Sage Leaves: The Hanged Man and the Heroine's Journey
Healing Ancestral Wounds Through Tarot
Welcome, wise ones, to another turning of Sage Leaves. Summer’s brilliance softens now into the measured clarity of autumn, when fields are gathered and the air carries both cool edges and the promise of change. This week brings powerful thresholds: a partial solar eclipse in Virgo on Sunday, reminding us that every ending clears the ground for something new, and the Autumn Equinox on Monday, when day and night hold each other in balance before the scales tilt toward the dark. Shadows lengthen, asking you to weigh what is fair, what is true, and what balance you must strike as you continue along the heroine’s path.
May you find peace in the pause, and strength in surrender. May wisdom bloom quietly as you soften your grip. May the turning of perspective bring light to your path, and may your journey unfold with balance and grace.
This week, we turn to The Hanged Man as guide, exploring how surrender and reversal shape the Heroine’s Journey and how his archetype can help us navigate eclipse shadows and equinox light.
The Role of The Hanged Man in the Heroine’s Journey
When you look at The Hanged Man in the tarot, the image shows someone suspended upside down, often by one foot, and yet there is no sense of panic or struggle in the picture, because the figure is calm, sometimes glowing with a halo, as if the act of hanging is not punishment but revelation, and this card plays a very powerful role in the arc of the Heroine’s Journey.
The Heroine’s Journey, unlike the more familiar Hero’s Journey, is not about conquering dragons or claiming external victories, but about turning inward, reclaiming the voice of the self, and integrating what has been lost or silenced, and in this structure The Hanged Man often becomes the point where the heroine realizes that forward motion cannot be forced, because the old ways of striving and dominating will not carry her to wholeness.
In this stage, the heroine confronts the demand to surrender, and surrender is not weakness but a shift of perspective, a willingness to let the ego step aside so that new wisdom can emerge, and this is exactly what The Hanged Man symbolizes, since he shows the world from a reversed angle and reminds us that true growth often comes when we stop pushing forward and instead allow ourselves to see differently.
The long sentences of the card’s imagery echo this pause, because time feels stretched out when you are waiting, and in the Heroine’s Journey that waiting is rich with meaning, because the heroine is learning to listen, to trust, and to let her body and soul align with something deeper than external reward.
The Hanged Man can be seen as the archetype of suspension, and suspension is an essential part of the Heroine’s Journey because it interrupts the linear pattern of striving upward and outward and calls the heroine to experience liminality, to hang between worlds, to stand at the threshold where the old identity is dissolving and the new one has not yet taken shape.
This card therefore acts as a mirror for the Heroine’s internal process, because the Heroine’s Journey demands integration of shadow and light, conscious and unconscious, self and other, and The Hanged Man’s inversion suggests that wholeness only arrives when she is willing to look at her life from angles that previously seemed impossible or even threatening.
The stillness of The Hanged Man is not passive but deeply active in an inner sense, because it is an act of choosing to rest, choosing to let go, and choosing to stop the endless cycle of external validation, and the Heroine, by following his example, can reclaim her energy for transformation that is not about proving but about becoming.
In mythic terms, The Hanged Man reflects the archetype of the Initiate, someone who accepts ritual suspension in order to gain wisdom, and for the Heroine this is the point where she understands that wisdom is born from trust, patience, and the willingness to endure the discomfort of not knowing, and she accepts that her journey requires deep waiting before the next stage can unfold.
"The Hanged Man teaches the heroine that surrender is not weakness
but the turning point where wisdom begins to grow."
The Heroine’s Journey often includes a return to the mother or the feminine source, and The Hanged Man makes space for that return because he invites the heroine to stop racing outward and instead drop inward, and in doing so she discovers a new relationship with intuition, embodiment, and truth that is not filtered through the expectations of others.
By hanging in silence, the Heroine sees that her story is not about triumph over others but about aligning with herself, and this is where The Hanged Man becomes central, because he is the teacher of reversal, of patience, and of surrender, and he reminds her that integration comes not through force but through yielding to transformation.
In the arc of the Heroine’s Journey, The Hanged Man is therefore the moment when the heroine chooses to trust the unseen, to accept the pause, and to let the old self fall away, so that she can be reborn with the clarity and balance she needs to carry her truth back into the world.
