Wednesday, July 1, 2015

7/1/15 The Hanging Man reversed and the Princess of Wands

It’s July already!  I can’t believe the year is more than half over.  I’ve pulled out my Thoth Tarot this morning, and threw The Hanging Man reversed and the Princess of Wands. 

The Hanging Man corresponds with Water (cold/binds and wet/adapts, and emotional, sensitive and imaginative energy that tends to move deep, and attempts to take the same path as in the past), Neptune (inspiration, spirituality, magick, enchantment, dreams, altered states), and the Hebrew letter Mem (water, stability and balance, the reflective quality of thought), and presents the kind of balance that comes to us through surrender, and through deliberately attempting to see things in a different way.  This card tells of destiny, as well as sacrifice and loss, and passive or mystical initiation.  All of these do not have an accidental feel about them at all. Crowley warns us that the suspension brought by this card can either hint that we are waiting for someone else to take charge, or that we are sacrificing for the benefit of others.  Either of those interpretations can either be appropriate or harmful, depending on the situation.

The Thoth Hanging Man (called The Hanged Man) is pretty traditional.  It shows a figure hanging upside down, arms out to either side (reminding us of the crucifixion of Christ), but the Thoth Hanged Man and his body placement reminds us of another card: The Emperor.  The traditional image on The Emperor shows a kingly man seated on a throne, with one leg crossed over the other, and The Hanged Man is reminding us that often, the structure and order of The Emperor is counterproductive.  The Thoth Hanged Man represents sacrifice or loss (either willing or enforced), suffering, defeat, and even death.  It also can represent the kind of surrender that happens when we wait for events to unfold with a sense of fatalism.

The Page of Wands (Cancer, “I feel,” sensitive, tenacious, nurturing, moody; Leo, “I am,” passionate, dramatic noble egotistical; and Virgo, “I serve,” practical, analytical, work and service oriented) is fun to be around, unless you have a migraine. He is about being open to new experiences and about being enthusiastic about whatever is happening, and his optimism just might tip things into the right direction.  He can be a bit scattered though, and easily distracted.

The Princesses in the Thoth Tarot are equal to the Pages; this Princess stands facing a huge flame, almost like a wave ready to overcome her.  The Golden Dawn calls her the Princess of the Shining Flame, and this image really does personify that name.  She appears to be dancing with the Fire, and she literally has a tiger by the tail.  Look out world, here she comes.

I am being told today that I need to make my efforts for the good of all, rather than just in furtherance of my own needs and desires, and this might be difficult.  I may have trouble understanding just what to do, and my ambitions, enthusiasm and instincts might be pushing me to act anyway, not such a good plan.  Stillness is difficult to achieve at times, particularly when we are truly enjoying or getting fulfillment from what we are doing.  However, a time of inward focus might bring both balance and clarity.


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