The Hanged Man is the universal archetype of the great sacrifice. Those times in life when we have no other choice than to let go and surrender into the experience of our suffering. Grief is one of those events, while we can’t always change our circumstances, there is power when we fall into the grace of our suffering.
When we go through deeply challenging times, we have a choice, we can either sit deep in the centre of the experience, to observe every nuance and pain, or we can learn the powerful lessons of The Hanged Man, the spiritual skill of detachment.
Now I know this isn’t a simple concept, or easily understood, but the hanged one teaches us a powerful lesson. For if we’re not mindful, we can become unhealthily attached to the events that pain us, as a means to find greater understanding and answers, but ask yourself the following question. Does your pain and suffering make that situation any better, for haven’t you suffered enough? While we can’t change the incident or the nature of our sorrow, there is power in the choice to surrender, like The Hanged man, you can choose to move your awareness out of the core of your suffering to become the observer, to detach from your difficulties and challenges.
This isn’t an easy lesson to learn or understand in the sequence of the tarot, and there are simpler, less challenging interpretations of the Hanged Man, but if you sit with this insight, I’m sure like myself you will find great wisdom and power within his teachings.
Be like the Hanged Man, don’t let your sorrows define you, but surrender your suffering into the arms of the divine. “Father, into your hands, I commit my spirit.” When he said these words, he breathed his last. Then he fell into the comfort of the great one, the one who carries you, walks by your side and gently wipes away your suffering and tears.
