Discerning the Keys : The Hanged Man

In contemplation I have found the drawing of “The Hanged Man” to be very in tune with today...

The energies and symbols I see present point to Jupiter, the number 4 (which can be seen in Jupiter's glyph), Venus, the inverted 4, as seen in the crossed legs of the man in question...and today is the 4^th of July – symbolizing to me rebellion, battle for the greater good, freedom and passionate Fire in the American collective consciousness. 

What shall you create on this day of Independence?

And again, the below cited work is not my own (aside from a few interjections here and there) – it has been sourced from Pamela Eakins, PH.D. -- “Tarot of the Spirit”...

THE HANGED MAN : XII

Divinatory Meaning------------------------------------------------------

It is time to retreat, withdraw and surrender to quietude; when the internal waters are stilled, you can see and hear your deep eternal self which is your own truth; through meditative contemplation, you will arrive at truth; your florious nature is revealed when the clear waters of your mind cease to be distrubed by rippling thoughts; this is a time of voluntary withdrawal, reenter the world only when you know you have receiveed answers; do not be pushed or agitated by the whims of others.

Esoteric Qualities------------------------------------------------------

Hebrew attribution: Mem, water

Astrological attribution: Water, the reflective principle [Moon]

Twenty third Path: Mediates between Geburah (the great universal destroyer [Mars, Hecate, Kali]) and Hod (the thinking mind [Mercury, Gemini])

Essence: The Return to the sea of life, the womb of all being

Intelligence: The Stable Intelligence, the original intellect, the deep mind, which is, was and ever shall be

Veil: Thoughts that ripple across the mind's surface are the whole of the truth.

Mystery: In losing your self, you find your Self.

Interpretation------------------------------------------------------------------------

Key XII, the Hanged Man, represents the suspended mind. At Key XII, you are in a time of place of surrender. You are letting go. You are voluntarily retreating. You are evolving and this process necessitates withdrawal.

The Hanged Man immerses himself in Water, the element of deep understanding. There it is possible for him to tap the deep flow of the original intellect, the universal mind [Jung's “collective consciousness”?], the most stable intelligence, the brilliant pattern of thought known before and beneath the myriad dimensions of cultural overlay. He is immersed in the cosmic womb, that which cradles spirit and builds from. This womb is a shell of protection which offers a way of knowing through quieting and releasing the self from preoccupation with everyday matters. The Hanged Man is submerged in deep introspection.

From this womb, which could be compared to a cocoon or an isolation tank, the man – when he so wills – is reborn in newness

I am reminded of the telling of Nicodemus posing the question of how one can be “born again” to Christ...

As the twenty-third path on the Tree of Life, Key XII mediates between Geburah, the universal force of dissolution, and Hod, the Hanged Man's intelligence or patterns of thought. On the twenty-third path, the Hanged Man must experience the dissolution of former patterns –Death – in order to evolve. Thus, the womb is also a grave or tomb, in that the process of change requres laying ot rest, or leaving room for the new to emerge. The Hanged Man's process is therefore akin to a metamorphosis. Just as the larval of an insect becomes the pupa which then transforms into the adult, the Hanged Man eventually emerges in a more evolved state. Reborn, ho now sees the world from a new perspective, a point of views which is uncolored by his prior socialization. He has abandoned thought patterns which were overly complicated, false or misguided.

As one situation ends and another begins, the submerged one is redeemed. He is freed from the constructs which led him into bondage. As is symbolized by his legs crossed in an inverted 4, the Hanged Man in submersion is reconsidering his relationship to the material world. He is engaged in the human quest to overcome conditioned limitations. He is rethinking the purpose of his existence. Gareth Knight states; “...perhaps the most basic Spiritual Law of the Universe is, however much appearances seem to indicated to the contrary, you get out of life exactly what you put into it.” Key XII, the Hanged Man, holds the answer to discovering what you are going to put into life. Your first task is to make your mind into a clear receptive vessel operation with pure, unfettered and unclouded universal mind. Once social conditioning is cleared away, your true purpose has room to emerge.

Submerged, you will find your Self at the door of reason. This is a door to the “mighty Waters of Ain Soph,” the realm in which the cosmic atom of the inner Self – the Self freed from social constraints – is encountered. In this realm, you arrive at an understanding of the nature of consciousness and perceive the truth purely and clearly. Submerged, you begin to come to terms with the vast and mighty power of the massed and steadfast intention of the will-to-good.

To achieve a state of clear awareness, you must learn to see as the Buddha saw. The Buddha said, “In what is seen there must be just the seen; in what is heard there must be just the heard; in what is sensed (as smell, taste or touch) there must be just what is sensed; in what is thought there must be just the thought.” Zen Buddhist Philip Kapeau states that for many of us, whose minds are usually “checkerboards of reflection, opinion and prejudice”, bare attention becomes difficult to achieve. Our lives have become centered not in reality itself but in our ideas of it, and the mind, when agitated or disturbed by an excess of stimulation, cannot reflect the deepest inner reality. Only when the pool of consciousness is stilled can we begin to perceive the true reflection of the One Self. To enter into a new way of knowing, we must strip the mind of extraneous thought and allow our selves to fully experience that which IS on the innermost plane.

In order to perceive its own true nature, the mind must first be brought to a state of emptiness. This is why retreat or withdrawal – secluded submersion—is so important. In this state, certain characteristics of existence are illuminated. In diving below the built up layers of our human experience, we begin to come to grips with the divine law of cause and effect. We come to understand the exacting nature of karma: the necessity of production and solution as well as the necessity of dissolution. We understand that we create and control our own reactions and reflections. We learn that at every moment, we are taking the first step upon a new path. At each moment, we create the karma in which our path is bound. Most importantly, we learn that true and lasting freedom is achieved through successfully aligning our own “free will” with the cosmic will. We learn that love is the will, love under law. We have created to conditions of our own bondage.

Through our deepened understanding, and attunement to the guidance of the Higher Self, we can overcome the conflicts we feel in our everyday life. Through willingness to submit to the dictates of our highest conscience and consciousness – which will inevitably point to love as the highest of all principles – we are regenerated and born again. In the way of love, we sacrifice aggression, greed and selfishness for vulnerability, openness and selflessness.

As we emerge from submersion in the might waters of the cosmic sea, the realm where we discover the elemental Self, the efforts of body and mind are consolidated, focused and energized. Our intelligence is clear, stable and consistent. Stress dissolves. WE have seen the Inner Self and we have learned of its higher purpose.”

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and here is a link to the site where the accompanying image was sourced...