The Magician

With such a trump card in hand, one can begin the game! The time of waiting and inaction has clearly passed — it is time, it is time! New opportunities are appearing for solving old problems and achieving set goals, and swift developments are to be expected. The Magician is a highly charged and positive card, and it calls for equally energetic and constructive action on the part of the querent ("wanted it for yourself — did it yourself"). The Magician says: you have power. Right at this present moment, you have been given the ability to steer the course of events and control your surroundings. Apply your will and reason — and you will be able to master the elements in play, the people, the resources, the driving forces of the action. Don't you want that? Carpe diem! This is a rare opportunity to transform the situation, to move to a qualitatively different level of being, to surpass yourself, to master new spheres of life, to reach new heights — material, intellectual, romantic, creative, spiritual — whatever you wish. The Magician, as the first card of the first septet, always signifies the beginning of some new life period, when nothing has yet been decided and no mistakes have been made.

The Magician says that the entire process the question is about is proceeding under the direct control of the querent — they are the main protagonist, and so it is up to them to decide which way the situation should turn. As a rule, The Magician card says that the present moment is a period of relative safety and success, when it is quite possible to create favorable conditions for oneself and generally take something under one's control. The card makes clear that there are all the opportunities to transform and set one's life in order. Under The Magician, changes usually originate from the querent themselves, though it also happens that some external factor transforms the situation (the surrounding cards may hint at this).

The Magician announces an excellent opportunity to bring what was conceived into reality. It heralds success and proclaims the physically tangible beginning of action. It can indicate the start of an enterprise just as well as The Fool, pointing to a sudden illumination, an enlightenment. If The Fool's energy is chaotic, then The Magician's energy is a very purposeful and ordered impulse. What becomes of this impulse and where it leads will be shown by the surrounding cards.

The main thing The Magician does is produce changes in order to bring about desired results. He can do this as an artist, a commander, or a physician. Moreover, The Magician asserts himself and transforms the world according to his own design, and invites the querent to do the same. As a rule, a person knows perfectly well where in their life it is time to become active and take the initiative into their own hands. They may have resisted this for a long time and may not want to take the bull by the horns at all. But it is precisely The Magician who says: all the necessary resources for the undertaking are in place — the plan, the material preconditions, the time, the people, the skills, the personal qualities, the ripened karma... call it what you will. Everything is available, everything is working in your favor, you can do it. All that remains is to add initiative and enterprise, and the matter is settled! The Magician has one purely esoteric characteristic — his actions "echo" very far. They always produce consequences. Sometimes this looks like pure magic — you did something small, made a quite minor change, and the processes rushed off unimaginably and consequences poured down like a cornucopia (not necessarily the ones the person expected). Well, this is exactly how magicians worked (and still work) — making changes within the magic circle and causing other changes far beyond its boundaries. So The Magician is a kind of warning that right now, actions (including at the level of intentions, desires, and imagination) will have an elevated effectiveness. Life is full of wonders. And not least of all, one must learn to manage one's thoughts, because right now it is consciousness that determines existence.

In the Tarot there are many Arcana that emphasize primarily the power of the unconscious. The Magician emphasizes the power of consciousness. Originality and creativity, intellect, quick-wittedness, an active approach to life, an independent spirit, willpower, self-confidence, the ability to control one's own actions and influence other people, and the resolve to see things through to completion — these are The Magician's hallmarks. The Magician knows no fear.

He goes through fire and water without a second thought — that is his distinguishing trait. He does not know what it means to tremble, avoid, or procrastinate, and that is precisely why his life story risks becoming a bestseller while he is still alive. Intellect, skills — he has it all. He is capable of igniting himself with some idea and carrying others along. And what seems unattainable to ordinary people appears to The Magician as merely the next "summit" on his path. The Magician is a master of communication — if there is one thing he excels at, it is connecting with people. Unlike the strict and uncompromising Emperor, The Magician is more flexible and cunning (and as a rule never reveals his strategy fully to anyone). He can influence other people not only in a directive manner, and his dominance is not so straightforward, which means it may be less perceptible — but he can easily try to take power into his own hands. His actions are never random, chaotic, or illogical — he KNOWS what he is doing. But he does not always fully understand what he is doing...

Some authors interpret The Magician unambiguously as negative — a swindler who is not to be trusted (a similar negative distortion is encountered with The High Priestess as well). This is apparently the result of certain personal observations and cannot be considered the only correct reading. The Magician is capable of strongly influencing reality in pursuit of his goals — that is all we know about him. Those goals may well be honest and noble, and his methods of influence may be delicate and ethical. Though, of course, this is not always the case, and sometimes such a capacity can corrupt a person entirely.

