He's not complaining

Golden Tarot, US Games 2003

Well, this seems an appropriate card for Bank Holiday Tuesday! We all feel a bit martyred the day after a bit of time off, don't we? Some of us do, anyway. It's also a card of self-sacrifice, self-imposed inaction, and sometimes can indicate looking at things from an entirely new perspective. The most important thing to notice about any tarot Hanged Man depiction is the serenity of the figure. He never appears to be in extreme pain or bondage. Rather, he seems willing, submissive, and to have reached a higher place mentally. (In other words, he looks kind of spaced out. I guess that happens when all the blood runs to your head.) Personally I think I would be so congested I'd have to breath through my mouth and would be feeling like my had was about to explode after 1 minute, but some people love being in an inverted position.

One of my favourite tarot books of all time is Rachel Pollack's Tarot Wisdom. She says that the Hanged Man 'may be an outsider, or with different attitudes than other people, with no push to convince others, and no need to seek others' approval. For those on a spiritual path, it may signal a moment of illumination or an actual initiation experience.' Well, that sounds pretty serious for the Tuesday after a bank holiday. But I will go with the idea of being a nonconformist, a quiet observer. I will make an effort today to not join in with any complaining about being back to work, or other grousing about the many evils and irritation of the daily grind. That's going to be some effort! But if like the Hanged Man I merely keep myself apart, looking at things 'upside down' and keep quiet, it should be quite doable. :)