The Hanged Man Tarot Card Meaning
Major Arcana card XII · A pause, a new view, and letting go
The Hanged Man: 12
Meaning
You see things from a different angle. You can wait when others rush, and sometimes giving something up shows you what mattered most.
Guidance
If you feel stuck, stop pushing. Look at the problem from the other side, or ask someone who sees it in a different way.
Shadow
Waiting too long and calling it patience. If you have been stuck for months, it may be time to make a choice.
In Love
In love, a pause can help. Try to see the other person's side before you decide, and do not wait so long that the bond goes quiet.
In Work and Career
At work, you may feel stuck for a while, but it can show you a better way. Step back, learn something new, then choose your next move.
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About The Hanged Man
The Hanged Man is card XII of the 22 Major Arcana. Its main ideas are a pause, a new view, and letting go. In tarot, the Major Arcana show the big themes of life, and The Hanged Man is one of them.
If this is your birth card, it is a symbol to think about, not a rule or a prediction. Read the meaning, the guidance and the shadow side, and see which parts feel true for you.
How To Get The Hanged Man As Your Birth Card
Your birth card comes from the digits of your birth date. Add every digit of the date (year, month and day). Here is how that leads to The Hanged Man, for birth dates from 1900 to 2099.
- Tarot Birth Card method: you get The Hanged Man when your digits add up to 12, 39, 48. A total above 22 is reduced by adding its digits again.
- Digital Root method: this method only ends on 1 to 9, 11 or 22, so it does not give The Hanged Man as a main card.
Do not want to do the math? Our free Arcana Calculator does it in a second and shows every step.
Quick Facts
| Card | The Hanged Man |
| Number | XII (12) |
| Group | Major Arcana |
| Main ideas | A pause, a new view, and letting go |
| Element | Water |
| Planet | Neptune |
These links follow the Rider-Waite-Smith order, where Strength is VIII and Justice is XI. The card picture is a scan of the original 1909 deck, drawn by Pamela Colman Smith.
More Cards
Read about the other Major Arcana cards:
The Hanged Man FAQs
What does The Hanged Man mean as a birth card?
You see things from a different angle. You can wait when others rush, and sometimes giving something up shows you what mattered most.
What number is The Hanged Man in the Major Arcana?
The Hanged Man is card XII (12) in the Rider-Waite-Smith order of the 22 Major Arcana cards.
Which element and planet go with The Hanged Man?
The Hanged Man goes with the element Water and the planet Neptune. These links come from the tarot and astrology tradition and are symbolic.
How do I find out if The Hanged Man is my birth card?
Use the free Arcana Calculator on our home page. Enter your birth date and it adds the digits for you, shows every step, and tells you which Major Arcana card is yours.