"The Hanged Man is Not a Hanged Man" A. E. Waite

[Kally]

I came across an introduction written by A. E. Waite to the book titled "General Book of the Tarot," (1930) by A. E. Thierens. Thierens was a student of Waite, hence the introduction. I call your attention to this excerpt:

"Meanwhile Dr. Thierens has approximated more than anyone else towards a valid interpretation of Tarot Trump Major No. XII, being the Hanged Man. From Court de Gebelin to Papus and Stanislas de Guaita, not excluding Oswald Wirth himself, all published exoteric meanings are utterly remote from the true significance of this most pregnant symbol. In my Pictorial Key to the Tarot and in the Little Key which accompanies Miss Pamela Colman Smith's complete set of the cards, produced long ago under my own auspices, there was said concerning it that which was possible at the time. I will give now one further indication. The human figure of the symbol is suspended head downward and as such it is comparable to the Microprosopus or God of Reflections in the so-called Great Symbol or Double Triangle of Solomon, prefixed by Levi to this Dogme et Rituel de la Haute Magic, being the frontispiece of the first volume.' It follows that the true symbol belonging to Trump Major No.XII, though it is by no means that of Levi, is not a Hanged Man at all; but it will continue to be depicted in this manner unless and until the Greater Arcana are issued by the authority of another Secret Circle, which so far has never testified officially concerning itself in the outer channels of research."

Waite named his card "The Hanged Man," so I find this sort of revelation quite confusing. I am not well-read on the other authors mentioned. Thierens' book is not enlightening whatsoever to me, but the chapter on the hanged man can be seen here for your interpretation: https://sacred-texts.com/tarot/gbt/gbt19.htm. Can anybody explain in plain English what Waite is saying here? Not a hanged man, then what?

 

[Raggydoll]

 

There is this page that you might find useful :

 

https://waitetarot96591540.wordpress.com/2018/09/08/9-smith-trinick-comparison-hanged-man/

and the Pictorial Key to Tarot:

The gallows from which he is suspended forms a Tau cross, while the figure--from the position of the legs--forms a fylfot cross. There is a nimbus about the head of the seeming martyr. It should be noted (1) that the tree of sacrifice is living wood, with leaves thereon; (2) that the face expresses deep entrancement, not suffering; (3) that the figure, as a whole, suggests life in suspension, but life and not death. It is a card of profound significance, but all the significance is veiled. One of his editors suggests that Éliphas Lévi did not know the meaning, which is unquestionable nor did the editor himself. It has been called falsely a card of martyrdom, a card a of prudence, a card of the Great Work, a card of duty; but we may exhaust all published interpretations and find only vanity. I will say very simply on my own part that it expresses the relation, in one of its aspects, between the Divine and the Universe.

He who can understand that the story of his higher nature is imbedded in this symbolism will receive intimations concerning a great awakening that is possible, and will know that after the sacred Mystery of Death there is a glorious Mystery of Resurrection.

 

[Kally]

Thank you so much for your response. I will look into this source. I have a hunch the secret to understanding the card is in understanding the Chesed ritual.

[Chariot]

I think calling it 'The Hanged Man' in modern parlance perhaps adds to the notion that this 'man' is being punished or sacrificed—which 'hanging' generally implies.  Maybe it would be better to call it 'The Upside-Down Man'!  (Just joking.)  He's suspended, but not in pain or distress—at least in the RWS deck, and most other RWS-based decks.  In fact, he's usually looking fairly comfortable, maybe even ecstatic at what he's seeing—or at least neutral.  He can't go anywhere just then, so he is forced to look at his surroundings from a new perspective.  That's the way I have always interpreted this card.

Unlike the person depicted in the 8 of Swords, who is blindfolded, in what looks like a perilous position (tide coming in, etc.) the man in The Hanged Man card has his eyes wide open, and doesn't appear to be in any danger.  In both cards, the person is at least temporarily 'trapped,' but the vibe for each card is totally different.  

