While the Justice card illustrates that we must be careful with our choices, The Hanged Man takes it all a step further. The card sends a clear message about the sacrifices we must consciously make in order to develop further on the path. It is also about a change of perspective; no wonder the main character on the card hangs upside down from a tree. His face is a smiling one, not a suffering one. Obviously he has no problem enduring his present state; he endures his position voluntarily. The Hanged Man is a clear reference to Odin, the chief god of Norse mythology. Odin hung upside down from the world tree, Yggdrasil, for nine days to attain wisdom, and thereby took up the runes from the Well of Wyrd, the source and end of all sacred mysteries and knowledge. According to the legend, the moment he glimpsed the runes he died, but the knowledge of them was so powerful that he immediately returned to life. More or less, we can sum up this card with that legend. Odin carries out his quest without moving, at least in the physical sense. The true quest is seeking within. Each moment of our life is some kind of sacrifice: if we choose option A, we usually must sacrifice option B. If we are to progress, we must sacrifice our old beliefs, our "knowledge", our habits and, in the end, the ego itself, in order to attain something more, to become something more. Sacrificing our limited mind to allow the infinitely wiser mind of our Higher Self to take control of our lives is the choice we will have to make. On a lower level it simply means doing something you thought you would never do. Every change in thinking allows us to perceive another part of the universe, previously invisible to us. In order to gain, sooner or later you will have to give. Sometimes in life one must take a leap of faith and just let go, putting one's faith in a higher intelligence.
On the card
The young man hangs upside down from a tree shaped like a Tau cross, but he is smiling. It seems that he is in this situation voluntarily, as if he were seeking something. We see that his hair is white, obviously pointing to the wisdom he has gained by seeing the world from this perspective of the Universal Law. He seeks wisdom and gains it thanks to his new situation, which to other people no doubt seems strange and unenviable. He is changing his perspective, and in the process he is changing himself. There is an obvious reference to Odin in the fact that the figure hangs upside down. The detail that the figure is tied by just one leg, and that he seems content with his situation, shows that he is reconciled with the apparent bondage and restriction. One could assume that it is precisely his changing attitude towards his restrictions that allows him to evolve. Our attitude in everyday life towards all our boring duties and obligations also makes a difference here. There is a halo around his head that further underscores the very deep insight of The Hanged Man. His legs form a fylfot cross, but also the number four, in which we can see a connection with The Emperor card. The Emperor stands for stability, the material world and order, so we can assume that these are the things The Hanged Man sees from another perspective. This card is associated with the element of water and the planet Neptune, both closely connected with the concept of sacrifice. Neptune also offers the possibility of perceiving the world in an alternative, unusual, almost transcendental way. The Hebrew letter Mem also means water. This is a reference to sacrifice, but also to dissolving our false egos. He is still and immovable, but conscious and alive: he realizes that no one ever thinks, moves or acts of himself, but simply expresses the thought, motion and action of the Universal Self.
Upright
The Hanged Man symbolizes self-sacrifice, whether material or emotional. It also represents the need to adapt. Maybe you have been through rough times, in a limbo where something had to be given up before any kind of progress could be made.
Reversed
A reversal of thought must happen and a point of view must change. Avail yourself of Higher Consciousness. Observe your situation from a new, fresh angle; you might be surprised. When reversed, beware of attachment and bondage; there are signs of an imprisoned spirit. It is time to let go.