The Magician — The Major Arcana
The word Arcana comes from the Latin word Arcanum, which represents a sacred secret or mystery that one must discover. The Magician is related to the Major Arcana and signifies major life lessons you’ll learn on this path, that of taking risks!
The secret paths of the Major Arcana represent the journey of the Fool, in which the Fool learns new lessons with every step of the way and overcomes obstacles and gains wisdom from lessons learned.
The Magician — The Risk Taker
The path of the Magician represents the magic of possibilities, discipline and focus. The Magician is the charming negotiator with magical communication skills. His verbal eloquence makes him a persuasive speaker, salesperson or negotiator but also a deceptive trickster or bluffer when he uses his elocutionary gifts to accomplish darker goals.
“I am ruled by the planet Mercury. Mercury symbolizes how my mind works, the speed with how I think, talk, communicate, travel, write and analyze a situation. I am a skilled negotiator with a strong desire to achieve my goals. I am cunning and will not tell you my plans. I control my environment, it doesn’t control me. Be prepared for delays because I may keep you waiting until I am ready.”
“My focus is strong and magical. They call me Magic, I am the experienced schmoozer with bursts of energy!”
The Magician’s Ruler — The Planet Mercury
Did you know Mercury is the planet of communication and travel and this planets purpose is to help the Magician take a risk so he’ll put his plans into action? However, when Mercury turns retrograde — this energy adds an unexpected spin on the situation, the Magician might go into hay-wire mode regarding unexpected misunderstandings, delayed messages and miscommunications. These are the times when the Magician will feel secretly disrupted while writing, learning and with communication.
Mercury was the messenger of the gods, known to the Greeks as Hermes. This god was a rascal in his early years, a thief, liar, trickster, musician and messenger, capable of talking his way out of any predicament and one of the reasons why the Magician is the trickster or bluffer in the reverse position.
The planet Mercury’s fame lies above all, in its speed, whirling around the Sun faster than any other planet: eighty-eight days to orbit the Sun and about twelve months to travel through the entire zodiac. That means Mercury moves through each sign in the zodiac at blazing speed, vibrating through your thoughts and into every corner of your mind, urging you to communicate with a strong voice. Mercury determines not only your manner of thought but also the speed at which you gather information, how you think, talk, communicate, travel, write and analyze. The planet Mercury’s dynamics gives you a good clue to why the timing of the Magician card is rather fast and sometimes unpredictable.
Murphy’s Law — Retrograde Motion
Retrograde motion slows everything down and makes you wait. During retrograde motion, you’ll be fighting against Mercury’s slowness because the planet looks like it’s backpedaling but it’s only an illusion, because the Earth is moving faster than the planet Mercury.
Retrograde motion brings out unexpected snafus with communication and travel.
During this period, there is much gossip, unexpected messages, many glitches related to the radio, phone, computer and internet, as well as local transportation glitches with cars, buses, planes and trains.
Writer’s block occurs, with your mind feeling clouded and stuck, and unusual weather patterns and floods will cause delays with communication and transportation.
The Little Rascal – The Magician of Greek Mythology
Hermes was a rascal who had a hidden agenda and was extremely precocious. Hours after his birth he snuck out of his crib and headed off on an adventure which included stealing cattle from his half-brother, Apollo, and hiding them in a cave, creating a lyre (lute) from a turtle shell, and inventing sacrificial divine worship. He then returned to his crib as if nothing had happened.
Apollo discovered his cattle were missing and became livid! Being the gifted god of prophecy and omens as well as the Sun god, he determined that Hermes stole the cattle. Finding the supposedly hapless infant in his crib, Apollo took Hermes to see his father, Zeus (king of the gods, fate and destiny).
When confronted, Hermes lied and said that he did not take the cattle. Zeus did not believe him, but Hermes finally confessed and said that he would return the cattle. He gave Apollo his lyre, and Apollo gave Hermes a golden rod to lead the cattle home. Apollo then honored Hermes as the god of herdsman and shepherds.
Hermes promised Zeus that he would never lie again, and Zeus named him the messenger, the traveler and negotiator who would work for the gods!
The Story of the Magician Tarot Card
The Magician is enumerated one in the Tarot deck, the number one referring to the self. He symbolizes new beginnings, where all things are possible, and his confidence enables him to focus all his attention on the realization of his dreams.
The Magician depicts a young, attractive, robed male emanating confidence. The yellow sky reflects his vitality, and the green vines that hover above him are symbolic of his continuous growth.
