Night Owl Meditations
When I first discovered The Hanged Man (card 12), I was delighted and enthralled with his mystery. I wanted to know him, to learn his wisdom. He’s so silent, peaceful. And he’s so strange!
It’s human nature to want to to “right” things so that they fit what we think they should be. His perspective makes me uncomfortable, maybe because it reminds me that sometimes my own perspective is wonky and that any constructs of a worldview I may have are subject to change. I don’t have all the answers, much as I like to pretend to myself that I do.
The Hanged Man isn’t a conformist. He’s comfortable with his different perspective, with his odd position, and with allowing all things to simply be as they are. He is in complete surrender to what is, and he is ever patient. He appears to be going nowhere, but he is actually moving quite fast. He recognizes the paradox of life and all the paradoxes contained therein. He reminds me very much of these pieces of wisdom from the Tao te Ching:
“The Sage acts without action.”
“Tao does not act, yet it is the root of all action. Tao does not move, yet is is the source of all creation.”
“The highest justice is to see without preference.”
“Surrender brings perfection”
The Hanged Man embodies all of these teachings. I especially love “the highest justice is to see without preference,” because it adds new depth to the lessons of Justice (card 11), completing the lessons of the previous card and opening the mind and heart to new spiritual knowledge and principles. There is a transcendence indicated.
I chose the song “Slow and Steady” by Of Monsters and Men to represent this card.
The lights go out, I am all alone
All the trees outside are buried in the snow
I spend my night dancing with my own shadow
And it holds me, and it never lets me go
I move slow and steady
But I feel like a waterfall
Yeah, I move slow and steady
Past the ones that I used to know
My dear old friend, take me for a spin
Two wolves in the dark, running in the wind
I’m letting go, but I’ve never felt better
Passing by all the monsters in my head
And I move slow and steady
But I feel like a waterfall
Yeah, I move slow and steady
Past the ones that I used to know
And I’m never ready
‘Cause I know, I know, I know
That time won’t let me
Show what I want to show
And I move slow and steady
But I feel like a waterfall
Yeah, I move slow and steady
Past the ones that I used to know
And I’m never ready
‘Cause I know, I know, I know
That time won’t let me
Show what I want to show
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