As the seasons change and 2020 is still pushing us to uproot what we accepted as “normalcy” the powerful message of the Hanged Man is important to reflect on.

Flexibility can feel like such a vague concept. You can try to roll with whatever life throws at you, but without any idea of what keeps you rooted it’s easy to get washed away. Being flexible doesn’t mean you’re passive, or need to forget your values. Being a doormat is hardly “going with the flow” because you’re actually attaching yourself to someone else’s decisions instead of surrendering to the chance of the greater unknown.

And knowing what keeps you rooted doesn’t mean you stick your heels in the mud at any potential changes that arise. Stubborn behavior is not grounding, it is a resistance to see the multiple pathways that are offered, and potentially limiting yourself through assuming your imagined path is the only one possible.

The Hanged Man asks us to walk the space between those two extremes. It’s being malleable. Some days require a bit more grounding. Some days need a bit more surrender. And knowing yourself is key to interpreting your own compass. As well as accepting you are ever changing. sometimes you need to healthily question your own motives too.