(Card Descriptions Based On Original Rider-Waite Colors – Still Under US Games Inc. Copyright)

Keywords

Pure Masculine Energy, Strong Powerful Man, Conscious/Will, Self/Ego, Creative Intellect, Golden Opportunities, Miracles, Flash of Inspiration , Inspired, Magick, Power, Personal Power, Power is in your Hands, Energy, Control, Knowledge, Leader, Intelligence, Realistic, Practical, Thought Process, Ideas, Plans, Opportunities, Ambitious, Vision, Purpose, Goals, Following a Dream, Taking Action, Making an Impact, Impressing, Selling Yourself/ideas/product, Potential, Will-Power, Focused Concentration, Mental Clarity, Understanding what you want, Motivated, Intentions, Committed, Single-Minded, Determined, Resourceful, Creative, Inventor, Skilled, Tools of Trade, Qualified, Talented, Dexterity, Self-Aware, Self-Belief/Confidence/Esteem, Striking Out Alone, Able, Vigorous, Resourceful, Craft, Cultivating a Project, Being Productive, Being in Charge, Communication, Languages, Articulation, Eloquence, Education, Teacher, Student, Study, Travel, Channelling, Elusive, Conjurer, Illusionist, Scrutiny,

Astrological Association – Mercury, planet of communication, study and speed of movement. Air

Kabbalistic Tree of Life – Walks the 12^th path from Kether (Crown/Source) to Binah  (Understanding/Contemplation/Supernal Mother)

Hebrew Letter – Beth –  House or Home

The Fool has now begun his journey.  He has taken his first steps into manifestation.  His energy has been released by the Source, channelled through Chockmah (Potential to be/Primal Force/Masculine) and now in a state of raw force seeks to manifest into creation. By travelling the 12^th path he finds a home or temple for Spirit to descend into manifestation in Binah .

Binah  is the third Sephira on The Tree of Life .  Binah  is receptive and gives shape and form to the creation of energy released as it manifests. The 12^th path brings Spirit a realization of his personal abilities, a clear vision of his plan and what steps are needed to bring it into being.  The Fool now actively seeks realisation and becomes aware of his personal power.  He has discovered the Ego and Consciousness.

In Binah  he finds the feminine aspect in that of the supernal womb.  Chokmah provides the raw masculine energy and aspect but it is through Binah  that real form begins to take place.  Neither one is more important than the other.  Either one without the other is useless.

The Four Queens of the Court Cards and the Four Threes of The Minor Arcana  also reside in the third Sephira, Binah .  This is a fitting residence as the Queens being feminine and the number three related to creation and growth provide the necessary energy to facilitate manifestation.  However, this energy is still abstract at this stage but the first stirrings of creation have been initiated.

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The Magician is also associated with the Four Aces in The Minor Arcana.  In The Magician Card we see the symbol/tool of each Suit laid out on the Table in front of him.  These tools are The Wand, The Cup, The Sword and The Pentacle.  With these tools The Magician holds the power over his world.  With these tools he can achieve anything and everything.  The Magician has everything he needs to begin any project or achieve any goal. Both The Wheel of Fortune X(1+0=10) and The Sun XIX (1+9=10=1) are also linked to The Magician.

Card Description and Spiritual Lessons

As The Fool travels the 12^th Path encounters pure masculine energy in The Magician. The Magician is the principle masculine life force. He carries the number 1 in the Tarot . He stands for the Self, the Ego, the Will.  He is a very powerful man indeed. The Magician will teach The Fool the skills he needs to survive on his journey.  In fact, The Magician will stay with The Fool throughout his entire life for each experience brings something new to be learned.  He teaches The Fool the important art of communication through the medium of language, speech and the written word.

The Magician is unique, talented and self-aware.  He stands proud and tall. His appearance is commanding and regal. He holds a large crystal wand in his right hand and points it towards the heavens while he points with his left hand to the ground.  This is a very symbolic gesture for The Magician and strongly represents his amazing talents.  With the Wand he has direct access to the Divine Source for inspiration.  He then acts as a channel for the receiving energy which is released through his left hand and into the earth.  He thereby has the ability to manifest anything he so desires.  He understands that the power does not come from him but through him.  Without the connection between heaven and earth nothing of good will ever come to be and he will be unsuccessful in his endeavours.

