Prompt: “Pull the card from your deck(s) that matches the card posted below. Compare the imagery between the card provided below and the card(s) from your own deck(s). How would you read them differently and why?“

Tarot of the Hidden Realm – Eyes open and body relaxed, he hangs inverted and sees the world from this vantage point.  As the green grows up around him, coiling in his hair, a butterfly comes to whisper secrets for him to hear.    In this imagery I see patience, but also a hint of determination in his features. He does not hang for the heck of it, but with purpose.  He is a seeker, and he wants to see this alternate view. Thus, I would see this card as an encouragement to actively seek out new perspectives.

The Stormlight Archive Tarot – In this card the figure is bound by one wrist, pierced by an arrow, and run through by many blades, one of which also pierces through his free hand.  He hangs with his head bowed, brought to a knee in his pain, bound through not just ropes or twine, but by punishing pain as well.  As the Hanged Man, this card reminds me that the world looks different to everyone.  Chronic pain, pessimism, punishment, or misfortune can all create a skewed view of reality.  A skewed view we then carry with us as we move through life.  I see this card as a reminder that we must pull out the (metaphorical) blades that keep our past wounds open and raw so that we can heal and begin to rise, straighten from our kneel, and see the world from a better perspective.

Darkened Dreams Tarot – In the imagery of this card we see a figure that ascends as if defying gravity, their wrist anchored to a barren tree as they are pulled upward, defying gravity.  This imagery speaks to me of astral projection while the colors of the card speak to me of enlightenment.  As the body is anchored to a tree, it makes me wonder if it is not the tree’s soul that floats above, seeking new adventures and perspectives that it cannot experience when rooted to the ground. I see this card as an encouragement to explore and try new things, seek out new experiences and allow them to expand one’s perception of the world.

The Kitchen Tarot – In this deck, the Hanged One is named the Kitchen Timer with the added input of the words “miracle worker” etched into the arms of the chef with their third eye open and the other two eyes closed. There is something to be said for the old adage “time heals all wounds” and, in a way, this is true…. -if- you are willing to be open to the healing that time offers us.  I would see this card as an encouragement to wait.  To wait and to watch, and to keep an open mind.  Allow yourself to move past your own first impressions, and look deeper.

DECK USED: TAROT OF THE HIDDEN REALM, THE STORMLIGHT ARCHIVE TAROT, DARKENED DREAMS TAROT, THE KITCHEN TAROT