Edited September 19, 2024 by Chariot

[JoyousGirl]

I didn't realise I've been a member since 2017 but never posted!! I hope to rectify that now. Anyone who remembers me from Aeclectic (though it's unlikely) would recall I can go off on tangents. Nevertheless...!

 

My recent reflections during my first book writing project I'm engaged in have me contemplating him as the "espaliered man".   This takes into account the sacrifice and patience aspects of the card, as well as the nimbus of illumination and new awareness. By that I mean that the man, like an espaliered plant, must be trimmed; some aspects of him must be cut off and he must be reoriented or repositioned, in the process of being moulded and shaped into whatever is sought - the purpose of his being 'suspended' here between heaven and earth (on a tree that links the worlds).  Like Odin, s/he'll discover something new, but the cutting and trimming bring that about, and that requires patience.

 

For some reason, I'm thinking of that Buddhist story about the man who goes through a series of experiences - losses and gains. Something along the lines of first he loses his cow and the people of the village say, "That's terrible" and he says "maybe".  Then something good happens to him and the people of the village come up to him and say "That's wonderful" and he says "maybe", and so on and so forth.

 

At the time we undergo things we don't know their outcome.

 

Anyway, that's my contribution, I hope it makes some sense. 

[Kally]

I did find a picture of the Double Triangle of Solomon. https://mysticsymbolism.com/The-Great-Seal-of-Solomon

I think this sheds light on the meaning, but I am wondering if anyone has found further quotations from Waite about this.

There is no shortage of interpretations, I am trying to see what the author of the cards intended.

[JoyousGirl]

The word is not the thing.  

My reading of the above quote you've provided is that Waite wants someone else to elucidate - some other secret society. Crowley might have something else to say. But especially Freemasons, who built the temple. Is this guy a plumb line? What about the set square and compass configuration?  I get the feeling one needs to be initiated to access the key, and even then, it's a learning process. We don't get something for nothing, we have to contribute something (effort in research, reflection etc) - arcane knowledge in the wrong hands and all that.     

 

Which author of the cards? The unknown ones? Or just Waite? Are you seeking to unearth new knowledge, or get answers someone else has allocated?  What is the context within which you're placing him? Kabbalah? Alchemical? Ritual? Simple inquiry and curiosity? I'd go back further and outside the box.  Also re-read the quote / section more deeply for between the lines guidance and then meditate on it. 

 

 

 

 

[Kally]

Thanks for responding, JG. I'm not interested in other decks of the period or earlier. I'm interested in Waite's deck because there are thousands of decks modeled after the Waite deck in the last century since then, most of them with little understanding of the original symbology. Waite was both elusive, per his society oaths, and sometimes trying to delude the public on purpose ... with an ego that put him in the pompous A group. Still, as best I can, I would like to understand the intent of the symbolism in his deck--from his own words, not via interpretation. We assume the author of a deck is the authority. That is, he knows what he intends. The question is whether he ever fully revealed it. For sure, this information is not easy to get at. If one studied all his writings and came to a deeper understanding of the man, it's possible the meanings would come clear. I don't think it's worth that much of my time. So, yes, simple curiosity and I'm hoping someone more learned than myself has come across the answers I seek.

[Misterei]

16 hours ago, Kally said:

... there are thousands of decks modeled after the Waite deck in the last century since then, most of them with little understanding of the original symbology. Waite was both elusive, per his society oaths, and sometimes trying to delude the public on purpose ...

I don't have anything to offer per Waite except to say that Hanged Man is an interesting card. It meant one thing in the old Tarocchi and TdM decks -- and was completely transformed in RWS. It became a completely different card. Why? I can't begin to say. But I find it noteworthy that some of the updates from TdM / Tarocchi to RWS kept the original sense of the trump whereas Hanged Man utterly changed.

[Kally]

It does make you scratch your head!

[JoyousGirl]

Your curiosity and the few breadcrumbs provided had me looking, too, but not at Waite's writings, which you obviously want. How annoying for you 😄

 

His mention of other 'secret societies' made me wonder.  Waite was also a Rosicrucian, but that didn't fit for me.  In the end I settled with the Gnostics, as they are purported to have been around prior to JC. 