The Magician is demonstrating his ability to channel the Divine ( inspirations, ideas, intentions and energy) into something useful and worthwhile by grounding it in reality.  Ideas, inspiration, plans and dreams are useless if they remain just as they are. When The Magician appears, he demands that you do something about your circumstances.  He asks you to access his energy and understand that you too are a powerful person with great potential and limitless possibilities.  His entire body is surrounded in an intense white glowing aura suggesting that what The Magician channels is pure untainted energy.

The Magician wears a white gown symbolising his purity of motive. The red over-garment represents his passion and power.  His gown is belted by an uroboros which is a serpent that appears to swallow or eat his own tail.  The uroboros symbolises the endless cycle of energy, death and rebirth.  The infinity symbol above his head also represents the constant cycle and recycling of energy.  Together they give us an understanding of The Magician and the key to the power he possesses.  The Magician understands the nature of energy and knows that there is a limitless supply available to him.  However his secret power lies in his ability to manipulate this energy to serve his own needs.  The infinity symbol also reminds The Magician that what goes around comes around as no energy can ever be destroyed.  Therefore careful thought must be put into every word he speaks or actions he takes as for each there will be consequences.  He must be prepared for every eventuality if he is to be successful in his magickal workings.  The energy that comes from the source and through him is indeed very powerful and must be handled in a responsible and respectful manner.  Power in the wrong hands can create extremely dangerous situations.

Red roses and white lilies grow in abundance around The Magician.  In this card the white lilies symbolise the creative thought behind every great work while the red roses symbolise manifestation thus linking The Magician once more to realising potential and making things happen.

On a table in front of The Magician lie the contents of The Fool’s Knapsack. The tools for life seem simple and few; a Wand, a Cup, a Sword and a Pentacle.  The Magician has deep knowledge of the purpose of each and has learned to blend their energies, elements and qualities to create all kinds of magick.  For all their apparent simplicity, he sees the potential power in each.  These tools are all The Magician needs to be successful.  He is a Master and adept of his art. However, he must get the ingredients correct.  He must find the right balance of each element that will initiate the exact manifestation he seeks.  Yet again he is reminded of the infinity symbol above his head as he carefully works on his formula.  He must get it right before he channels the energy (acts on his ideas or thoughts) otherwise it might all blow up in his face.

So what are these tools and what makes them so important?  The Wand allows The Magician to access energy, drive, enthusiasm, action and inspiration. The Cup provides emotional fulfilment, imagination, creativity and beauty.  The Sword brings with it the gift of mental clarity, clear judgement, thoughts, ideas, plans, intellect, communication and language.  The Pentacle offers determination, practicality, patience, grounding, productivity and manifestation.  A healthy combination indeed but each situation The Magician will encounter needs to be carefully weighed so that just the right amount of each element is accessed and applied.  When The Magician appears he is letting you know that you too have all the tools you need at your disposal to succeed but you must know how to use them to your best advantage.  The Magician makes things happen and so too can you once you have the right tools and skills properly applied.

By using his Divine Gifts, The Magician takes the steps to develop his full potential.  Through focused concentration and attention, he exerts strong discipline and will power over each element manipulating them to suit his purpose.  The possibilities the universe thus supplies are endless.  He is clever and magical.  He is also the Master of Illusion and can make us believe anything he wants us to.  He can pull rabbits out of hats and even turn base metal to gold.  Miracles often appear in his wake.  He uses his powerful presence and strong style of communication to fascinate, enthrall and captivate his audience.   However, the Planet Mercury governs The Magician along with the Sun Sign Gemini.  Gemini brings with it duality, two sides and two faces.  Therefore The Magician can display two personalities depending upon how he uses the Divine Energy channelled.

