Difference Between Hanged Man and High Priestess re: Types of Knowledge and Waiting

[AllyBerry]

I have been thinking on this for some while, but can't quite pin down an answer that makes sense for me.

To me, HM is, after a period of waiting, seeing existing things in a new way and with a new perspective. The HP, which I admit to not having mastered the meaning of yet, is a period of waiting that leads to inner already existing knowledge surfacing.

If my understandings are correct, then how are these two cards different with regards to a new understanding of an existing situation? Also, are the waiting periods different in some way for each card?

I hope I am making sense. Thanks in advance for your time and consideration of this question.

Ally

 

[Kgirl]

Excellent question and I look forward to seeing responses to this one

On a basic level, for me personally, the Hanged Man has a sense of surrender and letting go. Stepping back from a situation and letting it play out how it must because its overwhelming, or its something he can't handle or deal with. He is giving into the experience. And yes like you said, gaining enlightenment.

The High Priestess is very knowledgeable and knows what needs to happen. I feel like she's enlightened already. I don't think HP is waiting to gain wisdom because she knows all she needs to know. I think it tells a seeker to trust their knowledge and intuition. I don't know that I've seen HP as waiting, moreso, that she is discreet and at times silent because she knows that is the right thing to do.

But I'll be interested to see what others say

 

[SunChariot]

I have been thinking on this for some while, but can't quite pin down an answer that makes sense for me.

To me, HM is, after a period of waiting, seeing existing things in a new way and with a new perspective. The HP, which I admit to not having mastered the meaning of yet, is a period of waiting that leads to inner already existing knowledge surfacing.

If my understandings are correct, then how are these two cards different with regards to a new understanding of an existing situation? Also, are the waiting periods different in some way for each card?

I hope I am making sense. Thanks in advance for your time and consideration of this question.

Ally

Its not a matter of if your understanding of the cards are correct. We all have slightly, to sometimes greatly, different understandings of the cards. It's just a matter of finding the version of the answer that you like best, which really speaks to you, and which feels right to you ....and then embracing it and making it yours.

All that said, the best I can do is to give you my meanings, and others can give you theirs. Ans that might give you some ideas...

It depends of course on the question and many others things, but in general....

For the Hanged Man, I also have that meaning of seeing things differently and in a new way. Naturally enough if we were hanging upside down we would be seeing the world and life from a different perspective. I also have that meaning for the card. But, I also have the meaning for the Hanged Man of total acceptance. Accepting what you can't change and being fully at inner peace inside yourself over it.

The High Priestess, when it comes up for me....it says that I already know the answer inside me. That the answer I seek is already there inside me. It tells me that for that partuclar question I would be better to put down the cards and look inside myself to better understand.

At times this can mean that the answer is exactly what I think it is (so why did I heve ask the cards?) or at times it means that the answer is inside me even now, even if I don't know it yet. But that if I look inside I will find it on my own.

In short the card tells me that I am the High Priestess, and I have that inner knowledge. I guess I kindof developed that meaning over time since The HP is actually my Soul Card, so it is the card that alwasy represents ME in the deck for myself...so that is where than meaning came from. I am the HP, I have taht inner knowledge,. When the card comes up that is what it means for me. ALhtough I guess if it came up in a reaqding for aomsone else, given my meaning it would mean that THEY are the HP with that knowledge within them.

Same as when the Magician comes up it says that I am the magicina with the power to almost magically succeed at the situation.

Back to your questions, how this applies ot knowledge....The HP is about knowledge that comes from inside herself. The HM is more likley to be about knowledge that comes from outside of himself. HP she just knows the asnwer inside herselfd and feel it. HM is told the answer and then whatever he feels when he hears it he just accepts it fully, because it is the truth of the situation and cannot be changed.

As for waiting. ....I don't see either of the cards as having anything to do with waiting, but that is just my view on them. To me they both take place in the present moment. The knowing that is the HP happens in the preesnt moment, The total acceptance (or seeing things in a new way) of the HM also happens in the present moment.

Waiting for me is more the domain of The Hermit. Or even of Judgemnt, which is about reassessing all that has happened in the past before making a decision on how to move forwards.

Babs

 

[septimus]

I think the HP knows things intuitively, but because she is the ultimate female power, there is great mystery involved, and the answer is not fixed, but fluctuates. The Hanged Man, on the other hand, is suspended in an alternate reality until he is ready to rejoin our reality with a new viewpoint. These archetypes are not theoretical; I know and love people who fit, at one time or another, both molds.

 

[Thirteen]

I think the HP knows things intuitively, but because she is the ultimate female power, there is great mystery involved, and the answer is not fixed, but fluctuates. The Hanged Man, on the other hand, is suspended in an alternate reality until he is ready to rejoin our reality with a new viewpoint.

I really like this! Agree entirely.

To me, HM is, after a period of waiting, seeing existing things in a new way and with a new perspective. The HP, which I admit to not having mastered the meaning of yet, is a period of waiting that leads to inner already existing knowledge surfacing.

Actually, the HPS is not waiting. She is the librarian/guardian of esoteric knowledge. She lives in that "library" (or shadowland, or however you'd like to think of it) at all times; it is her realm. So she isn't waiting for any kind of enlightenment or information; she's not on any mission or quest, and she doesn't need to give up anything to have what she wants (secret knowledge). She's knows it all, already.

