The Hanged Man posture
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I would like to try out the hanged man posture but I'm confused about how to do it. Crowley in the photo does it one way but in the Thoth tarot it is painted completely different. I'm been looking at old tarot decks and the hand, feet positions differ. Now I know that energetically it is important how you position the feet and hands so I would appreciate any light on this matter.
To make the question more to the point, Crowley writes in the Book of Thoth that the posture is used in the "Sleep of Shiloam" - how to do that posture? -
The classic position is based on the idea that The Hanged Man is the pattern of the cross and triangle on the Golden Dawn altar in the Neophyte grade: a cross atop a 'fire' triangle.
Some older Tarot decks have a different posture, basically reversing the triangle; but what I've written above is what is classically known as the Hanged Man posture.
Thus, the fingers of the two hands are interwoven and behind the head. (If one copied older decks, the hands would be behind the small of the back, and admittedly this does give more support.)
For most situations, it doesn't matter; but there would be some rituals, and possibly some non-ritual practices, where it matters. For example, in Liber Pyramidos this position is assumed for one section, and the energy movement that happens is easier to trace and has better symbolic impact if the triangle is formed by putting the hands behind the head.
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Thank you, Jim.
Just to be exact..."Thus, the fingers of the two hands are interwoven and behind the head. "
My experiments show that there is a difference the way hands, legs are interwoven. Sorry if I'm too picky but - left hand or right hand thumb is on the top when one clasps the hands? The left or the right leg is bent; is it on top of the other leg (As in Thoth tarot) or beneath it? Is Crowley's photo doing the posture correct?
"(If one copied older decks, the hands would be behind the small of the back, and admittedly this does give more support.)"
If the hands are behind the small of the back are they interwoven? do the hands face palm up or down the earth? Thank you for your patience.
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@Modes said
"Thank you, Jim.
Just to be exact..."Thus, the fingers of the two hands are interwoven and behind the head. "
My experiments show that there is a difference the way hands, legs are interwoven. Sorry if I'm too picky but - left hand or right hand thumb is on the top when one clasps the hands?"
That's definitely too picky
"The left or the right leg is bent; is it on top of the other leg (As in Thoth tarot) or beneath it? Is Crowley's photo doing the posture correct?"
Normally right knee is bent, such that right leg (near the ankle) passes under the left knee. This is, at least, of some considerable importance in Liber Pyramidos (otherwise the text of the ritual is nonsense), and matches standard Hanged Man tarot pictures. (Remember, Crowley didn't make the Tarot cards. Someone did that for him.) - I'm at work right now and don't have any Crowley photos (which ones did you mean, something in Liber E that I'm forgetting?).
"(If one copied older decks, the hands would be behind the small of the back, and admittedly this does give more support.)"
If the hands are behind the small of the back are they interwoven? do the hands face palm up or down the earth? Thank you for your patience.
"They are according to convenience. And I was just giving that as a variant, not a formal position. As I mentioned above, in most instances none of this matters all that much.
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Notice that the top picture is a mirror image, and the bottom one is the actual posture.
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@Modes said
"Thanks, Iugum, that's the photo! Thanks, Jim, for clearing things up.
Will experiment with the posture.
But damn, how could the Thoth tarot card diverdge so much from the Crowley's photo..."Well, they weren't intended to be yoga instructions. They're symbols, not pictures.