The Gnostics refer to the Hanged Man as the Apostolate. The little reading I did at Chicago Gnosis seemed to illuminate the subject a bit. They talk about the cross of matter over the triangle (as well as a little on the 6 pointed star). And Lamed. So you might like to look there.  I pulled out my Pistis Sophia but I've had it for about 25 years and never read it (!), so I can't contribute anything from that. Yet.. 

[Kally]

I think you'll find there are a million rabbit trails with this stuff. It's fascinating. I did a lot of that footwork myself. Some years ago, I reasoned that if tarot is a "system," I ought to learn what that is. Of course it took me back through many centuries, and into a lot of viewpoints. I began to feel I was drowning. Since the many decks in this century are patterned after Waite's deck, it seemed prudent to start over and "start" there. Unfortunately, no matter where you start, you won't find anything definitive about tarot as a system, just opinions. And there will always be an influence that came into that era from an earlier time, no matter whose views are being given. I use intuition with tarot readings just as I do with oracle cards, but I know deep down there is a difference. Just the long-term history of tarot tells you there is a lot of esoteric energy that comes through these decks compared to the light and airy oracles currently being created. And the fact that each card in tarot is related to the others in a particular way does entice one to want to understand the whole of it. I have a pretty good background in Qabalah as it relates to tarot, but I thought Waite's writings might provide more illumination. Don't go to any trouble for me. I was just hoping for a lead to Waite's writings from someone who just happened to know about it from their own work on the subject.

 

But of course if your intuition or your heart points you down a rabbit trail, do enjoy!

[JoyousGirl]

Only occasional rabbit holes for me now. Like you, I did research across the realms of knowledge many years ago - and like you I drowned.  An absorbing pastime and passion, but ultimately things mean what we make them mean, we will all take a position, and do they need to mean anything at all? 

 

I agree about the beliefs and influences of earlier time. Alchemy is a good example. We understand Earth's processes better now, and the "great work," is transforming ourselves, not metals. And look at what playing with chemicals has done to our waterways and soils (saved our lives, but at whose expense?)

 

Anyway, for what it's worth, I thought of the apostolate / hanged man as being birthed, headfirst through the birth canal (is that an umbilical cord or a silver cord?), and what a struggle that is. The soul comes into the world, then struggles a bit in it. But that's all in the head, if we realise it.  Then we take something back to the afterlife that we've learned.

 

What Waite thought is what he thought, and none of us know it all. Ego played a big part in this stuff, as the fractures tell us (Crowley, then Waite went on to saying everything should be from a Christian perspective; (but what if they had Egyptian or other origins?)).

 

Time under a tree, but maybe upright, might give us the answers? 

[Kally]

Oh, so true, all of it. There is the part of me that is shanghaied by the mundane perspective that admires how tarot fits with Qabala so well, probably hoping and wishing that all truth could be revealed through the cards and the tree. But if that ever happens, it won't be by understanding Waite or his cards any more than I already do. It is my own intuitive grasp of the interconnections and how they play out in the readings that reflects truth. And I do mean reflects, as we barely get glimpses of it shining through all the maya. Better to turn off my brain and just sit in meditation. Yet intellect is a nagging little devil that keeps saying "what if." And the immediate gratification of "discovering" something "new" keeps me hooked in eternal pursuit of "knowledge," even though I know deep down it won't lead to anything of much importance and I'm really just enjoying the journey. Life is a pastime.

 

As for the birthing position of the hanged man, how interesting...I have noticed that too! But without knowing if Waite intended that connection, I assume it's just  my projection. My intuition tells me this is a position of an adept in some ceremony of the Golden Dawn or something like that. If you look for it, you'll see how he (or Pamela) related certain cards to each other by mimicking body positions (easy example, the lovers and the devil cards). I think I read of another card representing a position of an adept during a ceremony also, but I can't recall which one it is at the moment. Oh well.

 

Nice chatting. Good day...have one!