XII has been confusing the subconscious mind for generations; I hope to change that.

In older decks, XII is The Hanged Man, a man hanging, not from his neck, but from one foot, a man neither dead nor dying but very much alive, just, shall we say, removed from life temporarily. But the very words, "The Hanged Man," are an inescapable and immediate portal to thoughts of dwelling in the land of no return. We can't help it. You say, "hanged man," I think gallows.

The fact that the image in the older card belied the implications of the designation of the card was really no help; it was really no more than confusing because we do not live in a world - nor have we for hundreds of years - where hanging by one foot from a tree is either common or readily understandable from a metaphorical standpoint. We live in a world where "hanged man" means "dead guy." I've spent over forty years with Tarot and, while, when I hear those words, I see the traditional tarot image in my mind's eye, it's not the first thing I see. I have to translate. We all do, whether we're conscious of it or not.

So why not just cut to the chase, call the card something that tells the viewer what it's really all about - putting the needs of others first, surrendering to the call of that oneness of which we are all a part - and leave a metaphor that's long outlived its usefulness behind? Why not, Service?

In creating this deck - and at this point, that's pretty much a constant work - I first called XII, 'Sacrifice' because there is an element of sacrifice that is very much a part of putting your life - and sometimes even your concerns for you life - on hold so that you can do something for someone else. That will to sacrifice is encoded in our DNA and has to do with the survival of the species. But I quickly realized that "sacrifice," like "the hanged man," has connotations that are above and beyond the level of sacrifice that is often called for when it comes our turn to be helpful, to put our needs on hold so that we can help, to be...of service.

"Service" is not a charged word for us; it does not necessarily imply either danger or deprivation; "service" says, "assistance, it says, "help." And "help" is what XII is all about. XII is about setting your own desires to one side while you reach out to another. That can be as simple as babysitting someone's kid so they can go to a job interview or as complicated as saving someone's life.

XII, Service, a world of help without any metaphorical strangeness attached.