CARD NUMBER 12. – Cardinal virtue. Prudence (Moses). (Replaces The Hanged Man of the traditional tarot)

Upright. – Redoubling of caution, danger to be feared.

Reversed. – Discussions, quarrels, popular intrigues. Near card number 19: danger of arrest and imprisonment.

“Good judgement is what you get from experience, which is what you have immediately after using poor judgement.” – Nasreddin

In The Hands of Fate

There will come a time when you no longer have the power to continue acting in a certain situation. Once things are out of your hands, you will have no choice but sit back and wait for the final decision. The Hanged Man is in this exact situation, and has no choice but to wait for his fate to arrive. He has surrendered himself to the consequences of his actions, and uses this time to look back on the road that has led him to this point. He is using this time to reflect upon his actions and learn from the mistakes that he has made. Even if he has not necessarily done anything wrong, he understands that sometimes bad things happen to good people just because they happened to become accidentally entangled in a bad situation. Even so, he is prepared to deal with whatever may come.

You are much like The Hanged Man, and are currently waiting to be presented with the final consequences of your actions. Perhaps you are awaiting punishment for wrongs that you have done, or you have been given your time to present your arguments in the trial to determine someone else’s fate. The situation is out of your hands now; you have no choice but to wait for the final results. No matter how the situation will resolve itself, have faith in that justice will prevail. Even if the consequences are painful, you will survive them in order to move on as a stronger, wiser individual. Use this as an opportunity to learn your lesson; if this situation is a direct result of your actions, then this is a chance for you to learn what not to do under certain circumstances.

Everyone is going to make mistakes in their romantic life. Learning from these mistakes is part of becoming a better partner and transforming yourself into a better person overall. However, it can be particularly difficult when we have to deal with the consequences of these mistakes, especially if we have wronged someone that we care deeply about. When we know that we have done something wrong to our partner, there will be times we have no choice but to wait and see how our partner is going to react. No matter what they decide to do, we must be able to face the consequences of our actions. Seeking revenge for you partner’s decision or denying the fact that you may need to face negative consequences will only make the entire situation more painful for the both of you.

Despite the fact that it is painful to admit it, you have done something to damage your romantic relationship that you are not particularly proud of. Perhaps you were caught in a lie, and must now face the fact that your partner feels as though they can no longer trust you. Or maybe you said something totally uncalled for in an argument, and must now deal with the fact that you have hurt your partner much more severely than you ever intended. You have recognized the fact that you were in the wrong; this is the first step towards growing and moving on from this mistake. However, you must be prepared for the way that your partner may respond to this transgression. If they need to hear an apology, then that is what you will need to give them. If the situation is severe enough that they want to end the relationship, then you must accept the fact that this may be the end. While it may be incredibly painful to accept whatever they decide upon, you must come to terms with the fact that you have no power to change how they feel. All you can do is express the regret that you feel for your erroneous ways and move on into the future with the wisdom to never make the same mistake again.

TWELVE. THE HANGED MAN

The gallows from which he is suspended forms a Tau cross, while the figure—from the position of the legs—forms a fylfot cross. There is a nimbus about the head of the seeming martyr. It should be noted

(1) that the tree of sacrifice is living wood, with leaves thereon;

(2) that the face expresses deep entrancement, not suffering;

(3) that the figure, as a whole, suggests life in suspension, but life and not death.

It is a card of profound significance, but all the significance is veiled. One of his editors suggests that Eliphas Lévi did not know the meaning, which is unquestionable—nor did the editor himself. It has been called falsely a card of martyrdom, a card of prudence, a card of the Great Work, a card of duty; but we may exhaust all published interpretations and find only vanity. I will say very simply on my own part that it expresses the relation, in one of its aspects, between the Divine and the Universe.

He who can understand that the story of his higher nature is imbedded in this symbolism will receive intimations concerning a great awakening that is possible, and will know that after the sacred Mystery Of Death there is a glorious Mystery Of Resurrection.

There is no such things as a perfect employee. We all make mistakes, and we must be prepared to face their consequences. Most of the time, so long as we are able to show that we were trying our best and following procedures, a reasonable employer will be willing to let little hiccups slide by with very little in the way of punishment. While it may be embarrassing to admit when you’ve made mistakes at work, it is vital step in learning to be a better employee. An employer will recognize that you are wiling to learn and improve, and that will oftentimes result them in being far more understanding when you make mistakes in the future. If they are confident in the fact that you will go out of your way to learn how to solve, or even completely avoid, similar situations, then they will be able to accept the fact that even a failure here and there will serve an ultimate purpose.

While you may be struggling in the face of a recent mistake in the workplace, this is a perfect opportunity for you to take any lessons that may be presented by the situation at hand. Even if your employer has decided that you must face some sort of punishment, you can still use this as an opportunity to improve your skills so as to avoid these situations in the future. Your employer may not even necessarily want to punish you, but may be forced to do so in order to respect certain regulations. Try not to take the whole situation too personally, and remember that you are most likely not the only one who has made this mistake, and you surely will not be the last. Instead, use this punishment as motivation to do better.

Punishment is always meant to serve an explicit purpose; if there is no foreseeable benefit to punishing someone, then there is no reason to carry through with their sentencing. When The Hanged Man appears in the reversed position, then it may be a sign that you are allowing yourself to be punished for the sake of others, despite the fact that you aren’t actually accomplishing anything through your suffering.

Take a moment to consider why you are subjecting yourself to this suffering. Are there any tangible benefits to your sacrifice? Is the party that you are protecting learning anything from this experience? Or are they simply using you as a shield to protect themselves from facing the consequences of their actions? You aren’t benefitting in any way; if you recognize the fact that punishment must still be carried out, then you most likely already understand the reasoning as to why this person’s actions deserves punishment in the first place. Don’t let yourself suffer for no reason. Even though you may feel as though you are abandoning this person to fate, remember that they will not learn anything from their actions if they are not allowed to face the appropriate consequences.

The Hanged Man wants you to look at something from a different perspective. Your views and perceptions have become distorted, and you are stuck in your habit of only seeing things the way you see them. Let go of old ways and encourage your mind to alter in ways you have only previously imagined. The Hanged Man is an unconventional YES card.

• Upright Hanged Man – Yes or No?
• The Hanged Man Reversed – Yes or No?
• The Hanged Man Meaning for Love – Yes or No?
• The Hanged Man Love Reversed – Yes or No?
• The Hanged Man Meaning For Advice – Yes or No?
• The Hanged Man Meaning For Advice Reversed – Yes or No?
• The Hanged Man Reconciliation – Yes or No?
• The Hanged Man Health – Yes or No?