So on December 12, 2019 at 12:12 am the full moon was in Gemini. This is a significant full moon! Look at the numbers! And to top it off, this moon was in it’s fullness at 12:12 am. Wow!
So as I pondered this occurrence, I thought of the Tarot and the 12th card in the major arcana. It is The Hanged Man.
The Hanged Man can translate to many meanings depending on the cards around it. But some key words that come to mind for me when I see this image is self-sacrifice, planning, taking a pause, spiritual development, personal revelation, reflection on one’s predicament, a stalemate ie., unable to move and/or make a final decision at the present time, pondering a decision, higher awareness/consciousness, surrender, accepting the current circumstances as they are, wisdom obtained through patience, humility, learning karmic lessons, martyrdom, relinquishing control or the illusion of control. These are just a few.
The card that comes before The Hanged Man is Justice. Is The Hanged Man waiting for “justice to be served”? Perhaps he is holding onto something from the past that has run it’s course and needs to be let go of. A good example of this is holding a grudge against someone. Holding grudges keeps a person “connected” to that other person that hurt them. This keeps them in a “victim” mindset, which prevents them moving forward with their life because they are “stuck” in the pain of the past. In a more literal sense, this card can translate to someone that is actually waiting on an outcome, such as a court decision.
Or perhaps The Hanged Man is sacrificing himself for others, taking on the role of a martyr. By taking on this role, this allows the “martyr” to control others by guilt. It can also be a symptom of lack of self-worth or a need to practice better personal boundaries. This person may need to learn how to speak their truth and say “no”. Or perhaps this person is in a less than ideal living or work situation but is unable to move for various reasons.
Maybe Justice served a karmic life lesson that requires The Hanged Man to go within and do some soul searching before he figures out the correct answer that will set him free.
Or is the hanged man there as a willing participant, taking a pause in his life to reflect on who he truly is, to plan a new direction for his life?
We are not “told” why The Hanged Man is there. Because The Hanged Man is us. We are all The Hanged Man at various times in our lives.
What does The Hanged Man image mean to you? If you notice, he is alone on this card. There is no one there to untie him. He must free himself from whatever the situation is that put him there in the first place. The light around his head is a symbol of enlightenment. The “aha” moment we all get when we have an epiphany.
The card after The Hanged Man is Death. This is the release of the old. Old patterns, old cycles, discarding physical items in our environment that no longer serve us, old limiting beliefs, old systems, the end of destructive behaviors, it can be anything. To make way for the new, the old must die.
When The Hanged Man realizes the truth of what it is he needs to deal with, or let go of, he frees himself from the illusion of his self-imposed bondage. Death sets him free.
After Death is Temperance. This is where we learn to balance ourselves. To operate on a more even keel so that we do not make the same mistakes again. Our time as The Hanged Man has served us well. We have learned the lesson and are moving forward.
This brings us back to this amazing full moon in Gemini. Gemini is an air sign, which is connected to thinking, communicating, writing, and being the twins, also signifies mental flexibility i.e, the ability to change one’s mind when presented with evidence/information, and a balanced mental perspective. Gemini energy is a quick analytical thinker. It does not let emotions cloud it’s judgement. Gemini is the swords suit in the tarot. When Gemini sees a decision that needs to be made, or that a change needs to happen, it cuts to to the truth, makes the choice and is done with it.
This energy pushes us out of our comfort zone and shows us the truth in an analytical way. I get the image of Spock from Star Trek here! No excuses, it is what it is. The facts are in front of you. On a larger scale, we are seeing this energy playing out in the media with all the exposing news stories coming out. Secrets are being brought into the light so the truth can be witnessed and thus, dealt with, and healed.
On a more personal note, we may see this energy expressing itself in our lives. Old wounds and aspects of our shadow which we have kept suppressed are coming to the surface so we can understand it and release it. To enable us to transition into 2020 with a renewed sense of self and purpose.
The Gemini card in the Tarot is the Number 6, Lovers. This is the coming together of energies, bringing them into balance so that we can move forward with a new healthier perspective. Energetically, both the feminine and the masculine are equal in their own right. Each has their divine part in the universe and are to be respected and loved for what they are. Only when the two are in balance, can true progress/forward movement happen. That’s when the energy moves on to the next card in the tarot, Number 7 the chariot.
2020 is a “four” year. This should be interesting for all of us, as the number four is a stabilizing energy. We bring ourselves into balance. We come out of 2019 which is a “three” year and with our new perspective, build a new solid foundation from the chaotic creative three energy. The 12/12/12 portal (3/3/3/) is a sign for us to create a new perspective within ourselves, our communities and on the planet. The alignment of the divine masculine and divine feminine energies (duality) to bring our awareness back into balance. With this new consciousness, we will clearly see what is not working so we can release it. Once we let the old “die”, we can begin to rebuild something better that is more in alignment with our higher awareness.
The Hanged Man is a message of higher perspective: “When we know better, we do better”