Light & Shadow Study Group: The Hanged Man

[karenquilter]

A smiling bald man is suspended by one foot from an ankh, which is looped over a tree branch. He wears horizontally striped pants reminiscent of an old-style convict’s uniform, and boots. His arms are outstretched, and his forearms are pinned by a tree branch laid horizontally between his back and the tree trunk. His head is by the roots of the tree, and he has a smile on his face.

In the far distance are hills, with flat land between. On the left is a dark sky with stars and a waning crescent moon. On the right is a very bright star in the sky, radiating lots of light. A nova?

The ankh is a symbol of life. (It would have been easier to have tied him directly to the tree limb. Consider: either you had to trim the branch considerably, or you had to loop the ankh over the limb years before). The books says that the clothes are from a military uniform of the Renaissance, and the bright star is the sun. He is suspended from the world tree, hoping to gain enlightenment quickly from his self-imposed trial, rather than take the long route of right living day by day.

The dark sky on the left & the bright sky on the right indicate that he is between night & day, just as he is hanging between the sky & the earth. These are allegories of his spiritual state, between enlightenment & the mundane.

Behind him is agricultural land, waiting for the seeds of his consciousness, so there will be a harvest of spiritual gifts from his self-sacrifice.

I can’t quite see that “his hair has rooted with the roots of the tree”. He looks bald to me.

I like how it’s a waning moon, about to go into the dark time, where we can’t see it because the sun is shining on the other side. It makes a nice contrast with the bright sky on the right. But maybe it should have been on the right side of the card; as it is, you have the bright crescent of the moon on the side away from the sun, which doesn’t make a lot of sense.

I've always thought of the Hanged Man as a willing sacrifice, giving up something precious in order to get something of greater value for the greater good. It can't just be a sacrifice for your own betterment. Perhaps that's why I have trouble relating to this depiction, as I feel that he's a spiritual athlete, he's doing it all for himself.

 

[missy]

First Impressions -

I first notice the colorful leggings and boots worn by our Hanged Man. While the card is in black-and-white, the leggings appear vibrant.

The sun is on one side of the tree, and the moon is on the other. This seems to indicate the passage of time in the world around the Hanged Man, while the Hanged Man remains suspended in stillness. Time has stopped for him.

His arms and the way they are positioned almost look like part of the tree. His hair appears to blend with the tree roots. Two blooming branches around the Hanged Man's arms are noticeable as none of the other branches appear to have leaves, plus they are so low to the earth that they seem to spring from an inner source. From where do those two low-slung branches come?

To the Hanged Man's left, there appears to be a black heart shape. Perhaps this represents compassion for humanity. The keywords I use for the Hanged Man are letting go, suspension, reversal, and sacrifice.

The card has a bit of a Van Gogh quality to me, between the rays of the sun and the lines along the earth's surface. Perhaps there is a bit of "Starry Night" since we see the moon and stars. The world around the Hanged Man is full of movement, yet the Hanged Man is still, with a peaceful expression on his face. He looks at one with nature.

Symbolism* -

Boots and hose (leggings) - That of the Landsknecht, soldiery of Renaissance Europe. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landsknecht

Tree roots - Entwined with the Hanged Man's hair, indicate "his essential nature is already somehow assimilating with that of the World Tree." (Referred to elsewhere as possibly the Tree of Life.)

Tree - Grows "between night and day." A crescent moon on one side and the sun on the other. Grows "deep into the earth and high into heaven."

Branch - The flowering branch close to the Hanged Man's arms was stuck there by himself. His punishment is self-imposed. He does this to become one with the tree, "to become a better, higher being" and "to bring him closer to the source of truth." He took the "direct route of dramatic sacrifice."

Fields - Behind him, where the new seed will be sown, "where his self-sacrifice will give fruit."

The book states that "current troubles are tests of courage" and "the greater the goal, the greater the sacrifice."

*Note: All symbolism is taken from the companion book to the Light and Shadow tarot. First Impressions are written before looking at the book.