XII - The Hanged Man
XII - The Hanged Man
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XII - The Hanged Man Keywords Sacrifice. Initiation. Martyrdom. Renunciation. Pupation. Dark Night of the Soul. Meaningful Transition. Trust in God/Goddess/Great Spirit. Roots. Betrayal. Themes A voluntary sacrifice to gain something hidden, lost, better. This card is about helping others by selfless service, which will probably involve difficulties and sufferings. But this will yield a better life for all! The sacrifice is not an animal or food, but rather a sacrifice of our time and personal freedom to help the community and all creatures. Paradoxically or mysteriously, this leads to greater freedom. Outer/social activities may include: presence; listening; tolerance; protest. Inner activities may include: psychotherapy; self-improvement; prayer; meditation. We may be called upon to give up antisocial ways, transform destructive habits, heal from trauma - and then give back to others. We willingly do that which we have to do. A renunciation of normal life to live a life dedicated to Great Spirit. The seeker is driven to find a new centre. If successful, he is reborn. Upside down, he is in touch with the lowest in his being, there is openness and acceptance. His shadow is owned. Deep and wide roots are grown. His face shows a relaxed surrender to a higher force of goodness and light. Comparisons This human saw Truth in Justice (XI). Truth is often the reverse of what most people, e.g. spiritual simplicity vs. material wealth. And so the human is upside down, coins fall out of pockets. The human submits to cosmic law and the will of God. The Hanged Man contemplates his way of life before Death (XIII). In other words, The Hanged Man identifies what needs to be cleared away to make way for the new. Soon action will be needed. The dying Saviour, but not yet the living Christ of The World (XXI). Notes & Quotes Examples:-
"Each human being can be compared to a drop of water, and each drop of water falls exactly where Cosmic Intelligence intended it to fall so as to accomplish its task. Each drop has to sacrifice itself in one way or another, by quenching the thirsty, refreshing those who are hot, washing those who are dirty after a day’s work, watering the seeds in the fields, and so on. Yes, the sacrifices demanded of water are many – it is used to make bread, cook food and even to dissolve poison – and it must never rebel against what is asked of it; it must always accept. When it has fulfilled its mission, it can return to the heavens and become transparent again. The same is true of human beings." (O.M. Aïvanhov) "Every problem we must solve and every decision we must make begs the following question: what must we sacrifice to give our life a broader dimension? Since many have not understood the true meaning of sacrifice, they perceive it as losing something. Indeed, some sacrifices have no purpose and are a form of loss. But in the spiritual sense of the word, sacrifice means giving up what depletes our inner life in order to gain precious elements, rather than sacrificing ourselves." (O.M. Aïvanhov, Sparks of Light on Our Path, pp.105-106) "It's only after we've lost everything that we're free to do anything." (Chuck Palahniuk) "Most human beings cling to their limited concept of life, which is why their face bears the marks of the disarray and turmoil in which they are embroiled. Their lives are nothing but pettiness, discord, arguments and vexations inspired by their lower nature, which they refuse to sacrifice. Yet fire shows us that without sacrifice there would be no life. When you light a fire, all the black, twisted branches are transformed into energy, light and heat. This is why we must make up our mind to light the fire within us in order to burn all the rubbish, which as it is consumed, will also become light and heat. As long as we equate sacrifice with deprivation and impoverishment, we have not understood a thing. True sacrifice is the transformation of all the worn out, antiquated, impure elements into light and heat, that is, into wisdom and love." (O.M. Aïvanhov) "On the spiritual plane, sacrifice serves the same purpose as fire. Each time you make a sacrifice, you light a fire. For example, when you decide to give up a bad habit, certain matter begins to be consumed within you, and it releases an energy that fuels your endeavour. Each sacrifice is a gift you give to yourself and in exchange, you receive purer energies that enable you to go further, higher. This is why sacrifice is a magical act thanks to which you have every opportunity to build something useful, beautiful and noble, not only in your own heart and soul, but in the heart and soul of all beings." (O.M. Aïvanhov) "Preserve and protect your life for nothing is more valuable than life. Of course, there are cases where men and women have given their lives to save others or to stand up for certain ideas. Yes, only in these situations do we have the right to sacrifice our lives. The prophets and initiates who lost their lives for an idea, for the glory of God lost nothing in reality, as thereafter, they received an even richer, more beautiful new life because they had sacrificed themselves for the good. But apart from these cases, disciples must keep, preserve, purify and intensify their life, for it is the source, the reservoir, the point of departure of all other developments: intellectual, emotional, aesthetic and so forth. Life comes first and then come wisdom, love, beauty, and so on, like so many branches on the primordial tree of life." (O.M. Aïvanhov) "The Hanged Man will always be alone." (Dolores Ashcroft-Nowicki) "We have a heart, and nature also has a heart. According to the law of analogy, this heart is the ocean. Nature offers its heart, exposes it to the sun and says, ‘My Lord, I give you my heart, my blood. Take it so that plants, animals and humans may live in plenty.’ And the sun takes a part of this blood, raises it up to itself and fills it with spiritual gifts. When this blood later comes back down to earth, all beings benefit from it and rejoice. Each day initiates reproduce within themselves the ocean’s gift to the sun. They open their hearts to the Creator saying, ‘Lord, I give you my heart.’ This ardent prayer, this sacrifice made in the human heart, is similar to the one that occurs in nature. Through the sublimation of their love, of their blood, humans encounter the sun, which is an image of God, and this encounter enriches them with new essences, divine essences, which are communicated to their whole being." (O.M. Aïvanhov) "Why are human beings afraid of sacrifice? Why do they reject the idea of sacrifice? Even the word resonates uncomfortably in their ears. Under the pretext that, most often, it is to others we must make sacrifices, they think it is others who will gain something at their expense. They feel the sacrifice as a loss and that’s why they cut themselves off from the source of life and joy. A door will suddenly open to those who accept to sacrifice willingly and lovingly, and they will feel overwhelmed by an ocean of light. You don’t believe me? But it is nonetheless true. Start by accepting the idea of sacrifice and you will discover that every effort you make for others can strengthen and invigorate you and above all, bring you joy." (O.M. Aïvanhov) |
Also see:- Major Arcana Tarot Maps of Consciousness articles |
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