If The Fool, without being aware of himself, identifies with the Creator — then The Magician card presupposes a clear vision of oneself, and not an ordinary vision. This is the first card of the Tarot by number: any path begins with self-awareness and self-definition. The Magician loses the absolute freedom of will of The Fool, but adds knowledge to the will, making him a master of his craft. He is full of creative masculine force. He can be associated with the Sun and Mercury. Mercury in his high aspect is a symbol of Will, Knowledge, and the Word-Logos that creates worlds. In antiquity, Hermes (Mercury) was considered the patron of prophets and secret sciences; he served as the messenger of the gods, conveying their will to mortal men — but that same Hermes is the deity of cunning, and the businesslike ancient Greeks turned to him when undertaking some commercial venture, especially one not entirely above board. The winged messenger may also be announcing the receipt of some important information — this is another meaning of the card. The mediating, liminal role of Hermes-Magician is noted by Banzhaf and Akron (citing another author): "In boundary situations and systems that have reached their limits, the archetype of Hermes-Mercury manifests everywhere: he knows how to create a fog, to disorient... his liberating laughter shakes the system. In times of social upheaval, revolutions, and uprisings, a great multitude of sly operators and tricksters always appears."

The Magician is not the first card of the deck without reason. Right at the beginning of the journey it points to the fact that all that has been created is nothing other than a dream, the existence of conjuringly created divine elements, and life — an unceasing game of chance. The apparent wonders of nature are simply the deeds of a cosmic wizard. In fact, The Magician is akin to God. The lemniscate above his head embodies access to higher knowledge and the Hermetic principle "as above, so below." In his upraised hand is not a sword, but a wand. Wands are the embodiment of will and thought that governs the elements (the spirituality of the cup or cross, the pentacle of earth or the freemason's square, and the energy of the sword). The image on the Arcanum says that The Magician is the master of the four elements of the world and the tribute-payer of the four principles of magic: to know (cups), to dare (swords), to will (wands), and to be silent (pentacles). The Magician embodies the power of consciousness and confidence in one's abilities (partly rooted in ignorance), authority over the forces that move this world. For him there has occurred a contact with a previously inaccessible wisdom, resulting in an increase in the power of realization.

Even though the card indicates a high potential of consciousness, this does not mean that the potential of other, subconscious forces can be neglected at this time. On the contrary: the readiness for action, for success, indicated by The Magician, is based precisely on the harmony between consciousness and subconsciousness. Only thanks to the self-confidence that arises as a result of this harmony can we truly move mountains. The Magician's right hand is raised and draws in strength from above. The right hand is governed by the rational left hemisphere of the brain. The wand in The Magician's right hand attracts creative energy from the heavens, consciously focusing it (in this sense it is a "magic wand"). Although one might allow that The Magician draws inspiration and creative vision outside of logic. And through the left hand directed at objects, governed by the irrational right hemisphere, his influence descends upon the manifestations in the world. Cards are also often advised to be drawn with the left hand, so that the process is carried out intuitively rather than logically. The Magician's body in this case represents an energetic channel for the embodiment of ideas — a kind of instrument. Through it, that which desires to be created rushes into the world. This magical gesture, enabling consciousness to project itself into the world, symbolizes the principle: "as above, so below."

The Magician is a young free demiurge; his thought is material, the cosmos in his mind becomes the cosmos in reality — whatever he conceives comes to pass... the question is: what. This is individualistic creative self-expression, not yet fully bridled by responsibility. A stage in spiritual development at which the personality is formed through creative abilities — the sovereign subjugation of all aspects of life while mastering the key one, and there is great potential to govern oneself and the world. But in practice, The Magician is still naive and overconfident. The world appears to him as a playground; he cheerfully demiurgizes, yet with the childlike approach of Alexander the Great — to reach the edge of the world, how far can it be... The Magician does not yet know that his power over the world will end with a card where there will only be The World, and he himself will be absent. In The Magician is embodied the childlike arrogance and the might of the Atlanteans who used their energetic and gnostic abilities left and right until the planet went off the rails. So there is always a specific risk here. There is a risk in every Major Arcanum, at every stage of development. For The Magician, the risk is "causing such a mess you can't sort it out."

Speaking of The Magician's youthful overconfidence, the LHC — the Large Hadron Collider — comes to mind. A Bidstrup-style picture: a cloud hovering above the collider, two elohim sitting with their legs dangling, looking down with curiosity. One says to the other:

"Listen, what have they built down there?" "Well, they want to understand how ALL OF THIS was made! They're searching..." "Ah!... and what are they searching for exactly?" "Some Higgs boson..." "Well, well..."

The Magician truly holds sway over the inner and outer world, and so at this stage there already arises the temptation to believe the goal has been achieved (though in reality this is merely a "playroom," the first step on the path of growth, the forming of abilities through purposeful activity, and The Magician is the Apprentice). This is the God complex at the childlike stage of spiritual development. A dominant, overconfident personality with a sense of boundless ability to influence reality. Ironclad willpower, courage, and a feeling of omnipotence — a rather adolescent set of self-affirmation at the stage when one first manages to show independence. But if an excess occurs, life will force one to adopt a far quieter, more precise, and careful behavior ("think first and understand" — but that is already for the next Arcanum, The High Priestess).

