LexTalk

Have you ever been working SO HARD to figure something out that you finally just gave up?

You researched.

You Googled.

You made lists.

You stared at the problem.

You thought about it from approximately 47 different angles.

You became increasingly irritated.

Finally, you’re like:

FINE.

I DON’T CARE ANYMORE.

You walk away.

Take a shower.

Make something to eat.

Go to bed.

Start doing something completely unrelated.

And then… THE ANSWER.

EXCUSE ME?!

WHERE WAS THAT INFORMATION THREE HOURS AGO?!

Apparently, my brain just needed me to stop harassing it for five minutes.

And today’s tarot card?

Well… this man is literally hanging upside down from a tree.

Yet somehow?

He looks more relaxed than I do sitting upright on my couch.

Welcome back to LexTalk Tarot: One Card at a Time!

We’ve officially reached Card #31 of 78, and today we’re exploring another Major Arcana card.

A card traditionally associated with:

Pause.

Surrender.

Patience.

Perspective.

Acceptance.

Letting go of control.

And the very uncomfortable idea that… Sometimes doing MORE isn’t actually the answer.

Today we’re learning about…

THE HANGED MAN — XII

And my beginner memory trick for this one is:

The Hanged Man = Sometimes you have to stop moving to see things clearly.

Let’s investigate.

Meet The Hanged Man

Card: The Hanged Man

Number: XII — 12

Arcana: Major Arcana

Elemental Association: Water

Common Modern Astrological Association: Neptune

Core Themes: Pause, surrender, patience, perspective, acceptance, letting go

The Hanged Man belongs to the Major Arcana, which means we’re exploring one of tarot’s bigger archetypal lessons.

And visually?

This card is… interesting.

There’s a man.

Hanging upside down.

By one foot.

From what appears to be a wooden structure or tree.

Naturally, my beginner brain immediately went:

WELL THIS DOESN’T LOOK GOOD.

But then I actually looked at him.

He doesn’t appear terrified.

He isn’t struggling.

His face looks peaceful.

There’s even a glowing halo around his head.

So apparently… this isn’t:

HELP! GET ME DOWN!

It’s more like:

Hmmm… Everything looks different from here.

And THAT completely changes the meaning of the card.

First: The Hanged Man Isn’t About Literal Harm

Because we’re learning tarot as beginners, I think this is important to establish.

The Hanged Man isn’t traditionally interpreted as predicting literal hanging, physical harm, or death.

This is symbolic imagery.

The figure’s relaxed posture and halo are important clues.

He appears to be in a state of deliberate suspension rather than distress.

Which makes the card much more about:

Pausing.

Surrendering.

Waiting.

Observing.

Changing perspective.

Basically… STOP TRYING TO FIX EVERYTHING FOR FIVE MINUTES.

Let’s Study The Hanged Man

This card actually doesn’t have a TON of objects compared with something like The Chariot.

But the symbols that ARE here?

They matter.

Let’s investigate.

The Upside-Down Figure

Obviously… we’re starting here.

The man is suspended upside down by one foot.

And what happens when you’re upside down?

Everything looks different.

The floor becomes the ceiling.

The ceiling becomes the floor.

Your normal perspective is completely disrupted.

Which makes this such an easy symbol to remember.

Upside-Down Figure = Seeing something from a different perspective.

Sometimes we’re convinced there’s only ONE way to look at a situation.

Our way.

But what happens if we flip it?

What would this look like from someone else’s perspective?

What if the thing I consider a delay is actually giving me more time?

What if the rejection redirects me somewhere else?

What if the strategy isn’t failing because I’m bad at it… but because I need another strategy?

Maybe the situation doesn’t need to change first.

Maybe my perspective does.

OOOF.

The Halo

Around The Hanged Man’s head is a bright halo.

And I LOVE this detail.

Because it tells us something important.

This isn’t simply:

MAN STUCK IN TREE.

There’s understanding happening here.

The halo commonly symbolizes:

Insight

Illumination

Awareness

Spiritual understanding

Clarity

Halo = Insight gained through stillness and a new perspective.

Which makes sense.

Sometimes answers arrive when we finally stop demanding them.

The Crossed Leg

One leg hangs straight.

The other bends behind it.

