One of the most fascinating symbolic images that I have come across is called “The Hanged Man.”  He appears as one of the Major Arcana cards in the traditional Tarot deck. He appears upside down suspended on a tree. One leg is crossed. His face is undisturbed. He is, except for the fact that he is upside down, in every way apparently at ease and relaxed. In other words, his circumstance gives him every reason to be disturbed, panicked, uncomfortable, and struggling to right himself, and he is simply present and at ease. 

I think I am drawn to this card for all of those reasons and for the fact that I have faced situations that leave me feeling upside down, suspended, caught in awkward or even threatening situations. I want to bail, fight, run away, and protest. I don’t want to be left hanging in a situation I was not ready for. I think I am not alone feeling that way, either. 

There’s more. I know that I have been in those unexpected situations, and I am certain I will be again. I want to be able to be at ease, to be calm, to be present, to be collected and observant when they do happen. I want that because my past experience has taught me that often enough a panicked response whether it leads to fighting or fleeing or freezing–doesn’t work out well for me. What has worked is being open to see and experience connection points that I had not noticed before. Noticing, opening and giving them a place in my core, in my heart, in my thinking simply changes everything. Panicking, fighting, fleeing or freezing does not allow the new thing to enter my core, and I suffer as a result. 

The image of The Hanged Man invites us to be at ease, open, and discerning in whatever circumstances we find ourselves. I know myself well enough to know that I can pull that off sometimes, and there are other times when I can’t. In those moments, I can call out to Spirit and say: I need some help here. The very act of acknowledging my need for help brings what? Some calm, ease and presence. That’s the work of Spirit. 

~Robert Patrick

If these kinds of questions and experiences sound familiar, you might find spiritual direction a good way to explore them.  Here’s how to get started.