(Tarot Prompts for Writers)
What I See in the Card:
The Hanged Man is one of my favourite tarot cards. I’ve seen it interpreted in a dozen different ways, which attests to its strangeness. Some say it indicates a happy surrender; some say it means you feel trapped. Some say it’s a warning that you need to pause and think deeper. Some say it’s a reminder that you simply have to get on with the boring tedious work that must be done. Who doesn’t like a card so rich in possibility? It’s the image — that patient hanging — that calls to people. It says: Surrender. But exactly what The Hanged Man is surrendering to is not clear.
The name of the card implies death or execution, but it’s not that kind of hanging. The Hanged Man typically is suspended in air by some chain or rope attached to his foot or leg. He’s not in pain. He’s not struggling. He’s upside-down, but he can breathe.
Typically, the Hanged Man hangs from a tree or branch. Sometimes he hangs over a chasm; more often he’s inches from the ground. The image is mysterious and begs the question, How did he get here? And why is he so content just hanging there?
The Hanged Man is calm and peaceful, possibly entranced. In some decks, he’s playful; in others, he’s serene. His arms are folded behind his back and his unattached leg is tucked into a figure four. He’s clearly okay with being here. He’s not fighting against his situation.
He looks a bit mad, yet there’s a method apparent. He’s waiting, suspended in time, hanging here on purpose, maybe thinking things over or at least patiently putting up with the situation. Or maybe he’s just having a good look at where he came from, from a new perspective. There’s a suggestion that he won’t be here forever. He’s biding his time. He has surrendered to what is, knowing it won’t last.
The landscape in my card is bright. He hangs across a path that traverses rolling green hills. The path veers out of view behind him. The posts he hangs from are like a gate, suggesting that you have to deal with this situation, this Hanged Man, before you can journey on. These are not living trees he hangs from, but cut limbs or trunks, denuded. Pains were taken to create this place he hangs from. The Hanged Man blocks the path, demanding your attention. You should not proceed without some thought to what he tells you.
The Hanged Man sees things from an upside-down perspective. He’s paused here, looking at life in a new way. Inversion poses are good for you, they say — but you can’t stay upside-down forever, or even for very long. Blood vessels can rupture, organs can get crushed, the heart can fail. And so this card creates a desire to help the Hanged Man down from his rope. You think, maybe he needs help, maybe he’s been hanging long enough? You want to take some action, to do something quickly — but he just hangs there, blocking your path, smiling. He doesn’t want your help. He’s not ready to come down. So you have to quell the urge to take action. He’s where he needs to be. You have to trust that he’ll give some indication if he starts to feel unwell. In the meantime, let him be. And consider his point of view.
There’s a deep patience and awareness to this card, and a sense that all is well despite appearances. To me, it says: don’t panic. Take a step back, pause to consider things from different points of view, accept what must be done, then walk on with intention.
Read will take you to my notes on how to tell a fortune with the Hanged Man — traditional interpretations; what the card might mean in different positions; keywords to help memorize meanings; and questions to ponder or ask the querent.
Write will take you to a few prompts for launching from the Hanged Man into a story. A first line, a character, and a point of view — three possible ways to turn the Hanged Man into fiction.
Tarot will take you to a central Tarot-Prompts page.
Go ahead, hang out with your story.
Images on this page are by the following artists:
Banner (and top box), left to right: Marseilles deck engraved by Nicolas Conver; Dragon Tarot illustrated by Roger and Linda Garland; Tarot Balbi by Domenico Balbi; Gilded Tarot by Ciro Marchetti; Radiant Rider-Waite deck illustrated by Pamela Colman Smith; Druid Craft deck illustrated by Will Worthington.
Mid-page boxes: Tarot Balbi; Cats Rule the Earth tarot by Catherine Davidson.
Catherine Austen 