The Lycian Sanctuary

The Sacrificed God

The Hanged Man is traditionally hung near a body of water. The importance of this, is that his reflection is in the water. Water is a symbol for the psychic, subconscious, spiritual realm and he is still separate from his own spiritual nature. But, he has sacrificed himself; in other words his ego body, in order to become whole and remove the duality which prevents integration.

In this card, the man is hung on a post, where the tide ebbs and flows twice in twenty-four hours, and is now waiting for the tide to come in. He and his reflection will become one, as the tide rises, and he is totally immersed in the spiritual realm of water.