principles – FreeBird Journeys

The Hanging Man

Here we see a man being suspended from a tree upside down by his ankle. The other at an angle that upon looking at it again makes the number 4 (an expression of the 4 directions). His expression is not one of angst but of peace, calm and an almost dreamy state with the golden halo around his head. The Raven holds a pentagram indicating the 4 elements: earth, air, water, fire all enclosed by Spirit. Although his hands are behind him he isn’t struggling and it could be that he is just easing his back against the tree. Why is he just hanging there? Perhaps he can free himself from the binds? It appears he is hanging here by choice?

The Hanging Man is a card about awakening and enlightenment. Rachel Pollack describes it as “the reversal of physical posture serves as a very direct symbol of the reversal of attitude and experience that comes through spiritual awakening. Where everyone else is frenzied, you will know peace. Where other people believe themselves to be free, but are actually pushed from one thing to another by forces they do not understand, you will achieve true freedom by understanding and embracing those forces.”

“Knowing others is wisdom, knowing yourself is Enlightenment.” ~Lao Tzu

How do we achieve an awakening and enlightenment? Everyone has their own manner, some people will do a food fast or other type of physical deprivation. Others go a gentler route such as meditation, yoga, join a spiritual group or simply get out in Nature and go for a walk among the bees and butterflies. Once we have an awakening or enlightenment it gives us the opportunity to create space for something new by releasing that which no longer serves us. We are able to surrender and release our thoughts about whatever situation was bothering us. We release the stored up emotions that we have attached to the situation. Breathe easy now, look at things in a different perspective.

“Learned we may be with another man’s learning: we can only be wise with wisdom of our own.” ~Michel de Montaigne

In readings The Hanged Man shows that life may be in a period of suspension. This allows us the time to look at the goings on in our life in a different light, a new wisdom and fresh perspective is ours. We may need to regain our independence again as perhaps we have been giving in to others and not being true to ourselves. Being true to our own Soul can be a difficult task at times, people may think you foolish for trying to obtain your dreams and desires. Usually this is because they are not trying hard enough to reach their goals of their own!

This card can also mean self-sacrifice, the need to give something up in the short-term to obtain something far more beneficial in the long term. This is also about delayed gratification which is a form of self-sacrifice or a difficult trial. This isn’t a card to be feared as it is of a voluntary position. So look at things from a difference perspective and turn things on their head. Your new view may just suit you!

“Real knowledge is to know the extent of one’s ignorance.” ~Confucius

Blessings on your Journey! ~Tricia

Justice

In the Rider-Waite deck we see a person sitting upon a stone bench, is this a man or a woman? It appears rather androgynous doesn’t it? In most of my other decks it is defiantly a woman. And sometimes she is blindfolded. Here in one hand a sword is held and the other a set of scales. One foot peeks out from beneath her robe while the other remains hidden. She sits between 2 stone pillars.

What does the symbolism mean?

The pillars represent duality and choices: light and dark, male and female, yin and yang.

We see the double edged sword raised towards the heavens which represents the air element and that of logic and reason. Every decision we make is double edged. It will not only have an effect on us but others as well. In addition after the decision is made it will come back around to us which we will see in the card of The Judgement later on in this Tarot Background series.

The scales held in her hand represent balance, while her fingers pointed down represent grounding; time to make a balanced, logical decision which will bring about a balance of past and future events.

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Free will or destiny? – We are all thinking individuals which means we all have the opportunity of choice, we are free to do whatever we want. However our free will is governed by our past choices. If we do not understand ourselves, how can we expect to make a free choice? Only by seeing and accepting the past can we free ourselves from it.

When we see something in a Tarot reading that we don’t like, we have the opportunity to take action to correct it, to change the path we are on. However, we may have this foresight and be forewarned about an upcoming event, yet we must truly understand why it is coming and work on the causes within ourselves for the things we do and the ways we react.

We have to know how to use our free will or we will be constantly repeating our past behaviors. Our actions we have taken in the past have formed us and we our future selves are formed by the actions we take now in the present.

In a Tarot Reading:

Throughout our life we are presented choices, these create our future. Past decisions we’ve made are coming back to us now. This card usually deals with reason and fairness, logical and not emotional decisions. The High Priestess is more of an emotional intuitive balance, here we need to buckle down and cast the emotions aside. You may have to make a major decision, one that will have a significant impact on your future so weigh your options and be balanced and fair in your dealings. You have good judgement at this time and you’re not swayed by personal considerations or bias. You should be able to see the truth of the matter, act in honesty and remember that the choices we make now will influence our future.

The Justice card also deals with legal matters or legal documents, so a prenuptial agreement, marriage license or certificate, divorce, parenting strategies, wills, trusts or anything to do with legal documents.

The Justice card usually indicates a legal ruling upon a matter falling in favor of the rightful side and usually has a beneficial outcome!

“Nothing is more difficult, and therefore more precious, than to be able to decide.” ~Napoleon Bonaparte

Blessings!

Tricia of FreeBirdJourneys.com

The Hermit

When we think of a Hermit we may think of two paths, one inner and one outer. There is the inner withdrawal – to go within and reconnect with Spirit or the outer withdrawal from the world. Meditation is a useful process here. The prospect of finding or connecting to God/Spirit through a personal experience. Hermits were also thought of as living Saints.

We may also see the Hermit as a teacher, the special guide that will help us find our way. This could be a tarot card reader, a therapist, a mentor, a spirit guide or even our dreams. The star in the lantern that the Hermit holds gives us what we need to find him, the guiding light. He will help us find our way if we use our Strength from the previous card to follow him.

In a reading the Hermit symbolizes a withdrawal from outer concerns. This can be emotional withdrawal and at times from other people and activities that we thought were important. If you’ve been overworking yourself you may need to take a rest and relax, get in touch with yourself. Your maturity that you gained in the Chariot will serve you well as you now have a knowledge of what really matters in your life. You have all the answers within you but you may need a bit of time to access them.

When we see the Hermit as a guide this allows you to make your own self-discoveries. It is smart to follow your own path and principles even when you may feel lost. Perhaps you may need to reestablish your balance and allow time and space for all factors to emerge. If you have a major decision to make, now is not the time to do it even if you’re feeling pressured into it. Wait, go within and stand by your principles.

When you are in the healing traditions or that of a parent, you may indeed be the Hermit displaying your role as a guide and teacher to others. When others are in disagreement and both sides blame you, step back. If there is no audience, the quarreling will usually die down.

Keywords for The Hermit: careful thought & contemplation, guide, teacher, wisdom, peace, solitude, knowledge, searching, meditation, research & study, seeker, reflection, intuition.

“By three methods we may learn wisdom: first, by reflection which is noblest; second, by imitation, which is the easiest; and third, by experience which is the bitterest.” ~Confucius

“In order to change the world, you have to get your head together first.” ~Jimi Hendrix

Blessings on your Journey,

Tricia