His legs create a shape sometimes associated with symbolic geometry and balance.

But for my beginner brain?

The most important thing I notice is:

He looks COMFORTABLE.

Well… as comfortable as someone hanging upside down can look.

He’s not flailing.

He’s not fighting.

He’s not desperately trying to escape.

Crossed Leg = Composure, acceptance, and deliberate stillness.

There’s a difference between:

I CAN’T MOVE.

and:

I’m choosing not to move yet.

That’s important.

The Living Wood

The structure supporting The Hanged Man isn’t completely dead.

There are leaves growing from it.

And THAT caught my attention.

Because even while he appears completely stationary…

something is still growing.

OOOH.

Living Wood = Growth can continue during periods of stillness.

I LOVE THAT.

Because we have such a weird relationship with progress.

If we can’t SEE something happening?

We assume nothing is happening.

But think about seeds.

You plant them.

Then… nothing.

Nothing.

Nothing.

Still nothing.

And then suddenly?

Growth was happening before we could see it.

Maybe people work that way too.

His Expression

Look at his face.

This man is remarkably calm considering his current circumstances.

His expression reinforces the idea that the suspension isn’t necessarily punishment.

There’s acceptance here.

Calm Expression = Surrender rather than panic.

And I think there’s a HUGE difference between surrender and giving up.

Giving up says:

Nothing matters. I’m done.

Surrender can say:

I can’t control everything about this, so I’m releasing what isn’t mine to control.

VERY different.

The Hanged Man Upright Meaning

When The Hanged Man appears upright, common themes include:

Pause • Surrender • Patience • Perspective • Acceptance • Reflection • Letting Go

Maybe you’re trying to force an answer.

Maybe you’re pushing for progress.

Maybe you’re waiting for something.

Maybe you’re facing a decision.

Maybe the same approach keeps producing the same result.

The Hanged Man may invite you to stop.

Not forever.

Just long enough to see what you couldn’t see while you were frantically moving.

Upright Message:

Not every delay is wasted time.

OOOH.

That’s the one.

The Hanged Man Reversed Meaning

You know our LexTalk rule!

REVERSED DOES NOT AUTOMATICALLY MEAN BAD.

Common reversed themes include:

Stagnation • Resistance • Unnecessary Sacrifice • Indecision • Procrastination • Feeling Stuck • Delays

And this is where The Hanged Man gets REALLY interesting.

Because there’s a difference between:

PAUSING.

and:

AVOIDING.

There’s a difference between:

I’m giving this time.

and:

I’m terrified to make a decision.

There’s a difference between:

I’m considering another perspective.

and:

I’ve analyzed this for six months and already know what I need to do.

At some point?

The man has to come down from the tree.

Reversed Message:

Am I genuinely allowing things to unfold—or am I avoiding a decision?

That question might hurt a little.

Pausing Isn’t Quitting

I think we have a really unhealthy relationship with stopping.

Especially when we’re trying to accomplish something.

We think:

If I take a day off… I’m lazy.

If I slow down… I’ll fall behind.

If I stop posting… everyone will forget me.

If I don’t solve this immediately… I’m failing.

If I change my strategy… I gave up.

But The Hanged Man challenges that.

What if pausing is part of the process?

Athletes need recovery.

Writers need space.

Creators need inspiration.

Brains need rest.

Bodies need sleep.

Relationships sometimes need breathing room.

Not everything improves because we push harder.

Your Brain Needs Space

Have you ever remembered something the SECOND you stopped trying to remember it?

You’re sitting there like:

WHAT WAS THAT ACTOR’S NAME?!

You think.

You Google everything except the correct answer.

You interrogate everyone in the room.

Then twenty minutes later while folding laundry:

STEVE BUSCEMI!

WHY?!

Because brains are weird.

But also because stepping away allows our minds to process things differently.

The Hanged Man reminds me that reflection doesn’t always look productive from the outside.

Sometimes you’re processing.

Connecting things.

Recovering.

Learning.

And none of that necessarily produces an immediate visible result.

Slow Progress Is Still Progress

I think we need this reminder constantly.

Because we LOVE measurable progress.

Followers.

Views.

Sales.

Weight.

Money.

Subscribers.

Applications.

