Goldenhair said:
The traditional meaning for this card is sacrifice and I find the faceless person, for me, represents this more clearly than the noble, contented looking man presented in other decks.
I would totally agree with that Goldenhair. I think that we can all relate to the faceless man. It represents each and every one of us. Also, interesting what you say re. the Hebrew letter. That would explain the watery colours, and the fact that he appears to be suspended over some kind of lake or river of sorts. I was looking at him again last night, and I realised that in the middle of his chest is what appears to be a circle. Am I imagining this? Perhaps someone with a magnifying glass or a larger Thoth could clarify or not as the case may be?
On another note, someone mentioned earlier that the Hanged Man is almost crucified. However, it is an upside down crucifixion. I am aware that Crowley was very much into using Christian terminology in the most dramatic and shocking fashion in order to meld various ideas into his vision of the New Aeon. Basically, as far as I am aware, the Aeon which preceded our present Aeon, was characterised by Christianity and man-centred religion. It is the Aeon in which the man is worshipped... the penis... as opposed to the Goddess, and the womb. Crowley talks of the present Aeon as the New Aeon... and it is characterised by what one might call various 'New Age' lifestyles. So... I am thinking that the reversed crucifixion of the Hanged Man may be a symbolic representation of this. He appears to be drifting out of view and into the past (the departure of Christianity?), and the Sun of the New Aeon appears to be rising at the top of the card. Interestingly, after this card comes Death. Rebirth. Birth of the New Aeon? Ofcourse, I am just surmising here! Hehe.
Annnnnnnnnnnnnnd... before the Hanged Man is Lust. Lust is a depiction of the Great Whore, Scarlet Woman, or Mother of Abominations; whatever you prefer to call her. Interestingly, Crowley again uses dramatic terminology. In his new Aeon, the Whore is not seen as bad, or immoral. Instead, she is symbolic of the Universe, and how the Universe longs to be re-united with her children; that is, she longs to be re-united with each and every one of us. So... in that sense, in Crowley's New Aeon, he elevates the Whore in the Lust card to that of a very high symbolic status. Obviously, he is not advocating that we should run out and sleep with everyone we see! Hahaha. Anyway... if you look at the what she holds in her left hand... she appears to be pulling down some form of fire... if you look above this... then there are the colours of the Hanged Man card. Could this mean that she is pulling down the Hanged Man... reclaiming her 'children' from Christianity?