In one of the most unusual cards of the entire Tarot Deck we see the Hanged Man suspended upside down from a tree, a peaceful expression across his face. What would make this seemingly uncomfortable position peaceful? The tree he hangs from is lush with lots of greenery on each side. His yellow shoes are bright and correlate with the golden glow around his head. An aura of enlightenment emanates from this figure, as he deftly balances upside down in red leggings and a blue tunic. His golden halo seems divinely placed – a gift in return for his ability to surrender and hang suspended tranquilly in the air. Many stories circulate about this card relating to its connection with German Norse mythology – especially Odin, the most powerful leader and ruler of the Gods. One myth tells of how Odin cuts out his own eye and spears himself before hanging himself from the tree of life for nine days to gain wisdom and receive secrets from the mystic Norse runes. One eyed, he is then able to see all that transpires throughout the world. What kind of infinite knowledge is gained by such self-sacrifice?
We see this same question reflected in the Hanged Man, whose Ego has been sacrificed in the name of insight and understanding. Certainly, hanging upside down is not a comfortable task. But it offers a completely different perspective, and this additional information may actually help to set a querent’s mind at ease, unlocking a stubborn or fixed point of view, allowing for forgiveness, revealing a blind spot or elevating awareness. If we can bravely change our point of view, the Hanged Man shows us how we will uncover additional information and perceptions that were eluding us before. The cost is our Ego – it often cannot withstand the adjustment and will resist being open and vulnerable. But if we can sacrifice our fear and our desire to hold onto what we know, we’ll discover a whole new world that offers us insight, awareness and growth.
The Hanged Man is about stepping out of our comfort zones and sacrificing who we are now to become who we need to be. When this card appears, we may feel stuck or roped into a situation not of our liking. The Hanged Man is suggesting that resistance leads to being closed minded and stubborn. Accepting our situation to some degree can have the surprising effect of making a situation work FOR US instead of against us. When we relax our perspective, even in situations we dislike, we may actually see a way out. Or a way to transform it to our advantage. The Ego is threatened by surrender and will rationalize why we shouldn’t do it. But don’t listen. Turn instead to the Hanged Man and take the plunge into a different perspective.
A potent plant ally that is all about shifting perceptions is Seers Sage or Salvia Divinorum, a sage endemic to the Sierra Mazateca mountains in Oaxaca, Mexico. It has been traditionally used by the Mazatec Indians to aid in divination and spiritual healing for centuries as well as for arthritis and inflammation, gastrointestinal problems and headaches. The leaves were ground into a fine pulp in ritual healing ceremonies, then infused into a liquid or tea for consumption. It can also be held under the tongue and absorbed sublingually, or the dried leaves can be rolled and smoked like a cigarette, sometimes mixed with tobacco. It contains the neoclerodane diterpene, Salvinorin A, that can cause intense hallucinogenic and psychedelic experiences as it affects opioid receptors found in the brain, triggering changes in visual perceptions, uncontrollable laughing and giddiness, dizziness, and a sense of detachment from ourselves and others. But it does far more than that. “Some say it is a sensual and tactile thing,” Dale Pendell writes in his book, Pharmako/Poeia. “Some say it’s about temporality and dimensionality, that it’s about time travel. Some say it’s about the Root Energy Network or that it’s about becoming a plant. This plant is the great secret of our tradition.” The effects last less than an hour but leave behind strong impressions and an altered state of mind. Interestingly, it has not yet been extensively studied by Western researchers, and only recently has it been documented as the first diterpene hallucinogen – not an alkaloid like many other psychedelic plants.
Life is ultimately a journey into the unknown and no pair knows this better than the Hanged Man and Seer’s Sage. They can show us the power of relaxing into change. Our Ego needs to know every detail and every possible outcome. But we are more than that. We are a part of a vast, unpredictable universe, a constantly shifting and changing fabric of energy and light. And when we step more fully into that unknown state of being, we will find that spiritual awakening is waiting for us on the other side.
*Tarot reading is based on the Rider-Waite Tarot Card deck, illustrated by Pamela Colman Smith
References
Maqueda, Ana Elda. “The Use of Salvia divinorum from a Mazatec Perspective.” SpringerNature Link, 29 April 2018. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-76720-8_4
Pollack, Rachel. Seventy-Eight Degrees of Wisdom. San Francisco, Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC, 2007. P97 -100
Valdés, L.J. 3rd . “Salvia divinorum and the Unique Diterpene Hallucinogen, Salvinorin (divinorin) A.” The National Center for Biotechnology Information, July – September 1994. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7844657/
Zawilska, Jolanta B, Wojcieszak, Jakub. “Salvia divinorum: from Mazatec Medicinal and Hallucinogenic Plant to Emerging Recreational Drug.” The National Center for Biotechnology Information, 28 September 2013. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23794315/