Tasks completed.

Numbers make progress easy to see.

But some growth isn’t measurable yet.

Maybe you’re:

Learning patience.

Building confidence.

Becoming better at something.

Creating healthier boundaries.

Changing a habit.

Recovering emotionally.

Learning what DOESN’T work.

Those things might not immediately create a satisfying little graph.

But they’re still progress.

Growth doesn’t always announce itself.

Sometimes you recognize it later.

Stop Trying to Force the Timeline

THIS.

We love timelines.

I should have this by THIS age.

My business should be here by THIS date.

I should have lost this much by now.

I should know what I’m doing.

I should be further along.

I should… I should… I should…

SAYS WHO?!

Seriously.

Who made the timeline?

Sometimes the pressure isn’t even coming from reality.

It’s coming from an imaginary deadline we created based on what other people are doing.

The Hanged Man says:

Maybe this takes the time it takes.

That doesn’t mean doing nothing forever.

It means not treating every delay like a personal failure.

What If You Tried the Opposite?

This is a FUN Hanged Man exercise.

If something isn’t working…

ask:

What would happen if I tried the opposite?

If you’re always talking… listen.

If you’re always saying yes… say no.

If you’re constantly pushing… pause.

If you’re waiting for perfection… publish the imperfect thing.

If you’re doing everything alone… ask for help.

If you’re obsessively planning… take one action.

If you’re constantly taking action… make a plan.

Sometimes flipping our usual behavior gives us information we couldn’t access before.

Very Hanged Man.

Surrender Isn’t the Same as Giving Up

This might be one of the most important distinctions in the entire card.

Giving up says:

I don’t care anymore.

Surrender says:

I’ve done what I can. I’m releasing what I cannot control.

Maybe you applied for the job.

You can’t control whether they choose you.

Maybe you published the post.

You can’t control whether someone clicks.

Maybe you apologized.

You can’t control whether someone accepts it.

Maybe you explained yourself.

You can’t force someone to understand.

Maybe you made the offer.

You can’t control the answer.

Sometimes we’ve already done our part.

And continuing to mentally wrestle with the outcome doesn’t give us more control.

It just makes us exhausted.

Sometimes surrender is recognizing where your responsibility ends.

OOOF.

When Waiting Becomes Avoidance

Okay.

Now we need to call ourselves out.

Because sometimes:

I’M WAITING FOR THE RIGHT TIME.

really means:

I’M SCARED.

Sometimes:

I’M STILL THINKING ABOUT IT.

means:

I ALREADY KNOW WHAT I WANT TO DO BUT I’M AFRAID OF THE CONSEQUENCES.

Sometimes:

I’M BEING PATIENT.

means:

I’VE BEEN WAITING FOR SOMETHING TO CHANGE WITHOUT CHANGING ANYTHING.

The Hanged Man reversed can be a VERY useful question:

What information am I actually still waiting for?

If the answer is:

…

nothing?

Maybe it’s time to move.

The Hanged Man in Love & Relationships

In relationships, The Hanged Man can connect with:

Patience • Perspective • Understanding • Compromise • Reflection • Allowing Space

Maybe a situation needs breathing room.

Maybe you need to consider another person’s perspective.

Maybe expectations need to be reconsidered.

Maybe you’ve been trying to force a conversation or outcome before either person is ready.

Upright Love Reflection:

What might I understand differently if I genuinely considered this situation from the other person’s perspective?

And IMPORTANT:

Understanding someone’s perspective doesn’t mean agreeing with them.

You can understand WHY someone feels something… and still disagree.

That’s emotional maturity.

The Hanged Man Reversed in Love

Reversed relationship themes can include:

Stagnation • One-Sided Sacrifice • Waiting Indefinitely • Resistance • Avoiding Decisions

And I think the sacrifice piece is REALLY important.

Relationships require compromise.

But:

Compromise isn’t one person sacrificing everything while the other sacrifices nothing.

The Hanged Man reversed might ask:

Am I being patient—or am I accepting a situation that isn’t meeting my needs?

That’s a very different question.

Tarot can’t tell us whether someone will change or whether a relationship is guaranteed to work.

But it CAN give us a framework for examining what we’re experiencing.

The Hanged Man in Career

Career-wise, I actually LOVE this card.