Reflection Prompt:
Where in your own journey might you be asked to stop striving forward and instead pause, surrender, and see your life from a different angle?
Sage Leaves Weekly Tarotscope: September 16-22, 2025
This week carries the weight of turning seasons and shifting skies. With Mercury and Venus changing signs, a partial solar eclipse in Virgo, and the Autumn Equinox arriving on Monday, the air is alive with transition. The cards reflect this energy, guiding you through vision, relationship, grief, balance, shadow, generosity, and choice. What begins with anticipation opens into a journey of surrender and ends with harmony at the threshold of autumn’s embrace.
The Cards of the Week
Tuesday: 3 of Wands – Moon in Cancer Sextile Sun in Virgo
Wednesday: 2 of Cups – Mercury in Virgo Opposite Saturn in Pisces
Thursday: 5 of Cups – Mercury Enters Leo
Friday: Temperance – Venus Enters Virgo
Saturday: The Devil – Venus in Virgo Square Uranus in Gemini
Sunday: 6 of Pentacles – Partial Solar Eclipse in Virgo
Monday: The Lovers – Sun Stations in the Autumn Equinox
Daily Story
Tuesday – 3 of Wands
The week opens with the 3 of Wands. You stand on the shoreline, gazing outward with anticipation, waiting for the ships of your labor to return. The Moon in Cancer sextile the Sun in Virgo makes this vision practical and nurturing. You are asked to align hope with strategy, to balance dreams with grounded effort. This card encourages you to expand your perspective, to think bigger while staying rooted in the rhythm of the present moment.
Wednesday – 2 of Cups
The 2 of Cups greets you midweek with its promise of union, partnership, and balance in relationship. Yet Mercury in Virgo opposes Saturn in Pisces, placing obstacles in the flow of communication. Words may feel weighed down by responsibility or fear of misunderstanding. This day asks you to remember that the core of relationship is mutual respect and trust. If the channels feel blocked, patience and honesty will carry you through. The connection here with The Lovers later in the week foreshadows choices about how love and partnership shape your journey.
Thursday – 5 of Cups
The 5 of Cups shifts the mood. With Mercury entering Leo, your voice wants to rise, but the card reflects loss, disappointment, and grief. You may dwell on what has spilled rather than what remains. The invitation here is to acknowledge the sorrow without letting it blind you to possibility. Behind you stand two upright cups, reminders that hope and renewal are still present. On this day, grief and self-expression walk hand in hand, and you are encouraged to give voice to your sadness while also turning toward what endures.
Friday – Temperance
Friday brings Temperance, a card of harmony, moderation, and the art of blending opposites. Venus enters Virgo, and love is expressed through care, service, and attention to detail. This card suggests balance is not found in extremes but in careful weaving. You are asked to look at your life as an alchemist might: how can you combine what feels conflicting into something whole? This card offers steadiness after the sorrow of Thursday, reminding you that healing comes when you seek integration, not division.
Saturday – The Devil
On Saturday, The Devil steps forward with intensity. Venus in Virgo squares Uranus in Gemini, stirring tension, attraction, and disruption. The Devil points to entanglements, temptations, or patterns that bind you. It may be excess, fear, or a relationship dynamic that feels controlling. This card, sitting beside Temperance, creates a contrast: moderation versus indulgence, freedom versus bondage. The energy here asks you to confront what holds you captive and to choose whether you will continue feeding it or release yourself.
Sunday – 6 of Pentacles
The 6 of Pentacles appears on the day of the partial solar eclipse in Virgo. This card centers on generosity, exchange, and balance between giving and receiving. Eclipses bring endings and beginnings, reshaping patterns in surprising ways. You may be asked to reconsider where your energy, time, or resources are flowing. Are you giving too much, or too little? The card suggests that true generosity is rooted in fairness and reciprocity, not control or obligation. This is a day to look honestly at your role in cycles of giving and receiving.
