With the Hanged man there is often a sense of fatalism, waiting
for something to happen. Or a fear of loss from a situation, rather
than gain. The Hanged Man is perhaps the most fascinating card
in the deck. It reflects the story of Odin who offered himself as a
sacrifice in order to gain knowledge. Hanging from the world tree,
wounded by a spear, given no bread or mead, he hung for nine
days. On the last day, he saw on the ground runes that had fallen
from the tree, understood their meaning, and, coming down, scooped
them up for his own. All knowledge is to be found in these runes.
The Hanged Man, in similar fashion, is a card about suspension, not
life or death. It signifies; selflessness, sacrifice and prophecy. You
make yourself vulnerable and in doing so, gain illumination.
You see the world differently, with almost mystical insights.