Beltane Tarot Blog Hop: The Hanged Man
PREVIOUS BLOG | MASTER LIST | NEXT BLOG
Welcome to the Beltane Tarot Blog Hop! Our topic this hop is how to deal with a "distasteful" tarot card when it comes up in a reading. The "distasteful" cards are those which when turned over (revealed) evoke a strong negative reaction. How do we deal with these cards when they show up? What do we tell our clients? What rituals (actions) can we take to better cope with these energies?
I chose to look at The Hanged Man for this blog hop. I picked The Hanged Man because I'm surprised and a bit confused why so many of my clients don't like this card. What's so "distasteful" about The Hanged Man?, I always wonder when a client makes a sad face at him. I happen to think it's a great card! It's one of my favorites! Therefore, I tend to get a bit excited to share my enthusiasm and optimism when this card shows up in a reading. I think, ok, here's my moment to shine and give some seriously heartfelt opinions and advice about The Hanged Man and what his energy means for the client. In a way, this upbeat and excited vibe is may way of expressing the positive aspects of this card. I try hard to convey a sense of possibility and affirmative action that can result from working with the energy of The Hanged Man.
To me, The Hanged Man indicates being fully present in the moment. This idea of being present can seem so simple to the point of being cliche, but it's really a life-long mission for me. I feel like it's a worthy goal for us all and I want to inspire others to take up and spread present moment consciousness amongst their people. So I get to convincing the querent of this simple positivity. The ability to live in the moment helps us to find our calm center from which to radiant out serenity, make good choices, and live in alignment with our personal values. All too often we just react immediately without waiting patiently and carefully sensing the right action for ourselves.
The Hanged Man offers an alternative way of being, a conscious and proactive method of living. Being in the present is of the utmost importance to living a happy life. Everything that happens in our lives happens in the present, so it is so necessary and helpful to be aware and fully conscious in the moment in order to experience real joy. Happiness can only exist in the present, since the future will never come and the past is left far behind us. The Hanged Man is present in the joy of the moment, dwelling not long on the past or hoping longingly for a future that will always be a ways off. I think The Hanged Man can be a very hopeful card for creating a time of joy and peace and I emphasize this in my tarot readings.
One ritual that this card pointedly indicates is to try and see things from a different perspective. So often we get immersed completely in our personal drama and lose our ability to see alternatives or ways out. Getting a tarot reading is often a sign that a person wants outside advice and comparatively objective viewpoints on her/his life situation. It is only a first step, though. The huge next impulse is to do something, change your outlook, opinion, habits, attitudes, etc. That's hard, and maybe it's too big of a leap for a second step. It's one thing to hear someone else tell you, or to tell yourself, that things need to change, and another thing to actually do something about it. The Hanged Man can be a practical stepping stone to action. He says, just chill and keep your eyes and your heart open until it makes sense. It's not about doing with The Hanged Man, it's about observing and waiting. It's about getting in touch with serenity instead of acting blindly or impulsively. That can be tough when your whole being wants to act and The Hanged Man asks for inaction. He's practically a command to go meditate, which is scary and hard for some people, but is proven to be so helpful and enlightening.
I hope you enjoyed my take on how The Hanged Man can be viewed in a positive light and put some of that "distasteful" feeling aside when you see it come up in a reading. Please continue along on the Tarot Blog Hop using the links below to see what my fellow hoppers have to say about interpreting unpleasant tarot cards in productive ways. Happy Beltane!