The Hanged Man
Major Arcana · number 12 · L’Appeso
Upright
The Hanged Man is upside down, and yet his face is serene: it is the card of wisdom born from a suspension. If these days you feel blocked, waiting for an answer that does not come, it is no accident. You are being asked for a sacrifice, perhaps to give something up in order to see things from another angle. In love it may be a step back that saves the relationship; at work, accepting a pause instead of forcing things. The practical advice: do not thrash about. Use this waiting time to listen to your intuition, which right now is sharper than usual. Waite even speaks of divination and prophecy: these days your presentiments are worth more than a lot of reasoning, and they are worth writing down.
Source: Arthur Edward Waite, The Pictorial Key to the Tarot (1910) · read the original passage
Reversed
Reversed, the Hanged Man gets his feet back on the ground but loses his vision: the card speaks of selfishness, of following the crowd, of decisions made for convenience or to avoid being left out of the group. If you notice you do what everyone does, choosing the job, the house or even the partner according to how others see them, it is no accident that you feel empty. Be careful not to sacrifice others for your comfort, nor yourself for approval. The practical advice: make one small decision this week without asking anyone’s opinion.