The Hanged Man - Reversed

Major Arcana

You sacrifice might be useless. You are confused about your goals in life. There is a lack of commitment and selfish motives in your actions. There is no excuse for laziness. There is always another avenue open if one avenue closes.



Let's hear your interpretation of the card...

I have had different views with this card also. But the one interpetation that I have had many times when it shows up, which is not that often, usually comes with the same 3 cards and comes with the same meanings. They are having problems just like everyone else, but this person cannot handle their problems in an ordinary way. They feel as if their problems are worse than everyone elses and everyone else is the cause of their problems, especially if the Knight of Swords is the significator. If the Significator is a male, the mother was a very controlling person who made this person who he is and has or will have a girlfriend the same way.

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If the upright of the Hanged Man was someone who had gone into a mental/emotional/spiritual retreat, then the reverse one should be  of a lesser value than the Upright one, i.e. he is pretending to go within of his own free will, but he is really kidding himself. Best get out of that pretence state and join life.

Perhaps here if the Hanged Man in its upright position represents for us a willing sacrifice, one where we are willing to change our persepective, but also one where the moment is held in stasis as we reflect and reconsider what it is we may need to give up in order to gain far more - then the reversed position may well indicate to us that we are unwilling to take a different point of view and may even hold an arrogant view of not needing to sacrifice anything at all.  

It could also indicate that, that moment of stasis is over and that you are ready to move forward, or that you have been able to reawaken yourself to your situation and are now in the process of finding the right way to go.

Another aspect of this card is that again in its upright position it can symbolise the ability to not just accept but also be who you are, follow your own truth whereas reversed it may just say that we are unable or afraid to break away from the crowd and go along with what others initiate    rather than think for ourself and again shows a lack of willpower to follow ones own inner instincts.