Pixabay: ludiarin

The Hanged Man is one of the most intriguing cards in the tarot deck. It can represent a range of meanings, from sacrifice and martyrdom to new beginnings and spiritual rebirth.

The Hanged Man often signifies a time of transition, when you are forced to let go of old ways of thinking and being.

This can be a complicated process, but it is also an opportunity for growth and transformation.

The Hanged Man reminds you that sometimes you need to surrender to move forward.

Who Is The Hanged Man?

If you look at this card in the Rider-Waite-Smith deck, you see that the hanged man is a man suspended from wood, and you see the shape of the T-cross.

He is hanging upside down, and he views the world from a different perspective than standing up.

He seems relaxed and calm as he is not being forced to turn upside down, as he chose to do so.

His right foot is attached to the tree, his left foot is hanging free, and his hands are behind his back as his arms are bent.

If you look at his head, you see a halo around it, representing awareness and enlightenment.

He is wearing red-colored pants, which means he is passionate, and his vest is blue, which means he is knowledgeable.

Whatever he is doing is for the greater good, which means making a significant sacrifice.

What It Means If You Are Drawn To The Hanged Man

If you find yourself drawn to the Hanged Man card, it may be a sign that you are ready to let go of something no longer serving you.

It could be an outdated belief system, an unhealthy relationship, or a destructive behavior pattern.

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The Hanged Man asks you to be willing to make changes, even if they are difficult.

The Hanged Man often suggests a time for reflection and contemplation in a reading.

This is a time to explore your inner world and see what needs to be released or transformed.

Be patient and let the process unfold in its own time. There is no need to rush things.

Just remember that the Hanged Man always brings new beginnings in the end. It often represents a time of transition or change and can indicate that you're experiencing a spiritual or personal growth spurt.

The Hanged Man asks you to be patient and trust the process, even if things don't seem to be making much progress.

He also reminds you to stay open to new possibilities, even if they seem far-fetched or unlikely right now.

Above all, the Hanged Man encourages you to surrender to the journey and let go of your need for control.

This can be a difficult thing to do, but it's often the key to finding happiness and fulfillment.

If you're able-minded enough to heed the Hanged Man's advice, you may find that the universe has some wonderful surprises in store for you.

But the reality is, it is tough when you are in this position.

It is easy to get impatient when things are not moving as quickly as they should, as it can take time for another door to open up right after one has closed on you.

But I am doing my best right now as I am transitioning from my writing career to doing other things, and it will be a slow transition, but I am not getting upset because I realize that things happen in due time.

But here is the thing, that is the easier aspect of the Hanged Man. Remember that the Hanged Man also represents sacrifice and martyrdom.

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So let's go over that more because that seems to be the one aspect that affects everyone at one time or another and some more than others.

Regarding Sacrifice And Martyrdom

There are many situations where you have to sacrifice yourself to help others.

One case that everyone can relate to collectively is abiding by the COVID-19 protocols back in 2020 when the pandemic started.

Everyone was affected by social distancing, lockdowns, and not getting together.

And the thing is, when you make such sacrifices for the greater good, your mental health can suffer, unfortunately.

Caregiving is something very relatable to the Hanged Man.

You are sacrificing your life by caring for someone. And when it comes to parenting, that is pretty much the truth!

You have to put your life on hold to be present for your kids and care for them.

Especially when the kids are very young, but as they get older, some of the things you had to put on hold will slowly come back as they become more independent.

However, when it comes to caring for kids with special needs, if you plan to care for them at home well into their adulthood, you will likely be sacrificing much of your life for good.

That is, unfortunately, going into martyrdom territory.

That is why the best thing you can do for yourself and your child is to place them in residence in their teens.

Not only will you be able to focus on yourself, but they will do very well.

They can learn to do things that you would not be able to teach them, and I realize there are some not-so-good group homes, but more often than not, these kids do thrive.

But here is the other thing that often comes up regarding the Hanged Man. Children often find themselves caring for their aging parents.

Because caregiving is too expensive, and very few fortunate people can afford it.

So you have some cases where some people have to live by this aspect of the Hanged Man for decades between caring for kids and caring for their parents - often at the same time.

From what I see, many adult children who have C-PTSD are stuck with this role, and that often happens because they want to get love and approval from their parents who hurt and abused them growing up.

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The scapegoats are often stuck with this caregiving role, and sadly, they still deal with the abuse while caring for their aging parents.

That is the case with Risa anyway.

This aspect of the Hanged Man does represent Risa as not only is she caring for her son with special needs, but she is caring for her parents who scapegoated her growing up, while her sister is living her life in another city, who was the golden child.

Of course, Risa does this for approval, but she feels as if she does need to care for others while she does not see the need to care for herself since she was always made to believe she was not worthy.

She has no aspirations, no motivation to do anything with her life, which is also why she is the ultimate caregiver.

That is an unfortunate reason, but she is not alone in that situation.

She is a martyr, and even though she keeps being one, she feels a lot of resentment and anger deep within.

And that is not a surprise she would feel that way.

So she does not get respite and even extends herself further by helping her neighbor, who is taking advantage of her in every way.

But here is the thing, if this aspect of the Hanged Man takes over your life, you are going to burn out, guaranteed!

It takes a toll on your physical, mental, and emotional health.

What about the Hanged Man in reverse?

Hanged Man In Reverse

When the Hanged Man shows up in reverse, it is a sign of being resistant to change and transformation, selfishness, and egotism, as well as missing opportunities to grow on a spiritual level.

In other words, it represents stagnation.

The latter part of that represents Risa as she is not allowing herself to take advantage of opportunities to grow as she decides to stagnate.

However, the rest of the Hanged Man in reverse meaning does not represent her.

An excellent way to compare the Hanged Man in reverse is thinking about parents who have kids and then keep dropping them off to nannies or to others who are willing to watch them travel and do what they want.

In other words, their kids don't come first. The best thing to do is find some balance.

If you keep putting your needs last, as shown in the Hanged Man upright, that will harm you too.

Even if you are a parent of a young child, no, you cannot run off and travel on your own unless you plan it carefully once in a while.

You still need to find time to yourself without any interruption, even if that means taking a bubble bath and reading a book for a half-hour each night.

Now, let's talk about how to apply the beneficial aspects of the Hanged Man into your life.

How To Apply The Hanged Man Into Your Life

Let's focus on the healthy aspects of this card.

If you have dreams and aspirations to do something different with your life, you need to give it time to develop.

You have to remember that Rome was not built in a day. A good example is building a business. It takes time and effort, and patience.

Also, if you are looking for a job, and you cannot find the right one yet, or a partner, you can't give up as the right one has not come to you.

If you believe that it will in due time, that will help you a lot.

But if you are stuck in a caregiving role, you will need to apply some of the Hanged Man in reverse into your life, in a healthy way.

Delegate as much as you can so you can focus on your needs! It is essential.

Next time, I will talk about the one card with an impressive reputation, Death!

I have exciting news to share: You can now read Miriam Reads Tarot in the new Substack app for iPhone.

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