In his negative sense he becomes the Trickster or Charlatan.  He is a Master of deception who will con money or services out of the naïve and gullible.  In this guise he has roamed the world for many centuries preying on the weak.  One example of him is the smooth talking salesman in the travelling shows of yesteryear; selling bottles of Dr. Feelgood to an audience who listen eagerly to the amazing stories he spins of his medicine’s incredible healing power.  The Magician is fleet of foot so will have put many miles behind him before the people realise they have been duped.  Elusive and evasive, he can magically appear in a flash and then vanish in another.

In his upright or positive state, The Magician sometimes appears in our lives as the sudden flash of inspiration.  He can appear suddenly as you lie awake in bed, unable to sleep, dwelling on your problems or situations.  A shutter suddenly opens in your mind and there he is revealing an incredible solution, a workable plan, a brilliant way forward.  Like a light bulb switching on, he illuminates your inner world so that you can see and think clearly.  Sleep then is impossible as the thought process has begun.  The Magician accesses his high intelligence from the Source and will assist you do the same.  Because of his high intellect, he has no time for impractical or hair-brained ideas.  He initiates the thought process that proceeds action and reminds you once more that you have everything you need to sort your situation out successfully but there must be a clearly thought out, intelligent and workable plan.  You must know what you are doing and how you are going to go about it.

The Magician is the Master of magick, law, trade, business, education, communication and languages.  He has a thirst for knowledge both as the student and the teacher.  He is to be found in all aspects of academia, in the corridors of great universities and institutions.  He is behind every invention and scientific discovery.  His knowledge is vast.  He has travelled the world over and over and is an expert on each land and culture.  One of The Magician’s favourite pastimes is travelling but more so for educational or business purposes. He is the college graduate of yester-year who traditionally did the classical ‘Grand Tour’ of Europe returning home with more education than he could ever have learned from books.  He would have forged many friendships and business connections on his journeys which would become very useful once he took up a profession.

In his negative or reversed aspect he can abuse his great intelligence and gifts by becoming the trickster, or con man. Instead of upholding the law, he can break or bend it.  His may use his brilliant mind to invent weapons of mass destruction and his scientific discoveries may cause more harm than good.  Such intelligence and power in the wrong hands make the reversed or negative Magician highly dangerous.  In this state he believes the Power comes from him and not through him.

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Divinatory Meaning

The Magician can represent a very powerful male presence.  It is a card for the self and the ego.  When he appears in a spread it can indicate that something amazing, if not miraculous is going to happen.  He tells you that you have the power in your hands now or that you have more power than you realise in a situation.

He brings with him a strong sense of self-belief and immense personal power.  It is all about ‘numero uno’ ‘me, myself and I’ at the moment but not in a self-centred manner.  The Magician is all-powerful and so can strike out alone and stand out from the crowd.  You may feel confident and self-assured to go it alone.  You may be ready to make an impact in the world.  Like The Magician it is time to showcase your extraordinary talents and focus on your goals.  It is a time to come into your own power.

 When he appears in your spread you can rest assured that you have everything you need to succeed.  Success is there for you but there are a few things you must understand first.  Ideas are still in their formation process at this stage and not fully complete.  You must know what you are doing and why.  You must understand what motivates you and be crystal clear with your intentions.  The Magician tells you that it is time to focus on your goals; time to be single-minded in your pursuit and time to be totally committed to your cause.  Look to the resources that you have at your disposal and make them work for you.  Access your natural talents and skills and put them to use.  He tells you that any ideas you have or projects you are working on can be achieved once you think things out clearly and form a realistic and workable plan.  Use your intelligence and be practical.  Don’t do anything silly or hair-brained as you could ruin it all by trying to rush things.  You may be on the brink of great things happening in your life as The Magician brings golden opportunities in his wake if you are prepared to work with him.

He initiates bright flashes of inspiration and a feeling that anything is possible.  It is, once you apply focussed concentration and are unwavering in your determination.  You suddenly now know what you need to do and have a clear vision of the road ahead.  No longer do you need others to show you the way for you have known it all along.  It is time for feeling completely connected and grounded.  It can feel like a light bulb has been switched on in your brain. However, you must remember The Magician’s elusiveness.  The light bulb can switch off just as quickly as it switched on so his presence urges you to act now while you stand in your power and have no doubt of your ability to succeed.

