The Hanged Man, Neptune & Mem in the 12th House by Kristine Marie

“The twelfth house is about the subconscious, karma, fears, self-destruction and our own undoing. It is about our inspirations, dreams, psychic receptivity, illusion/delusion, and confusion."

~ Sharon Burnett

“…the 12th house of a birth chart is the place where you lose yourself. There is no more ego. In fact, there is nothing but an urge to merge with a divine source of energy. Here is the House of Unconditional Love and Compassion, Imagination, and Sensitivity. Here is one of the most psychic houses in the zodiac…"

~Maria DiSimone, Tarot.com

For the new moon in Pisces, we are looking at the Hanged Man, the 12th card in the Tarot. It is related to the astrological sign Pisces and the Planet Neptune. These, in turn, are powerfully related to the element of water, as is the Hebrew letter Mem.In Western astrology, Neptune and Pisces are also the rulers of the 12th house, the final house before we start again at the 1st house. Because of that it is a house of endings and deep spirituality, just as its ruler, Pisces, is the last of the astrological signs before starting again at the beginning with Aries.(***Like a clock, the zodiac is divided into 12 segments, or houses, each one ruled by a different sign. The zodiac begins with the first house, and goes counterclockwise around. Each house is associated with a set of traits, beginning from the self, and expanding outward into society and beyond.At the moment you were born, the planets were all in specific signs and houses. When an astrologer interprets your chart, she blends the meaning of each planet, the house it’s in, and the sign it’s in, to map the obstacles or gifts you’ll face in this lifetime. (The Astro Twins, Astrostyle.com)***)

Work with Neptune and the Hanged Man, to Survive and Transcend Difficult Situations

"…Through the process of suspension the Hanged Man turns his focus towards the unconscious and experiences Neptune rising out of his watery kingdom…Neptune reminds us that remaining attached to old patterns, habits, or addictions perpetuated the endless cycle of martyrdom and victimization."

~ Brian Clark, The Celestial Tarot

“It is the highest spiritual accomplishment to acknowledge that even emotions such as grief can bring a divine touch to our lives. The Hanged Man’s advice is, be curious about challenging situations and difficult emotions...Can you be curious about your depression without fighting it or trying to numb it by overeating, shopping, or ignoring it?"

~ Kasamba.com

Being in the midst of my own recent transformational ending I’m feeling like the Hanged Man as I wait for my new beginning. Also, having almost always seen the world from both the emotional/energetic and the physical/logical realms, this metaphor really speaks to me. Most of my life, I kept myself small, even though I am actually a large person with a large and gregarious personality. Life itself has been leading me through a series of initiations and transformations to introduce me to another part of myself.This past transition has really thrown me. With confusion and illusions about my self worth, based on the illusions and misuse of power and not yet knowing how to move forward in the best way possible. As I do not see the next right thing, I simply keep searching inward and observing outwardly as I wait for the next step to reveal itself so that I can move forward into the next phase of my life.As usual, in times of great transition, I first leap to finding the positives in the situation, I try to see everyone’s perspectives. I look for the silver linings, the gold in the s#$% and force myself forward into positivity. And then the process of deep transformation, of anger at injustice, pain and grief for what was lost, and uncertainty about what’s next, comes to visit to assist me in the letting go and moving forward process. We must entertain them all in order to complete the process with the ability to let go and heal rather than walk around with raw wounds we refuse to acknowledge.I experienced a depression after rehashing the details of my recent experience for official paperwork matters; I wondered if perhaps I wasn’t as good at things I thought I was. This experience helped me to see clearly some of my strengths and weaknesses and how I want to be treated and intend to treat people. But it also triggered a powerful wave of fear, self-questioning and sense of futility. Some things are so hard to go through. And yet I have been able to watch myself through it and wonder about it as it is happening.

Dive into the letter Mem | Discover the Powerful Choice of Surrender

“The letter Mem is water mayim מים, the waters of wisdom, knowledge, the Torah. Representing both waters and manifestation, it is the ability to dive deep into the wisdom. It is said that in every person is the thirst for the words of the Creator, which are the waters of life.”

~ Samuel Avital

"The letter Mem relates to the cyclic nature of time and to the safety of things that are unchangeable – as is apparent in the cycles of the seasons and the promise and fertility they carry within them.

But in each development process, comes a time when there is a need to know how to give up the fruit in order to continue to grow. The giving up phase is extremely important because without doing it willingly, it will occur, in any event, on its own accord."

~ Erez Grinboim, The Genetic Code of the Hebrew AlphaBet

Luckily, I have the capacity, or perhaps the audacity, to keep going, following my inner voice when it speaks and leads me somewhere beautiful. Towards new friends and new experiences, towards support I hadn’t imagined was there, appearing magically at the exact right time.I’m in a state of wonder at this moment at the way things are unfolding and as much as possible I want to keep that curiosity and openness; surrendering my need to know feels really good.This surrender, this willingness to relax into what is occurring, to hang upside down, peacefully, considering different perspectives and trusting that everything is working out, at first took conscious effort and practice, and yet it gets easier as the opportunities continue to arise.

