The Major Arcana and the Hero’s Journey: The Hanged Man, Part III

Water is a mysterious substance. It expands when it becomes solid instead of contracting like any other self-respecting compound, and it contracts instead of expanding when it liquefies. It flows easily into any shape you choose, but no matter how hard you compress it, it won’t get any smaller. Without it life as we know it would be impossible, yet everything will eventually dissolve in its persistent caress, especially if you add a bit of salt and turn it to tears. It can be as gentle and refreshing as a warm summer rain or as dangerous and cruel as a raging sea. It is everywhere. 90 to 94 percent of the human body is water, and it covers two thirds of the earth. Swirling with opposites and contradictions, it is The Hanged Man’s element.

Neptune, the planet of mysticism, spirituality, deception, and illusion, is also associated with The Hanged Man.

Its Hebrew letter is Mem, which means water. In this case it refers to the deep waters of the subconscious, Jung’s cosmic unconscious, and the High Priestess’s blue cloak that flows through the major arcana.

When The Hanged Man appears in a tarot spread, look at the other cards. If there are lots of static pip cards, read it as a slow time in the querent’s life. She is waiting for something, apathetic, frustrated, unable to make a decision, bored, or stuck in a rut. If the other cards show movement and action, perhaps she needs to slow things down a bit, look at the situation from a fresh perspective, or pay attention to her inner voice. If more than a third of the cards in the spread are major arcana, this is an important time for her. She may be called to trust herself to a higher power and reverse the path of her life, or sacrifice herself for a higher good or to gain inner wisdom. It can also signify a rite of passage, eccentricity, or martyrdom. If the card is reversed, I read it as the exact opposite of the upright position—release from suspension, disillusion, improper drug use, unaccepted or wasted sacrifice, etc.

In the hero’s journey, The Hanged Man is almost always the hero. He may be bored, frustrated, hung up on someone or something, searching for inner wisdom, or simply waiting for something to happen. Some people spend their entire lives in this state, but in fiction, the hero isn’t usually allowed to spend too much time here. More often, he becomes The Hanged Man when he sacrifices himself for the good of others. Frequently, but not always, he is reborn.

I was able to think of several mythological Hanged Men and quite a few real-life Hanged Men–every time a patriot fights for his country, or a parent works a boring job to feed her family they become The Hanged Man. But I was having trouble thinking of fictional examples. My niece came to my rescue and supplied these two:

In the movie Matrix Revolutions, the third installment of the Matrix Trilogy, Neo allows himself to be blasted through the Matrix, killing Smith and saving humanity and the machines. The Oracle hints that he will return.

In the anime film, Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, Princess Nausicaa lives in a post apocalyptic future. She gives her life trying to save her people from a war that would not only wipe out her island but also destroy most of what life is left in the world. But the invading army of monsters raises her body up on their antennae and heals her.

Spiderman doesn’t die, but he does choose to continue to fight against evil, even though he must give up the love of his life.

Sacrifices, both great and small, make meaningful lives and great fiction.