The Hanged Man

Full Moon — Sun in Taurus/Moon in Scorpio. After a full day at the rock shop in Austin, there was but a single image that kept recurring, in my mind. At one point, I had hundreds of Tarot decks, all of various stripes and colors, combinations, with variations on themes. Eventually, though, I sold and gave away/discarded most of the collectible decks, concentrating on my main source of imagery: the Thoth Deck.

As an adjunct, as much a prop as a tool itself, I carry a deck when I work. Several decks, depends on the venue — for the last few years in Austin, I was limited to a table that was barely a foot and half wide, and I needed to use a smaller deck of cards, so it would all fit on the table. Lately, I’ve been able to use my larger decks, yet again.

My first one was gift from an astrology teacher, and he claimed it was too dark for him. I believe he cursed it, too. Suits my humor fine. Over the years, I winnowed the tools I use, always looking for a simplified process, and the mainstay deck, for me, still comes back to the Thoth Deck.

“I do not find
The Hanged Man.”

Excerpt From: T. S. Eliot.
“The Waste Land.” Lines 55-6

With current conditions, and with current events, just take a look, the card reflects the timbre of the time, and then, on a deeper level reflects a strong archetype.

In most decks, it is an image of man, hanging, upside down. Part of this might derive from Norse Myths, and Odin. In my standard, quick reading style, I tend to concentrate on over-arching themes, getting to the meat of the situation as quickly — attempting to be delicate — but with relative speed to answer pressing questions.

That Hanged Man kept echoing the morning before the full moon — Moon in Scorpio/Sun in Taurus. I’m sure there’s a name for the spring moon. Flower Moon? Full Flower Moon? Milk Moon?

The shorthand version of that cards meaning, bereft of location and relation to other cards or the querent’s questions, but the quick symbolism is about being hung up on a problem that won’t resolve. There are dualities, negatives, positives, reversed, upright, but the reversed and upright questions begs to be challenged because the character in the card is reversed himself.

That Scorpio Moon.

The Hanged Man

Hung up on problem that won’t resolve? Or is this a situation where we’re hung up on a problem that won’t resolve like we want it to, or, won’t resolve in our favor?

Or won’t resolve in the manner we think it should?

The nature of the two, possibly most fixed sign, Scorpio and Taurus, faced off against each other as energies, and then, the elements represented, the Taurus is earth and the Scorpio is water; pause, water represents emotions, and that earth is about stability?

Like some of my material about eclipse action, this is similar in effect. The difference is this more clock-like in predictable occurrences. The sentiments don’t run as high, unless — and this is borne out in current news — there is an idea, ideal, or ideology that particular person holds onto, perhaps too tightly.

Part of what the Hanged Man does is slide between worlds, upside down and yet smiling, suspended between worlds, the real and the spiritual.

There is a problem here, though, the cards themselves are not magical. The cards are nothing more than images printed on cardboard. No trickery. No magic, nothing dangerous or haunting. The tarot cards are no different than playing cards. In theory, they have the same roots as playing cards, but that’s never been proven, conclusively.

Never doubt the power of myth-making.

However, as a method of divination? The cards are quite powerful. It’s about the symbols and the arrangement of the symbolism.

But it’s not magic.

The Hanged Man

The energy of this Full Moon is Scorpio emotion is faced off against the Taurus version of reality. Dead even heat, if you ask me, as to who will win. If I’m talking to a Scorpio, my allegiance goes with them. If I’m talking to a Taurus, therein is my heart. Hard to say.

However, the recurrent image of that Hanged Man from the Thoth Deck haunted me as perfect symbolism for the day. Stuck, between two worlds, yet properly manifesting new order out of chaos.

The Scorpio Full Moon ties back to the Hanged Man and T.S.Eliot’s poetry with the image of the drowned man and death by water, other names and indications for that card.

The Scorpio Full Moon? One card to explain it all.

New Hanged Man

The Hanged Man

The Waste Land – T.S. Eliot