General

In traditional tarot, the Hanged Man is suspended upside down and hanging by a tree. The hanged man is there by his own free will and this is seen to mean that the hanged man is purposefully putting himself on pause in order to gain clarity to move forward. The time spent during this pause is not wasted as this gives him what he needs to move forward. In some interpretations, the Hanged Man represents sacrifice in order to make progress forward. But more often than not, this card appears when there is a need for a pause before making decisions. This might also suggest that this might be what you need in order to achieve success. In other meanings, the Hanged Man represents divination and prophecy – similar to how Odin hung himself from Yggdrasil in order to gain knowledge and understanding of runes.

Upright

When we see the Hanged Man upright, the Universe is reminding you of how love cannot be rushed. Depending on the context of the question and the surrounding cards, the appearance of the Hanged Man in love could mean sacrifice for love. It could be that the person you are inquiring about is not quite ready for love and there might be a pause on your connection. Perhaps, the appearance of the Hanged Man may indicate that there is a need for one or both of you to shift your perspective when it comes to the connection or each other or even on love.  

In terms of career and finances, the Hanged Man can represent a forced break – it could be that you may be laid off from work or that your projects will not kick off as they should. This is a good chance for you to pause and think about the next steps required before moving forward. And perhaps, a change in perspective is required.

Reversed

In terms of love, the Hanged Man reversed may suggest that the period of waiting is over and things are shifting in your love life. The old has been shed and new energy is coming in.

When it comes to career and finances, the sacrifices that you have made for your career may not be working, and your career may not be moving forward. Things may not be going as planned. And it is possible that you may have to stop procrastinating and make a quick decision to move forward. The guidance here may be to stop stalling and start moving.

Astrological Associations

The Hanged Man is often associated with Neptune. Neptune, being the God of the Sea, is the ruler of Pisces (hence the little bubbles appearing), and is a planet of inspiration, dreams, psychic receptivity. And these are definitely things that the Hanged Man represents. The pause that the Hanged Man indicates might be one that allows you to reconnect with your spirituality, and Neptune rules spirituality and intuition.