“Sacrifice your perspective Embrace the divine Your life will be in suspense until then It is only a matter of time Before your spiritual limbo With redemption comes to an end Cross the bridge that spans the abyss Of your understanding The Hanged Man waits for you To move beyond your limitations He shares this secret Let go, accept your destiny!”
Let’s dive in and take a good look at this card.
The things that stand our here are the bridge, the bat and the environment… but don’t miss the snake coiled on a rock and waiting for the bat to let go!
The verse on the cards say a lot about the imagery. I chose a bat because they are the ‘natural’ hanged man, Bat Man (thanks Roxi)! The bridge crosses the abyss. The snake is the snake that is wrapped around the ankle of the hanged man in some decks.
The bat is the hanged man. The nimbus indicates enlightenment from a different perspective. The bat’s eyes are open, it is aware of its position and surroundings. This is not sacrifice or martydom but life suspended until the sleeper awakens.
The bridge crosses the abyss. It is a way to the other side from this life to the Divine; from darkness into light; crossing waters (emotions) that would, in a heartbeat, become a torrent and consume us should we choose to wade through them.
The snake represents manifestation and material things and it is waiting for the hanged man to let go and drop near enough for the snake to strike and overwhelm him in material matters.
This card is about letting go of material gain and emotion and gaining a new (divine) perspective. This is about choosing to step onto the bridge, from darkness to light. It is possible to move beyond the limitations of material things and emotion and release those things that would hold us back and keep us anchored to the abyss of our own creation.
The symbols on the scroll (from left to right): the Hebrew glyph Mem (water), the elemental sign for Water, the zodiacal sign for Neptune. The Tree of Life path is from Geburah (Severity) to Hod (Splendour).
What do you see in this card? How would you interpret it?
Until tomorrow… Love, light and blessings!
Journey Through Tarot 