Because sometimes the answer to:

HOW DO I MAKE THIS WORK?!

isn’t:

WORK HARDER.

Sometimes it’s:

Change the strategy.

Learn something.

Ask someone.

Reevaluate.

Wait for more information.

Try a different approach.

Common upright career themes include:

Reassessment • Patience • New Perspectives • Strategic Pauses • Learning • Alternative Approaches

Career Reflection:

Am I working harder on a strategy that simply isn’t working anymore?

OOOH.

That’s a GOOD one.

The Hanged Man Reversed in Career

Reversed career themes can include:

Feeling Stuck • Procrastination • Burnout • Indecision • Unnecessary Sacrifice

Maybe you’re waiting for the perfect opportunity.

Maybe you’re afraid to apply.

Maybe you’re staying somewhere because change feels scary.

Maybe you’re doing way too much hoping someone eventually notices.

Maybe you’re sacrificing your time without a clear benefit.

The reversed Hanged Man asks:

What would actually need to happen for me to move forward?

If you don’t know?

Maybe that’s what you need to figure out.

The Hanged Man & Money

Financially, The Hanged Man makes me think:

PAUSE BEFORE YOU BUY IT.

Not:

NEVER BUY ANYTHING.

Just… wait.

Especially if you’re making an emotional or impulsive decision.

Maybe sleep on it.

Compare prices.

Read the terms.

Ask whether you actually need it.

The card can also invite us to reconsider our relationship with money.

Money Reflection:

What financial habit or belief might look different if I approached it from another perspective?

The Hanged Man doesn’t predict financial gains or losses.

It’s much more useful as a reminder to reflect before acting.

The Hanged Man & Creativity

THIS card is SO relevant for creative people.

Because sometimes creative block gets worse the harder we try to force creativity.

You sit there staring at the blank screen like:

BE CREATIVE.

Nothing.

Then you go for a walk… and suddenly you have seven ideas.

Creativity needs input.

Life experiences.

Rest.

Curiosity.

Space.

Sometimes the solution to creative burnout isn’t:

CREATE MORE.

It’s:

GO LIVE FOR A LITTLE WHILE.

Read.

Watch something.

Travel.

Cook.

Walk.

Talk to someone.

Go somewhere interesting.

Experience something.

Then come back.

Maybe the pause IS part of creating.

Growth Can Happen When Nothing Looks Different

Let’s go back to those leaves on the wooden structure.

Because I LOVE that symbol.

The Hanged Man isn’t moving.

But the tree is alive.

Growth continues.

And maybe there are periods in our lives that feel exactly like that.

Nothing is happening.

Nothing is changing.

Nothing is working.

And then months later?

We realize:

Oh.

I changed.

Maybe we became stronger.

Clearer.

More confident.

More patient.

More selective.

Maybe we finally understand something we couldn’t understand before.

Not all growth is visible while it’s happening.

Today’s LexTalk Tarot Journal Prompt

Grab your tarot journal!

Today’s main question:

What am I trying so hard to control that I might understand better if I stopped forcing it?

OOOF.

And another one I REALLY love:

Am I intentionally pausing—or am I avoiding something?

A few more:

What situation could I look at differently?

Where am I forcing progress?

What am I afraid will happen if I slow down?

What am I sacrificing right now—and is it worth it?

Where might patience actually help me?

What decision have I been postponing?

What information am I still waiting for?

What would happen if I tried the opposite approach?

Where do I need to release control?

And finally:

What might become clearer if I stopped trying to solve everything today?

The Tarot Deck I’m Learning With

The Hanged Man is another PERFECT example of why I’m enjoying learning tarot through Rider-Waite-Smith imagery.

Instead of memorizing:

The Hanged Man = Pause.

I can look at the card and remember:

Upside-Down Figure = New perspective

Halo = Insight and understanding

Crossed Leg = Acceptance and stillness

Living Wood = Growth continues during pauses

Calm Expression = Surrender rather than panic

And suddenly?

I understand the STORY.

Throughout LexTalk Tarot, I’m using a physical Rider-Waite-Smith style tarot deck because studying the artwork helps me understand each card rather than simply memorizing definitions.

