The Hanged Man

The Peace Practice draws a monthly tarot card from our favourite deck, The Wild Unknown.  We look at what message the card might hold for us as a Universal Human Collective, from the perspective of Peace.  How might we find Peace in the story unfolding for the month ahead?  What do we need to learn to come to this place of Peace?  How do we find Peace within any challenges and messages the card brings?

The March 2017 post of our Peaceful Tarot series is The Hanged Man:

7th March, 2017

This somewhat seemingly foreboding card used to give me the shivers when I first started reading the Tarot.

Out on a limb, frozen in time and waiting for the rope that binds one there, to tighten as a noose.

So drawing this card with the perspective of Peace in mind for the March reading was a somewhat interesting one.

I have just come back from a beautiful few days away to attend a family wedding. These days were filled with love, connection and happiness and I dreamily wondered as I shuffled my deck if that delightful essence that was still sitting in my pockets might spill into this reading – might I find a card that offered that vibration for March for the wider community? That would be nice. But up came the Hanged Man. How does one interpret a peaceful feeling whilst hanging head down from a tree…..?

Hmmmm. At first glance he stares coldly wrapped up in his own wings and hangs fast. Doesn’t look like he is going too far? Looks quite alone. He’s certainly not wrapped in soft fluffy hearts and blooming buds of flowers…….

I begin to tune in to him. His senses are up. Eyes open. Ears alert. He is fully engaged, yet not resting. As he speaks I begin to understand he is not talking of impending disaster to me. I wait for his message and hear him talk of internal stillness. Integration. He is wrapping up the information received and holding it close to his heart. Letting his heartbeat work through the knowledge that has been imparted. Understanding it. Living it. Bringing it to life through life itself.

His eyes, far from cold are alert with the internal fire of Earth. The internal fire of his soul. Yes. This man has faced many issues. (refer - flashback to The Tower Reversed last month - much afoot within and without) Yet it would seem the dark is moving to light. The shadow is lifting, the veil is moving and slowly illuminating the world around him. He remains closed up as these changes take place, wings folded tight and he feels safe. But once we have assimilated the experiences that bind us still, is it safe to stay there? We will eventually be moved, if not by our own wings, by circumstances. This is the way it works.

The bat speaks to us of death and rebirth. Endings and beginnings. Initiation. The natural cycle of All That There Is. When sacred and special energies are required to see through illusion the ancient shaman would call on Bat. Bat will signify the spiritual growth unfolding, unlock hidden meanings and he will ask us to look for signs, signals and secret messages.

The Hanged Man for March is asking us to look carefully. Examine the external world around you.  Examine how you feel inside. To see past the shadows and forward to the light. We need to read our Universe. We need to really see our Universe. We need to use the fire in our souls to see with new eyes. The difficulties that appear in our life are there to show us a new path. Why are we walking the same way to get to the same destination we do not like visiting? Life is showing us something about ourselves. Circumstances may make us feel trapped but we can reach inside and use these times to lighten our load, loosen the rope. How? It is about perception. How do we wish to view these experiences? We have a choice on how we look at everything. We have to do the inner work first – ask yourself – what is my world showing me in the circumstances arising around me? What do I see in my world I would like to change? Then we decide, are we to remain a victim, bound by rope that we feel has been imposed on us or will we raise our wings to fly? Our Hanged BatMan urges us to strip off old limiting conditions and soak in new thoughts, new teachings, new ways.

And it may be, as we ponder, observe and integrate that we come to realise it might not be quite time to move just yet. There is much to learn. First we may want to let the shadows fall by as we bring things into the light to see what needs to stay illuminated.

But then again, if we have been diligent with our inner work, we may also realise that it IS the time......so what are we waiting for?

Either way - make no mistake, this Hanged Man is not bound too tightly – one movement and he is free!

Why ever he is there, he is by his own choice - for his own Peace of Mind.

Many blessings,

Elaine


2 comments

  • Thank you so much for your feedback Jan. Powerful and exciting times!

    Elaine
  • Very powerful words Elaine – thanks so much – I found that they really resonated with me!

    Jan

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