The Hanged Man

The Hanged Man is Major Arcanum XII of the tarot. It shows a man suspended by one foot from a crossbeam, hands behind his back, his face often serene. Upright, it suggests a pause, letting go, a shift in perspective, a willing sacrifice and a fruitful wait. Reversed, it is read as a dead end, a pointless sacrifice, passivity or the feeling of being trapped. Tarot readers stress that it does not foretell misfortune: it invites a different way of looking.