Her card can mean that we are "her" or simply that we can connect to her. Which means that, for a time, our intuition works perfectly, and we seem to be on an esoteric plane. We have access to all this secret knowledge. Some people are always in this place--their psychic powers always on and uncanny. Most of us, however, go in and out of it. We plug into her realm when we, say, use the tarot, get what we need, then unplug.

The Hanged Man, on the other hand, usually has a specific goal. He wants to know something or do something in particular. In order to achieve this, he has to through a period of sacrifice and suspension. Someone once likened the Hanged Man experience to things like sweat lodges or fasting or going on a vision quest. The person has to first, sacrifice what they are, surrender control as it were. Then they have to go through a period of suspension where they see things differently (fast, sweat, etc.). At some point, that upside down world clicks into place and they gain understanding--enlightenment. And that is when they can return to being upright--when they can go back, after 40 days in the desert, to the world they left behind, bringing that understanding with them.

Does that help?

 

[Dan181]

I would think the hangman is knowledge known but not acted opon and The high preistest is knowledge that known but must be learned. The best example would be that the High P, is the silent teacher that does not seek students but the students must seek her in order to learn from her knowledge. The hangman has learn through trial and error. He does not learn from teachers, but from his mistakes. The high priestest can give the hanged man some good advice, but only if he asked her for advice. The hangman is fine with this and would most likely ignore her advice anyway.

 

[wind]

Perhaps indeed both cards have in common the 'waiting stage'.
But the issues and the depth behind it are very much different.

Hanged man is about changing perspective, giving something up and also being victimized, scapegoated. It is about sacrifice of your vision, your ego, your expectations. While this is happening you can be in the limb, just hanging there.

HP is about deep issues and going into the underworld to gain hidden knowledge about yourself and others. It opens depth, issues perhaps invisible to the naked eye, but very much relevant or even acting as the main force.

In the reading Hanged man would be saying: the way you see the situation is not really in accord with reality and you will need to GIVE UP on your vision and CHANGE the perspective. Most likely you will need to LET GO of some desire or want. Also, you could be BLAMED for things (Hanged man is also a card olf punishment). Something needs to be SACRIFICED, your power, your will, your stubborness, your desire.

Hight Priestess would be saying: there are deeper, hidden issues in this situation, patterns of the psyche that perhaps you don't see just yet or simply unknown facts.
There is no idea of sacrifice, of letting go, of being blamed, of changing the vision, but it is about KNOWING what is really going on. Issues are deep, powerful and burried, there is a certain SECRECY in the sense that many times our own motives as well as the motives of others are unknown to us. So, psychicological or even psychic knowledge and intuition are needed to really see what is going on. Or sometimes, just pure facts, HP can be very concrete, simply saying: you need to gain more knowledge about the situation.

Perhaps on the outside both seem 'passive', but the result and the inner process is very much different.

In short:

Hanged man: giving up/ changing the perspective/ sacrifice
High Priestess: going deep/ revealing, knowing the real perspective, truth/ secrecy

It is very much different. With HP there are things you need to reveal, get to know, with HM you need to change the view and let the old vision go.

Both take time and inner work, so they seem similar and in a way they perhaps are.

 

[PAMUYA]

If my understandings are correct, then how are these two cards different with regards to a new understanding of an existing situation? Also, are the waiting periods different in some way for each card?



Ally

These two cards are almost opposites to me:

The difference for me with the HM, you need to broaden your view of the situation, you don't have all the facts, or have not opened your heart to the situation. The time it takes depends how open minded you are, they will have to hang as long as it takes. This person is seeking information.

The HP needs no time, the HP just sits and watches it unfold. HP understands and knows that what will be will be, and accepts that change is a part of life, and this situation will change. Life will forever change, time never stands still. This person already knows.

 

[Thirteen]

Waiting for Focus Vs. Downloading?

Hanged man: giving up/ changing the perspective/ sacrifice
High Priestess: going deep/ revealing, knowing the real perspective, truth/ secrecy

I agree entirely that both are alike in being about knowledge. Also that both are about gaining a different sort of sight/insight than what you currently have. But I don't see in your explanation anything that helps me understand how they could both be about waiting. Both are outwardly passive, yes. And perhaps that explains why it seems that they both are waiting. The HPS, like the Hanged Man, is not inclined to move as she absorbs the information. But only the Hanged Man is waiting for that new perspective to come into focus. With the HPS, she's just...well, downloading

Which is to say, I think the difference is that the Hanged Man must wait for things to come into focus. Meanwhile the HPS makes others wait while she absorbs the information and works out how to deliver it. Maybe?

...with the HM, you need to broaden your view of the situation...This person is seeking information.

The HP needs no time, the HP just sits and watches it unfold. HP understands and knows that what will be will be, and accepts that change is a part of life, and this situation will change. Life will forever change, time never stands still. This person already knows.

Great comparison!

 

[tarotbear]

The HP already knows/has the answers; you just have to ask her the correct question.

The HM is waiting to receive the answers.

My two cents.