The sign of infinity — and of the Holy Spirit — shimmers above his head. He holds a staff in his right hand, directed towards the heavens and the Earth. This bi-directional staff signifies his power as a conduit for the Holy Spirit. His left hand is pointing toward Earth, directing spiritual energy that descends from above to the Earth.
The figure eight hovering above his head, representing his thoughts, stands for infinity (the lemniscates symbol) and for eternal power. The Magician knows his energy cannot be destroyed as long as he has control of his thoughts.
Timelessness and limitless power are also conveyed by the Magician’s belt, which recalls the Ouroboros serpent shedding its skin and devouring its own tail, an act that suggest infinity, rebirth, immortality, rejuvenation, and eternity. Whatever befalls the Magician, he recuperates quickly and sheds the past as the serpent sheds its skin.
The Magician’s tools lie on the red table in front of him: a sword, wand, cup and pentacle, representations of the four elements of the zodiac relating to air, fire, water, and earth. The Magician asserts his mastery of his tools, refusing to allow control over him. Master of his own destiny, he is designated number one, which indicates that he puts himself first.
Spread before him are white lilies (representing purity) interspersed with a blaze of red roses (representing his abstract thoughts and desires). Above the Magician is an abundance of yet more red roses, tokens of his passion. White and red surface yet again in his apparel as balanced colors — a white gown, white bandana and a red cloak — the color white symbolic of femininity and purity, the color red symbolic of masculinity and passion.
The Magician boasts full command of his available resources, needing only the control of his own thoughts to make himself the ruler of his reality.
The Magician symbolizes man’s connection to the Holy Spirit as well as the Earth’s connection to what lies above. Infinite powers flow through him — as a vessel from the celestial heaven — on their ineffable path to the Earth.
My Interpretation of the Magician Tarot Card
The Magician teems with charisma and magnetism. His verbal eloquence makes make him a persuasive speaker, salesperson or negotiator but also a deceptive foe when he uses his elocutionary gifts (his magical communication skills) to accomplish darker goals.
Fueled by a strong desire to achieve and dominate, he can nevertheless suffer under the burden of the past and emerges from its spell at times only with difficulty. When so burdened, the Magician can become a trickster or bluffer and skillfully create an illusion of preparedness that belies his true condition because, of course, he wants to win.
The Magician is enumerated one which suits him perfectly since this card represents someone who can attain goals through personal tools, which for the Magician are his agile mind and adept communication skills. The Magician symbolizes new beginnings, where all things are possible and his confidence enables him to focus all his attention on the task at hand. His mastery and capacity for focus are unshakeable.
The Magician is connected to the planet Mercury — aptly so considering its parallels with his power of communication and manner of thinking. The Magician’s energies also recall the planet Mercury’s dynamics, coming in “fast,” short bursts. In his lowest form, the Magician embodies the mind of the deceitful and cunning trickster or bluffer; yet on a higher level he corresponds to the fascinating workings of a rational, objective mind. His thinking is short term, rooted firmly in the present. He is quick to contradict but also to come up with answers.
When he feels incapable of freeing himself from the clutches of the past, his iron will wards him against harm or failure. The Magician never discloses his inscrutable plans because of his need to win at all he sets his hand to. The Magician uses his charm and communication skills to persuade the people around him to agree with his way of thinking. He is the magical communicator that uses his charming negotiation skills to get what he wants.
In a reading, if the Magician is surrounded by positive Tarot cards, it may mean his charm and sense of fun makes him a pleasure to associate with. However, if the Magician card is surrounded by negative cards, it may portend that you are at the risk being duped or cheated.
Upright. You’re putting your plans into action because you’re confident and focused. You’re the experienced messenger, traveler and negotiator.
Reverse. You might feel overconfident (misleading, the trickster or schmoozer) or your plans are delayed because something went hay-wire. You might keep others waiting in thrall because you’re not ready to put your plans into action or you will mislead others into making the wrong choices or you will schmooze someone to get what you want.
Timing: Shockingly unexpected, immediate or 1 – 30 days.
Note: If you get the Fool and Magician crossing each other, in your Tarot Spread, you get the Joker (the wild card).
The wild card brings trouble because the Magician’s plans were already in action and these plans were pre-planned. The Joker is cunning, unpredictable, and, sometimes, a troublesome person that is seeking revenge.
This article is also located on Lotus Tarot (tarot card meanings). You can also find me on Lotus Tarot if you’re interested in a reading. http://www.free-tarot-reading.net/live-readings/Safina/chat