching their promised land, and the number of days that Jesus fasted in the wilderness.
In all of these scenarios, we see the concept of stillness at work. Noah and his family survived the flood within the womb of the Great Ark. For a time they were unable to move forward, not knowing whether they would see land again. The freed slaves of Egypt roamed around the desert, wondering whether the “promised land” was ever going to be within their grasp.
Jesus struggled against his role as Messiah and came to terms with his inevitable end. The crucifix is synonymous with the image found in The Hanged Man, which shows the man fixed on the wooden branches of the Tau cross. Both are willing martyrs, submitting fully to the will of the divine, accepting their fate without a struggle.
This concept is not limited to biblical references either. We can also see similar concepts arising in the tale of Odin.
The Norse God sacrificed his eye to the well of Mimir. Again, the letter M is used in the name, and it is associated with water. After taking out his eye, he then hangs himself alive from the branches of Yggdrasil, the World Tree. He remains there for 9 days, representing the number of months spent inside the womb.
He sacrifices his perspective, and lies in stillness, to be reborn with the wisdom of the divine.
Buddha also finds enlightenment beneath the branches of a tree, after battling Maya, and finding a place of stillness in his meditations.
Astrologically, The Hanged Man also corresponds to Neptune, Lord of the seas, and the co-ruler of Pisces. With his trident, he directs the currents which envelop the ocean of creation, like Shiva and Shakti who wield a similar cosmic tool.
When we are born into this world, we watch with eager eyes, soaking in the life around us so we can learn to navigate our own ship through the tumultuous waters. As we grow older, factions pull and push us towards the extremes, each with its own opposing opinions. All the convincing arguments, the fearful tactics, and the sweet promises tempt us to partake in the game of Life as a pawn who must always pick a side.
Yet the Hanged Man sits suspended in a world between worlds. His mind has learned to push out the persistent noise and the confusion that comes with it. In his stillness and solitude, he can finally hear the voice of Truth, echoing through the cavern of his inner Universe.
While the world may indeed place the Mystic onto the wooden post as a punishment for refusing conformity, he smiles despite the flames that lick his feet or the whip that stings his back. Because no matter what kind of trials await him, the power gained through the art of Wu Wei, ensures that his crown remains shining and without blemish, for he is the Emperor of a world that cannot be corrupted by those who obsess with the relentless dogma of man’s laws. Unlike those that persecute him, the Wise man does not need to proselytize others to his cause — for he is Free and already in sacred union with the One who rules the All.
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