Outside of the death card, the hangman tarot card might be the second most misunderstood card in the tarot deck.
There you go, ready for a glimpse into your love life, and you cast the Hangman card. Suddenly all your hopes are dashed. Where are they? Of course, we see a man hanging upside down, and that can’t be good in a love reading… or can it?
What’s really going on with the mysterious Hangman tarot card, and how does its advice help us in our love life?
Hangman Tarot Card Meaning
right-meaning keywords: Uncertainty, letting go, abandonment, self-limitation, feeling trapped, lack of direction
Symbolically, we receive the message of surrender and submission. There is the concept of acceptance, letting go and going with the flow.
Reverse keywords: Apathy, stagnation, indecision, resistance, negative patterns, detachment, disinterest
Delays occur because of this card, as does indecision.
Description of Hangman
When we throw the Hanged Man into a Tarot reading, often the image itself causes us to pause and perhaps take us down a notch or two, especially if we were expecting something joyful and emotional. obvious.
To look at the Hanged Man, we see a man, tied to the cross by one foot, hanging upside down, eyes open, apparently very much alive. His knee is bent and his hands are behind his back.
Photo: volkovslava/shutterstock
His face is calm. Her outfit is unusual and her peaceful demeanor is even stranger. It is suspended in time; his sacrifice is exposed.
Upside down, the Hanged Man seems to stand on one leg, knee bent, almost yogi. The image is uncomfortable and brings out our own resistance to understanding what is happening.
Meaning of the standing hanged man
Ultimately, this card is about rhythm.
The Hanged Man is us, and when we receive this card in a reading, it’s about taking a step back and taking stock of what you have in your life right now. It’s about stopping to consider the consequences of the choice, and it’s about taking the time to make the right choice, too.
When we cast this card, wisdom tells us that what we expect will not necessarily come true. It’s a card that says, “Don’t keep pushing that.”
Like a “suspended jury”, the Hanged Man prevents the action from moving forward. He can’t squirm from his position and he doesn’t try either. He accepts his condition and takes advantage of his strange opportunity to understand how he ended up in this mess.
It is a card that tells us to back off, retreat and stop our process, because whatever we do will not go any further. It is a warning card, both upright and reversed, to take stock of the moment and to really listen to what is happening.
It’s also a prevention card that says, “Don’t do it, because if you do, you’ll regret it.”
Meaning of hangman upside down
Similar to the standing Hanged Man, this version of the warning is all about putting the brakes on whatever you’ve put your heart into.
It’s a hard lesson to learn, and the reversed Hangman is there, inserted into your reading to get your attention: something’s wrong, and you need to open your eyes. now to see what others can see – something you can’t see, something that isn’t good for you.
If you get the reversed Hangman card, it means the universe is trying to get your attention. You have been heavily involved in something that will only get you in trouble. You have to step back and pull yourself together.
You may have built your world a certain way, and it may not be working out very well. the inverted hangman will appear in a reading to tell you to back up, turn around now.
It is also a red flag for health issues and should always be listened to. If you’ve burned the candle at both ends, or just eaten the wrong foods, the reverse hangman is here to remind you that if you do the wrong thing on your own and your health, you will pay the price with disastrous consequences.
It’s a warning, and it’s useful. The Upside-Down Hangman is not a prediction of bad news; it’s a way of telling you to get out of the way before he does.
The meaning of the hangman tarot card in love and relationships
If you are doing your own Tarot reading, or having your cards read for you, and you get Hangman, Standing, or Inverted in your reading, you need to stop what you are doing and beware.
There is a lesson here and you better pay attention.
The Hangman in a love reading asks you if you are sure of yourselfour partner, and if you have any doubts, you should explore and investigate them. It’s your devil’s advocate – the condition in a love affair that puts you in a questioning position.
Love and Relationships: Meaning of Standing Hangman
If you draw a Hangman standing in a love reading and you’re single, it means you need to let go of everything that doesn’t make you happy, be it people or situations. This can include past relationships and relationship patterns that are negative.
For singles, Hangman can also mean letting go of feelings, particularly, especially if they’re for an ex or a toxic person from your past or present. Once you remove these negative aspects from your life, you become more open to the romantic possibilities around you.
If you see the Hangman in a relationship and he is straight, it means that you may not be happy with your current love situation. Either you or your partner aren’t sure where your relationship is headed, so wait to make big decisions until you have time to think things through.
If it turns out that you are unhappy with your current romantic relationship, Hangman suggests that you have more power than you think. It means you can walk away from what doesn’t bring you happiness and stop holding yourself back.
Love and Relationships: Reversed Hangman’s Sense
If you’re single and end up with a reversed hangman, you may find that you can’t break free from past negative relationships and patterns and continue not to learn from those mistakes. This means taking the time to understand why you keep making these mistakes and taking responsibility for yourself.
For those in a relationship who receive the reverse hangman, it means you might stay in your relationship for all the wrong reasons, fearing being alone. Another interpretation is that neither you nor your partner are ready to accept the arguments and problems you have in your relationship.
Hangman asks you to think about what’s going on in your life, rather than acting impulsively. Hangman is always there to say, “Stop for a reality check. Take a step back.”
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Ruby Miranda is a New Yorker who learned astrology, the I Ching, and all types of fortune-telling and numerology from her crazy gypsy mother. She currently writes for a wide range of esoteric publications.