The Hanged Man & The World
The Hanged Man & The World
Analysis:
Each card features a central figure who occupies the centre space of the card.
Both figures are posturing their legs in similar ways (crossed, one up/one down).
Speaking of "crossing", the Hebrew letter-word associated with The World is Tau which means "cross". In The Hanged Man, we see crossing not just in the leg posture, but also in the tree, which forms a T shape.
Neither figure has their feet planted on any kind of solid ground. They're both floating in a sense; suspended or raised.
Numerically, we see a some interesting connections.
The World is 21 and The Hanged Man is 12. 12 is 21 in reverse, and as we also know, The Hanged man speaks to reversals - turning things around or flipping something on its head.
12 and 21 also both reduce to 3, which connect them both to The Empress as well.
Both cards could be said to speak to completion, as they contain “the entire universe” numerologically: If you add up every individual digital between 1 and 12, you arrive at a sum of 78 - the total number of cards in a standard tarot deck. The letter Tau (associated with The World) has a value of 400, which is the total number of spheres on the Tree of Life, if one considers that there are 10 Sephiroth, each containing its own Tree with 10 Sephiroth, and 4 Qabalistic worlds (10×10×4).
There is greenery visible in each scene. In The Hanged Man, it hangs from the branch, and in The World, it creates the wreath that surrounds the dancer.
Ties are visible in each image. In The Hanged Man, we see the figure's foot suspended by a tie. In The World, the wreath is held together with ties.
If you flip The Hanged Man around and put it side by side with The World, the similarities are more evident. Notice the face, legs, and hair. Could it be those batons from The World are implied in The Hanged Man, hidden behind the figure's back? Perhaps waiting until the proper reversal of consciousness has been achieved, to be revealed? To arrive at The World, we know something has to change within oneself. Could the secret to that change be found in The Hanged Man?
What do YOU see???
Possible Interpretation:
What does it take to achieve the kind of success, completion or self-actualization we see depicted in The World? We think a hint may be found in the 12th key, The Hanged Man. It’s not just the external moves that make the difference, but the internal ones. The Hanged Man knows that the ordinary approach simply won’t do. We must pause and connect with who we truly are, not what society says or expects of us. Breaking free from convention is not easy, but this voluntary sacrifice may be what’s required. We must be brave, centered and open to seeing things from a new perspectives. These adjustments will allow a real, deep and meaningful shift to occur within us. We think these cards in combination ultimately say “surrender to The Universe and The World will be yours”.