Le Pendu - how may it be read?

[jmd]

I often personally allow this card to bring to mind that a state of not only suspension, but perhaps even a need to allow the natural to be instead looked at from a deeper or inner perspective: not 'what is happening here?', but rather 'what is happening here?'

One can describe the same events from a sociological, or a psychological, or myriad other perspectives. Is there, even more importantly, an undercurrent that is the event itself, streaming through and permeating what we see?

These are some of the considerations that may come with this card, amongst, of course, numerous others...

 

[Fulgour]

Rasberries

Sometimes when I look at the hanging figure in this card,
I imagine myself coming down a path through the woods.
Suddenly before me I see a helpless stranger in great need,
he calls out to me and I can see he has been sorely waylaid.

Ah but then, is it a trick? I cannot see his hands. Are they tied?
He is hanging, but only by one leg ~ and is that actually secure,
or is he holding the other end of the rope himself? He might be
a robber, feigning imperilment to lure me closer. My motives
might not even be to help him, as it could be I wish to search
his pockets, are those coins there upon the ground below him?

Le Pendu is suspended there, but he may be up to something.
Am I going to risk my safety by rushing to his aid, or do I flee!

 

[Sophie]

So poised, so certain of himself. He is using that upside-down, immobile time to do some thinking. And yet he is young, full of strength and vitality. I don't think he chose this condition - it was imposed on him.

When do any of us have time to think?

I imagine him as the Dalai Lama, as he must have been when he was under the authority of the Chinese, before he fled to India. A youth of great character, who had been chosen for a huge responsibility, but unable to carry it out, and who appeared to accept his fate. He was only biding his time. It's very Eastern, this approach. This patience in the face of adversity and enforced immobility: he does not abandon, he just waits judiciously, he uses the time to his advantage. It is said that King Wen, who wrote the Book of Changes, composed it during the 7 years he spent in the Shang prisons.

In a reading - why not "hang on in there, your day will come". He could be someone in a traction in hospital, forced to lie and think, who might change his life completely when he leaves; or might simply appreciate his wife and children more.

I remember a time when we were evacuated and on standby. What could we do but wait? For the first time in months we had time to think. Some found it impossible, fretted and raged. I was restless at first - to go from full-on activity to total inctivity in a few hours! Especially when you know what is to be done...

...but in the end it was a useful time, down time, I re-evaluated my way of life, I was able to open up from the narrow focus of war that had me in its grip. I read tarot with bits of paper and old playing cards And guess what - Le Pendu came up a fair amount...

 

[Moonbow]

I see this card as a test of strength of the mind and of the Higher Self, and through this test some form of Nirvana or enlightenment will follow. It's also interesting that he is hanging from his left foot, being the passive side. By hanging upside-down and the blood rushing to the head this can cause extreme strain on the body, particularly the head and eyes. I wonder if would cause a person to pass out.... I remember doing this as a child during gymnastics and after returning to an upright position there is definately a feeling of being 'spaced out' and dizzy.

In a reading this could be read as taking time out to look at a situation differently. Perhaps to put yourself in the other persons place and see things from their perspective. Maybe it is also teaching us that our own way is not necessarily the correct way, it's time to do things differently or at least give them a try. In order to learn we often have to put ourselves in the place of others.... just for the experience. Another aspect in a reading could be to test yourself, try something which is out of character... to see where it leads. I would also relate it to investigation of spirituality.

 

[tmgrl2]

Not too much to add to these excellent posts.

Here I certainly see

As is above, so it is below...

Certainly, our person here, is suspended with his head
"ready" to receive from above, non?


Yoga? ...maintaining a posture...resignation, then acceptance, abandonment? (The face appears to have an expression of one who rests in repose and acceptance.)

Helvetica, I do like your description re periods of life when we have little choice but to "go through" something...being on standby, waiting, but having to get through and out the other end.

First resignation, then, perhaps acceptance followed by understanding...a progression.

The legs form a cross, the body an inverted triangle?

St. Peter crucified upside-down?

The two branches on either side, with the cut-off stems and then the cross bar...together forming an earthly portal made of a "tree" with all that trees may imply...life....death...regrowth....fallow times (as this one suggests)

Metaphorphosis.

Willing sacrifice.

Maturity evolving from having passed through a difficult period.

terri

 

[Major Tom]

looked at from a deeper or inner perspective: not 'what is happening here?', but rather 'what is happening here?'

My take on this perspective could be summed up as, "walk a mile in my shoes". You don't really give any thing up doing that.

 

[tmgrl2]

My take on this perspective could be summed up as, "walk a mile in my shoes". You don't really give any thing up doing that.

How true this is, MT!

This isn't about watching anyone else's progress is it then?

It is solely ours to experience and describe.

terri

 

[smleite]

When I begun to study the Tarot, I was, as Fulgour seems to be, a little suspicious about Le Pendu. I thought that we just loose control of our life if we want to, and that we can always regain that very control again, if we only use our will. I used to believe that when something or someone pulls the rug out from under your feet, you don’t actually have to endure the fall, you just have to be centred and alert for the next opportunity life will bring. But now, I realize there are moments in our lives when we are really like Le Pendu. Maybe we are full of energy and potential, but also undoubtedly limited by circumstances, tied up, incapable of freeing ourselves alone… Just imagine a child, robust and intelligent, but living in a very poor household, or in a violent environment. Maybe latter in her life, she will find a way to thrive and be herself, but her childhood is bond to Le Pendu’s energy! Or, remember those moments when you could only see things from one point of view, probably a very distorted one, and even when people around try to broaden your perspectives, you just can’t see life with bright colours. Then, one day, you wake up and all is fine!

My confused point is, I now believe there are moments in our lives when we have to live through Le Pendu’s energy. That can happen materially, or physically (in case of a disease), or psychologically, or even spiritually, and it is a path that, in most cases, has to be walked right to the end… No point trying to escape.

 

[damfino]

I can't help but picturing as a Zen monk. He is just hanging out (no pun intended) in there. His knowledge is that of his inner self. Just like La Papesse, who holds all the secrets and knowledge in her book of flesh, Le Pendu has an equal ammount of knowledge and secrets in his inner self. He is hanging there because he chosed to (well, I'm obviously speaking Marseilles here. I've seen decks where he is portrayed as suffering).

Have you ever read Carlos Castaneda? According to Castaneda's books, back in the dawn of man, we all were in such state of mental silence. And, in that silence, we knew everything. But, being silent, this is a knowledge that can't be expressed with words. So when people started to rationalize and try to think of or explain the things they knew, the knowledge started to fade. Nowadays, we can't conceive the concept of having our mind void of thoughts if we're not dead or sleeping. He calls that empty state "the silent knowledge". Now, the concept of clearing your mind from all thought and word is no strange for doctrines like Zen/Buddhism, Sufism or Taoism. So it's sort of echoed in there.

Now, I don't think that an enlightened Zen master knows everything about life and the universe... but there's something sacred about that silence. And I'm sure that Le Pendu is just there to, like in the Depeche Mode song, enjoy the silence.

 

[Fulgour]

Have you ever read Carlos Castaneda?

Not since 1970... is he still in print?