As Biddy Tarot explains, the Hanged Man shows a man suspended from a T-shaped cross made of living wood. He is hanging upside-down, viewing the world from a completely different perspective, and his facial expression is calm and serene, suggesting that he is in this hanging position by his own choice. He has a halo around his head, symbolizing new insight, awareness and enlightenment.
When Bonnie auditioned for the role of the Hanged One there were quite a few contestants. The Fruit Bat, who insisted on being called a Flying Fox, felt that he was the obvious choice while Mrs Koala (all you need to know about Koalas) and her baby made a point of showing how they could hang from a branch.
Scientists explain that Koalas do this to cool off. They also hug acacia trees, even though they eat eucalyptus tree leaves. They do this because acacia tree trunks are up to 9 degrees cooler than the air around them. But we digress!
However, impressed as we all were, it was the Ring Tailed Possum twins, known for their agility and climbing skills, who put on such an extraordinary performance that Dog got excited and rolled on his back a lot. Apparently it not only relieved an itch but gave him another view of the world. He is now thinking of taking up some astronomy when the moon and stars are strutting their stuff. Not surprisingly the Flying Fox and Koala went off in a huff.
The Hanged Man represents independence from the flock, the willingness to see things differently, see them your way. It can point to critical thinking or awareness and it can represent courage.
A Rather Wild Garden 