If you’d like to learn alongside me using the same style of deck, you can [check out the tarot deck I’m using here — paid link].

You absolutely don’t need my exact deck to follow along. I’m simply sharing what I’m personally using throughout this journey.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Learning Tarot With a Journal

I’m also keeping notes about every card in a tarot journal.

And today’s highly sophisticated beginner memory system?

MAN HANGING UPSIDE DOWN LOOKS WEIRDLY UNBOTHERED.

Therefore:

PAUSE. LOOK AT IT DIFFERENTLY. STOP FREAKING OUT.

Honestly?

That might be one of the easiest ones to remember.

If you’re learning tarot alongside me, any notebook works perfectly.

But if you’d like a dedicated place for tarot meanings, symbolism, personal interpretations, and reflection prompts, you can [check out the tarot journal I recommend here — paid link].

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

How I’m Remembering The Hanged Man

Beginner tarot friends… Don’t memorize this entire blog.

Here’s today’s cheat sheet:

THE HANGED MAN — XII

Core Meaning: Pause and perspective

Upright: Surrender, patience, reflection, acceptance, new perspective

Reversed: Stagnation, resistance, unnecessary sacrifice, procrastination, feeling stuck

Upside-Down Figure: Seeing things differently

Halo: Insight and illumination

Crossed Leg: Composure and acceptance

Living Wood: Growth during stillness

Calm Expression: Voluntary surrender

Elemental Association: Water

Common Modern Astrological Association: Neptune

And today’s beginner memory trick:

The Hanged Man = Sometimes you have to stop moving to see things clearly.

Done.

One card.

One story.

31 Cards Into LexTalk Tarot!

We’ve officially explored:

31 OF 78 TAROT CARDS!

We’re almost at 40% of the entire deck!

WHAT?!

And I think it’s kind of funny that after The Chariot told us:

PICK A DIRECTION AND MOVE!

Justice said:

WAIT. MAKE SURE YOUR CHOICES ACTUALLY ALIGN WITH YOUR VALUES.

And now The Hanged Man is like:

Actually… SIT THERE.

Tarot is really keeping us humble.

But that’s also what I love about learning these cards.

They’re not all telling us the same thing.

Sometimes we need action.

Sometimes we need accountability.

Sometimes?

We need to stop.

Different situations require different responses.

And learning to recognize WHICH one we need?

Maybe that’s where the real wisdom is.

One Last LexTalk Thought

I think The Hanged Man might be one of the most misunderstood kinds of lessons in life.

Because we’re taught to DO.

Work harder.

Try harder.

Push harder.

Fix it.

Solve it.

Make progress.

Keep going.

And sometimes?

YES.

Absolutely.

Sometimes we need The Chariot.

Get in the damn thing and GO.

But other times?

We’re pushing against something that isn’t ready.

Or something that isn’t working.

Or something we don’t fully understand yet.

And pushing harder isn’t helping.

It’s just making us tired.

The Hanged Man reminds me that there is a difference between:

Doing nothing.

and:

Choosing stillness.

There’s a difference between:

Giving up.

and:

Surrendering what you cannot control.

There’s a difference between:

Being stuck.

and:

Taking time to understand where you actually want to go next.

Maybe not every pause needs to be filled.

Maybe not every silence needs an answer.

Maybe not every problem needs to be solved TODAY.

Maybe some things need time.

Maybe WE need time.

And maybe… while everything looks completely still from the outside… something inside us is changing.

Growing.

Processing.

Understanding.

Just like those leaves growing from the wood supporting The Hanged Man.

Maybe progress is happening.

We just can’t see it yet.

And I think that’s the lesson I’m taking from this card.

I don’t always have to push.

I don’t always have to know.

I don’t always have to fix.

Sometimes I can simply say:

I don’t have the answer yet.

And instead of panicking?

I can wait.

Observe.

Listen.

Look at things differently.

And trust that when it’s time to climb down from the tree…

I’ll probably see the road a little differently than I did before.

The Hanged Man = Sometimes you have to stop moving to see things clearly.

One card. One lesson. One little bit of magic at a time.

— Lex

Tarot interpretations are subjective and are shared here for personal reflection, education, and entertainment. Tarot should not replace professional medical, legal, mental health, or financial advice.