The Hanged Man card in tarot can resemble anything from suspension and waiting, to surrendering, sacrifice and letting go.
Element: Water (Pisces)
Planet: Neptune
The Hanged Man card is about seeing things from another perspective.
This implies a period of waiting and contemplation.
Sometimes the thing to do is wait and watch and remain in limbo before taking action.
This card has different meanings when interpreted upright as it does reversed (upside down, not the same as face down).
The table below shows a brief summary of interpretations, followed by more in-depth analysis of the card in both positions below.
| Upright | Reversed |
| Waiting, suspension. | Sacrifices. Standstills. No resolutions. |
| (Yes/No?): Maybe | (Yes/No?): No |
The Hanged Man card is number twelve in the Major Arcana.
Number 12 Meaning
The number 12, in numerology, is significant, as all numbers are.
The number 12 reduces to 3 (1+2=3).
Because of this, we look at the meaning of the number 3.
Number 3 Meaning
The number three, in numerology is about expansion, development and stability.
It is also representative of strong foundations and cooperation or collaboration.
The Hanged Man Card Description
In the original Rider-Waite tarot deck The Hanged Man depicts a man hanging upside down and suspended by one foot from a living world tree.
While his right foot is completely entangled in the branches, his left foot remains completely free.
His hands are held behind his back in an inverted triangle.
The expression on his face remains calm.