What does The Hanged Man card mean in Tarot?

The Hanged Man, Major Arcana, XII

In the most basic sense, the Hanged Man represents peace of mind that comes from personal knowing and experience. It’s when you learn not to make a fuss about little details or changeable situations, and choose to make delicious lemonade with the lemons life hands you.

While you acknowledge that life can’t always be perfect or to your liking, you have also become wise enough to know that both the good and the bad come and go, and then come and go again. What remains is what you’ve learned and how much you’ve grown.

The Hanged Man is such a good omen, a truly amazing card to have in any card spread, sometimes changing the meaning of the whole reading – especially if it’s a negative reading, the existence of The Hanged Man means you’ll be able to understand the unfortunate situation thoroughly, stay calm, and act in the best way possible to bring about good outcomes.

It’s also a great card to visualize, contemplate, and meditate on if you are feeling negative, overwhelmed, or out of focus. Notice how calm the figure in the card is even though he is upside down. He is so chill even with one leg bent, all the energy and light around his head, symbolizing wisdom and spiritual awakening. You can also paint this card if painting is fun for you.

What does The Hanged Man Tarot card mean for love?

For singles, The Hanged Man signifies a whole new approach to finding love. You might be realizing that what you’ve been doing up until now hasn’t worked, or hasn’t produced the results you’ve wanted. It might now be time to take a different approach – take a 180 degree turn and maybe even do the exact opposite of what you were doing till now.

If you were rushing things in the past, maybe it’s time you take things slow. Or if you were taking things really slowly in the past, it might serve you to add some excitement and passion into the mix. The Hanged Man is such a good card for people who feel like they have been dating the same person over and over again. Identify the patterns and do the opposite from now on.

For people in relationships, The Hanged Man points at how, even though there might be rough patches, destructive patterns, or just days where you’re really annoyed with one another, you have what it takes to make your relationship work. You and your partner can rise above all the troubles and disagreements, and find solutions that are good for both of you. You’ve both grown so much thanks to this relationship and you should continue doing so – your relationship is a blessing.  

What does The Hanged Man reversed in Tarot mean?

The Hanged Man reversed points at a stubborn I-know-it-all attitude that prevents you or a loved one from overcoming difficulty and arriving at a less negative or even a positive outcome. It means refusing to look at things from a different perspective, despite new evidence or support from others around.

We all sometimes experience this kind of helplessness where we feel so overwhelmed by outside events that we can’t find solutions and we feel so stuck. Psychologist Martin Seligman calls this “learned helplessness” – whereby, if in the past you couldn’t help yourself and change a situation, you expect it to be the same now. It’s a learned response.

But remember, each experience is unique, and you aren’t the same person you were before. Even if you had a difficult childhood, you are an adult now, with access to friends whom you’ve picked. When you’re in a difficult place, The Hanged Man suggests getting help from your loved ones, which could even just be in the form of ideas and advice. Getting help doesn’t mean you’re dependent or needy.

Astrological association

The Hanged Man is associated with the planet Neptune, which is very far from Earth and its brightness can’t be seen without a telescope. It’s a great metaphor – sometimes in life it’s difficult to see the bright side without some help!

In Astrology, Neptune is the planet that helps us to transcend problems and bring us to a truly spiritual, deep place. It’s associated with the intuitive right brain, seeing into situations with psychic clarity and spiritual ability. It could point at a time in your life where you’re feeling very connected and having good hunches, or a time when you might need the help of a psychic or spiritual advisor

Neptune has slow-moving, feminine energy and rules the sign of Pisces. While the Tarot card directly associated with Pisces is The Moon, The Hanged Man might also suggest Piscean energy in the sense that it is intuitive and psychic, and can work nearly invisibly in our lives. The card might represent you, someone important in your life, or the type of energy you might really be needing nowadays.

Neptune is also known as the higher octave of Venus – the planet of love and beauty. With the influence of The Hanged Man, one learns to see love and beauty in all situations, including difficult ones. It is the highest spiritual accomplishment to acknowledge that even emotions such as grief can bring a divine touch to our lives. The Hanged Man’s advice is, be curious about challenging situations and difficult emotions.

Can you be curious about your depression without fighting it or trying to numb it by overeating, shopping, or ignoring it? Can you keep your curiosity alive even when things don’ seem to go your way? The Hanged Man reminds us to be curious about everything in life, the way a child is, and this includes all the things we consider unpleasant.

The Hanged Man is a wonderful card to have in your reading, in any spread and in any card position. It connotes a life well lived where the spirit has grown and learned, and even though things might not be perfect right now, the spirit knows deep down that it is worth being here on Earth and experiencing love and beauty.