The Ace of Swords often is said to represent truth, mental clarity, inspiration, new ideas, breakthroughs, success, and those aha! moments. Like all four Aces in the tarot, these are moments that can be fleeting and thus moments of opportunity ripe for the picking.

But that isn't all the Hanged Man is good at. I struggled with this card for a long time, hitting a mental wall whenever he would come up, it got incredibly frustrating incredibly quickly. This is a great card for those whose minds are slightly left of center. Those that find themselves outside the neurotypical spheres that much of society inhabits. The Hanged Man is not looking at the same map you are in the exact same way you are. Instead, this upside down figure sees multiple strings he could pull, roads he could wander down. 

For many, when this card appears they shrink away from the pain that this card communicates. Traditionally, this card is an indicator of heartbreak, loss, suffering, and emotional trauma.

Sometimes the dust can settle and our nerves just aren't up to the task. We are still in fight or flight mode, ready to spring into action one way or the other at a moment's notice. What happens when waiting for that shoe to drop becomes ingrained in who we are? 

A person stands on a cliff overlooking the sea. What do they see coming over the horizon but a ship, their ship. Their ticket out into the world and the edges of their current knowledge. This has been all they know and now the time is here to take the next steps.