Major Arcana Midrash: The Hanged Man and the Hebrew Letter Mem (מ)

This quote, from Roland O. Brandman in Sapphire Mind seems appropriate for the Hanged Man. With this card I often think of the 12-step phrase, “Let go and let God.”

Tarot readers who work in the Hermetic tradition look to the corresponding Hebrew letter for the card to find hidden meaning — and they translate the letter Mem as the word water, or nation/people. As a Kabbalist working within the Jewish tradition, I approach this a different way.

I go to the traditional Kabbalistic texts for inspiration And to work with the letters, there is a midrash in the Zohar to explain why the Torah begins with the letter Bet. In the story each of the letters line up before God and plead their case why they should be the first letter. Each letter gives a word with a good meaning where they are the first letter. Then God says, well, yes, but you’re also the first letter of another word with a bad meaning.

For the Hanged Man, the letter Mem says that since they’re the first letter of the word Melekh, King, the Torah should begin with Mem. God, however, notes that they’re also the first letter of the word Mehumah, meaning confusion and discomfiture. So when working with the Hanged Man, I look at these two words and how the card can reflect this duality.

At first glance, the Hanged Man is the image of discomfiture and confusion. He sees everything upside down (which could be an advantage if he’s not fighting it). He’s trapped in this position; as much as he may want to escape, he’s forced to endure hanging upside down. But at the same time, he is also the image of the Melekh, the king — for in the Hebrew concept, at his best, the king is a channel for the Divine work in the world. And as a channel, like the Hanged Man, he turns over his will to the Divine Will — he “yields to the moment, [and] the moment stands as his.” That’s why there’s a halo around the Hanged Man’s head.

Today, consider the ways in which you’re struggling against a position that you find yourself in, and whether by simply letting go, you’ll let go of confusion and open to a higher perspective.

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