The Hanged Man

The Hanged Man is the twelfth card in the Major Arcana, numbered as card XII. It features a male gymnast in the "inverted iron cross" hold.

Keywords

 * Pause
 * Reversal

Booklet Text
The Hanged Man is about seeing things from a different point of view or perspective. Taking a step back and being patient. Not letting your cool come unglued without good reason. The keywords are Pause and Reversal. The card pictures a gymnast on the still rings holding a difficult position upside down: the inverted cross. It’s hard to do, but he gets more points the longer he holds it and even more if he can remain completely still. Our view of the world is limited to what we’ve experienced already. Everything in your world is what you’ve seen. Others have worlds that are completely different. They may know things that you don’t. Some people never try to expand their worldview, which is a self-imposed limitation. “The fish thinks it knows what’s best for the crow.” This means what’s in your world might not be ideal for others. Or even for yourself. The Hanged Man is about capsizing your paradigm. Understanding that you may be wrong about things is the key to learning.

Adjacent Cards

 * Justice
 * Death

In Popular Culture

 * The Hanged Man and other Darkana cards appeared in the movie Sweet Leaf, directed by Julian Grant.