Monday – The Lovers
The week closes with The Lovers, aligned with the Autumn Equinox. Day and night stand in perfect balance, just as the card reflects choices about unity, commitment, and values. The Lovers is not only about romance but about choosing what you align yourself with at the level of soul. With the equinox, this card highlights the need to balance heart and mind, love and responsibility, freedom and belonging. It completes the arc begun by the 2 of Cups, showing that relationships and choices are at the heart of this week’s journey.
Overarching Themes
Major Arcana: Temperance, The Devil, The Lovers
Three powerful archetypes anchor the week. Temperance offers healing and balance. The Devil confronts shadow and bondage. The Lovers brings choice and integration. Together they tell a story of discernment: first the weaving of balance, then the exposure of temptation, and finally the conscious choice to align with what is true.
Recurring Card: 3 of Wands
The 3 of Wands has appeared again, signaling that vision, expansion, and anticipation remain a consistent theme across cycles. You are being reminded that your gaze must extend beyond the immediate moment. Long-term growth requires patience, planning, and trust that the seeds planted will one day ripen.
The Cups Connection: 2 of Cups and The Lovers
The presence of the 2 of Cups and The Lovers forms a thread. Both cards speak of union, trust, and the importance of conscious partnership. Midweek you glimpse the potential of relationship in its simplest form, while at week’s end you are asked to choose alignment at a deeper level. The echo between these cards suggests that love, collaboration, and choice are central motifs in your path this week.
The Dance of Temperance and The Devil
Temperance and The Devil sit side by side, showing the spectrum of moderation and excess, liberation and entrapment. They remind you that balance is not static but requires constant awareness. This pairing highlights the tension between your highest self and your shadow, asking you to discern where you fall into patterns that undermine your freedom and where you can instead cultivate integration.
Numerology and Elements
With no Swords present, the mental plane is quieter. This is not a week of battles of thought but of emotional, spiritual, and practical alignment. Cups bring feeling, Pentacles remind you of material fairness, and Wands inspire vision. The numbers progress from 2 to 3, from 5 to 6, and then into the archetypal forces of the Major Arcana. This sequence suggests a movement from simple relationship into vision, then through loss, balance, shadow, generosity, and choice. It is a full arc of growth, requiring honesty at each step.
Astrological Aspects
The week’s astrology is striking. Mercury enters Leo, highlighting voice and self-expression. Venus enters Virgo, grounding love in practical care. The solar eclipse in Virgo reshapes patterns of service, health, and order. The Autumn Equinox crowns the week, balancing light and shadow, reminding you that every season has its turning point. These celestial events echo the tarot’s story: endings and beginnings, balance and shadow, love and choice.
Conclusion
This week carries a powerful story of balance, shadow, and renewal. You begin by looking outward with the 3 of Wands, then step into relationship with the 2 of Cups. Grief appears with the 5 of Cups, but Temperance follows, teaching integration. The Devil demands that you face shadow and bondage, but the eclipse through the 6 of Pentacles reminds you of the need for balance in giving and receiving. Finally, The Lovers and the equinox call you to choose alignment with what is true, to bring harmony into your own life and relationships.
The arc is not easy, but it is profound. It asks you to release, to balance, to confront, and finally to choose. Trust that in this cycle of endings and beginnings, you are being guided into a deeper integrity.
Final Reflection:
This week challenges you to face conflict, endings, and the shadows that bind you, yet it also invites you to claim clarity and curiosity as guiding lights. The dominance of Swords shows that truth must be confronted, while The Devil reminds you that liberation begins with acknowledgment. By week’s end, you stand ready to learn anew, tempered by experience and open to growth.
As the eclipse resets old patterns and the equinox steadies light and shadow, you are reminded that endings are always gateways to beginnings. The journey through these cards shows you that balance cannot be forced but must be chosen with clarity. Shadow and grief may appear, but so too does the promise of harmony and renewal. Step into the season with openness, trusting that the cycles of the sky mirror the cycles of your own becoming.
As the week closes, the eclipse reminds you that release is part of renewal, while the equinox steadies you in the balance between light and shadow. These celestial markers frame your journey with both mystery and clarity, asking you to trust the cycles that move through your own life. Carry The Hanged Man’s gift of perspective with you, and let the season’s turning guide you toward wisdom that ripens quietly within.
Take care, stay grounded, and until next time—warmth from the edge of what’s coming.
—Dr. Winkler