When The Magician appears he is telling you that you can turn your hand to anything and make it work for you.  It is not a time for believing in failure for once you have done your research thoroughly and carefully plan your route you are bound to succeed.

The Magician is all-powerful, ambitious and determined.  He likes to be in control and is used to getting his own way.  He is a leader who commands attention so his presence may suggest that you are acting in this manner or that a little power has gone to your head.  However, you may be behaving like a ‘know it all’ to those around you acting superior and important when the boss is away having left you in charge. One must guard against becoming overly arrogant or proud as, like The Magician, you must remember where your power comes from.  If you don’t have it then don’t pretend you do.

The Magician can conjure up anything he so desires, pulling rabbits out of hats to a stunned audience.  He is very convincing and can make anything seem possible or believable. He is a master of illusion and will have you doubting what you see, or convince you that you see something other than you do.  When The Magician appears, even in the upright it would be advisable for you to look closer or deeper into your situation as everything may not be as it appears. There may be important items or aspects concealed and this may be deliberate.   Don’t be taken in by the ‘Smooth Talker’ , just because he comes with qualifications and letters after his name.  If something seems to be good to be true then it probably is.  You must ask yourself if this person has your best interests at heart or are they just spinning you the same line they use on everyone.  This can apply to relationships as well.

On the other hand, The Magician can represent the powerful sales man or public speaker who enthralls his audience with his articulation, speed of delivery and convincing statistics.  Eloquent in his speech he has the ability to lace his spin with witty and engaging remarks endearing his audience to him and making them believe he has all their best interests at heart.   Maybe he does but that is not what The Magician is about.  He is the true professional who is brilliant at what he does.   The Magician is a strong card for communication.  His presence may suggest that you are engaged in meetings; possibly promoting yourself or convincing others of your incredible ideas or talents.  You may be networking to bring your name or project to a wider audience.  Communication may also be through the written word, via emails or even writing a book.  With the presence of The Magician they will all sit up and listen to you.  Before you know it you will have them eating out of your hand.

The Magician is the original inventor and he is constantly searching for new things to discover.  His presence may suggest that you too are searching for a new business idea or working on a prototype.

The Magician is a master of languages, education and science. Do you need further education or are you using the qualifications you have to their full potential?  You may need to go back to college and develop the skills that are needed before you can move forward with your plan.  He can also represent the enthusiastic and dedicated student whose thirst for knowledge is unquenchable.  You may be teacher who has a vast depth of knowledge which you enjoy communicating to your interested students in the hope that you will influence their way of thinking.

In relationships, The Magician suggests a strong powerful man who likes to be in charge. He is likely to be successful in business and finance and highly educated. He does like a powerful partner, but will seek to be the dominant one.

The Magician is a positive card for travel but not just travel for travel’s sake.  He asks you to look further than your own front door when choosing places to travel to.  He has been all over the world and learned so much as a result that he would not have should he have stayed in one spot or taken the more traditional routes.  He asks you to broaden your horizons and your mind when travelling.

Now Go To The Magician (I) Reversed

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Society6 Tarot – 1 – Magician Framed Print Conservation Natural LARGE (Gallery)

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Major Arcana

The Fool Upright  The Fool Reversed

The Magician Upright  The Magician Reversed

The High Priestess Upright   The High Priestess Reversed

The Empress Upright   The Empress Reversed

The Emperor Upright    The Emperor Reversed

The Heirophant Upright    The Heirophant Reversed

The Lovers Upright     The Lovers Reversed

The Chariot Upright   The Chariot Reversed

Strength Upright     Strength Reversed

The Hermit Upright   The Hermit Reversed

The Wheel of Fortune Upright   The Wheel of Fortune Reversed

Justice Upright   Justice Reversed

The Hanged Man Upright   The Hanged Man Reversed

Death Upright     Death Reversed

Temperence Upright     Temperence Reversed

The Devil Upright   The Devil Reversed

The Tower Upright     The Tower Reversed

The Star Upright     The Star Reversed

The Moon Upright    The Moon Reversed

The Sun Upright     The Sun Reversed

Judgement Upright      Judgement Reversed

The World Upright     The World Reversed

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