From Mem to the Hanged Man (XII)

“Now a new point of view is required in order to continue to grow in [our] spirituality.  Now it’s time…to stand upside down in order to see things in a different light…

By turning [our perspective] upside down, and letting go of per-conceived ideas, life begins to take on a new meaning. By surrendering one’s self and beliefs you open up to Inner Truth and the discovery of true bliss."

~ Sharon Burnett

While some people are uncomfortable upon first seeing the Hanged Man, I like to reveal that the figure has put themself up on the tree, of their own volition. InThe Sun and Moon Tarot, the deck that works with me, s/he is relaxed, in the yogic tree pose hanging from the tree of life.They are just there, with their heart placed firmly above their head, taking time to reflect and to entertain new perspectives. They will come down off the tree when the time is right.This is the wisdom of the caterpillar as it makes its cocoon and settles in for transformation. It does it instinctively as a part of its life cycle, a part of the process. I doubt it would consciously decide to liquefy itself and create an entirely new creature, butterfly. And yet, that is exactly what happens as it surrenders to its biology.

“…In the end, the 12th house is about surrender. Once you're willing to let go, it's actually pretty amazing what tends to happen. Everything usually falls right into place.”

~ Maria DiSimone

And here I feel my own self to be in this very moment. Heart over head, gaining a new perspective, liquefied & letting go of my past. Past dreams & imaginations in work, in love, in how I define myself – sacrificing that past to the actual life that is unfolding according to my higher self, that part of me that knows all, sees all and is (always has been) lining up the aspects of my life for me. The journey to alignment with my higher self takes precedence over the intentions of my ego and personality."If we shift our perspective beyond this lifetime, the 12th takes on a whole new look. We acquire new responsibilities. Planets and signs here are no longer victimized or deprived. What looks like loss on the material plane becomes a sacred initiation or ritual sacrifice in the spiritual realm."

~Dana Gerhardt, Astro.com

And, as I surrender, I trust that a miraculous and wonder-filled journey is unfolding before me, and it is. Perhaps Mercury in Capricorn with Aquarius in my 12thhouse is helping me to ground my capacity for communication into the new Aquarian age and offer something that only I can offer; something I came here to offer and was born to do.

A Teaching Story from Norse Mythology

"Odin “sacrificed himself to himself” by hanging on the world-tree Yggdrasil for nine days and nights, receiving no form of nourishment from his companions. At the end of this ordeal, he perceived the runes, the magically-charged ancient Germanic alphabet that was held to contain many of the greatest secrets of existence.

... he wasn’t afraid to sacrifice what we might call his “lower self” to his “higher self,” to live according to his highest will unconditionally, accepting whatever hardships arise from that pursuit, and allowing nothing, not even death, to stand between him and the attainment of his goals."

~ Daniel McCoy, Norse-mythology.org

Like the Norse god Odin hanging himself on the Yggdrasil tree in order to receive the runes, I am, in my own way, sacrificing my personality’s will to the higher guidance of my spirit and soul. I surrender my will to Thy will.Although my goals are not so lofty as to obtain the secrets of the universe and wield them for power. My main goal is, and always has been, to be of service to love and to humanity and to the world. And I am willing to do that in whatever way is in the highest and best interest of all.I continue to surrender my will to my higher self to and to God/Goddess/Creator to use me in for the good of the world. Every day I pray to be of use, to be a conduit of unconditional love for myself and the world; I ask my guides, angels and creator to show me the next right thing and make sure I don’t pass it by.

"Mem also represents the time necessary for ripening and indicates to us the importance of balanced emotions and of humility … balanced emotions – balancing the watery motions of our feelings…humility – water is the substance that always runs downhill to the lowest place."

~ Kabbalist Samuel Avital

So, while we look into our 12thhouse and see the deep spiritual secrets our spirit intended with our birth, let’s also live our best lives, looking for the the good in ourselves and in everyone else.Let’s take a moment (however long we need) to hang out and look inside, and surrender to our higher selves, before making a major decision or sharing a powerful reaction or taking that next big step.

"The Hanged Man…connotes a life well lived where the spirit has grown and learned, and even though things might not be perfect right now, the spirit knows deep down that it is worth being here on Earth and experiencing love and beauty."

~ Kasamba.com

Please come by and see what’s hanging out in your cards, here at Paradise Found:Saturday, February 22, 2020Sunday, March 15, 2020 (Spring Intuitive Tasting)Saturday March 28th.With much love and more gratitude,Kristine Thandeka Marie

About Kristine

Transformative Tarot Card ReadingsKristine’s readings are interactive. Together we will enter into a conversation, ignited by the cards that show up for your questions, and empowered with her (and your) intuition, insight and guidance about what they bring up for you; the past, present, and future. The more you are willing to go deeply into your own process and share what the images and archetypes elicit in you, the better the conversation and the results will be…View Profile

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