The Magician can also mean initiation — a rite of consecration for the uninitiated. This is an extraordinarily important threshold in every person's life.

The Magician heralds the conquest of new heights in some endeavor — one that is, as a rule, genuinely interesting to the person themselves. This is not the case of someone dragging themselves to work, listless and cursing everything. The Magician is a devotee of his craft and as a rule is brilliantly versed in his field. An indicator of the competent specialist, the master. The Magician emphasizes professionalism, mastery, command of many kinds of knowledge and skill, competitive advantages. Readiness to transform the world, the ability to use one's talents to accomplish a task. Confidence in one's professionalism. Creative abilities. The ability to manage — people and events. In business, it usually means a call to active action, to seizing the initiative, to firmly asserting one's positions. Sometimes (if the person cannot at all identify themselves with The Magician in this situation) it points to intrigues, a complication of affairs, and naturally to a strong competitor capable of causing a great deal of trouble. Someone may be trying to seize power, to gain control over the situation.

The Magician not infrequently points to writers and literary figures, so the table before him on which the "elements of the world" are arranged can sometimes confidently be considered a writing desk, and the wand in his hand — a pen. He demiurgizes and creates reality (and, incidentally, sometimes encounters the fact that something from this actually happens in real life). In general, the table often plays an important role in The Magician's work (and may quite well be a surgical table, a laboratory bench, a teacher's desk, and sometimes even a launch pad). This is remarkable, but the elements of the image on the Arcana sometimes need to be understood absolutely literally — this actually works.

Dexterity, inventiveness, mastery, the search for new non-standard solutions. Under The Magician come primarily constructive, intellectual, and creative professions — builders, architects and designers, writers, artists, advertising and public relations specialists, managers, and of course teachers. As a rule, The Magician leaves the imprint of his individuality, his professional approach, on everything he does. Under The Magician, physicians and therapists of various kinds pass quite often (including psychotherapy and all manner of extrasensory approaches). By tradition, The Magician has a particular connection to medicine and chemistry (historically he is the Alchemist!). The Magician is a scientist and naturalist — and what exactly he studies or on whom he practices will be suggested by other cards (especially the Court Arcana). Moreover, he is generally a skilled negotiator.

Under The Magician come all sorts of trainings and trainers who are able to speak publicly, change personas, and adapt to an audience. The Magician naturally shares knowledge — but not all of it, and he does not do so for nothing. Radio and television workers, all kinds of hosts, professionally media-savvy figures are also often described by this card. The Magician reflects concentration of attention, sharpness of perception, quick reactions, a lively and inspired mind — and is therefore very favorable for questions about study. Successful passing of exams, tests, various qualifications and certifications. The ideas are sound and there is energy enough to bring what was conceived to life.

The Magician speaks of ideas, beginnings, drawing up plans and projects, recognizing available opportunities (market ones, for example), creative actions, and the implementation of projects.

The Magician speaks of gaining profit through enterprise and the use of one's abilities. Nothing will fall from the sky for free, but knowledge and skills will be valued and will help one earn. This is the classic indicator of business and entrepreneurial activity. The Magician helps one take the initiative in sorting out money matters and bring finances under control. He also says that the person understands how the world works, where money comes from, and what needs to be done to achieve results. In any case, The Magician says that right now there is the opportunity to transform the situation in the direction one desires.

The Magician is an ambiguous card in love. On the one hand, he has earned a reputation as a sign of powerful, vivid, confident masculine sexuality. The number one is the archetype of the masculine number, and The Magician's wand is a phallic symbol. The partner described by The Magician is a vibrant personality — sexual, virile, self-assured, possessing the full range of physical and spiritual capacities. Quite often — a subtle dictator and manipulator, regardless of gender. The Magician knows how to enchant and seduce. He knows how to make the first move, or to attract without making that move yet motivating the other to make it.

With particularly unfavorable surrounding cards (the crown of which is, of course, The Devil), The Magician accentuates questions of power, control, and the clash of wills ("in that duel of willfulness, who in whose hand was merely a ball?"). When The Magician's motto "I want!" collides with "And I don't want!", viscous power dynamics are formed ("you will be mine!") — serious games, standoffs, battles of will, sometimes fought "to the finish," after which the universe cannot be restored. The Magician is a very enterprising and strong-willed individual, and in essence charges forward like a tank, removing all obstacles from the path (though outwardly this may look not at all so straightforward — very veiled, in fact, especially in the case of female Magicians). He possesses exceptional self-motivation (it is precisely "self" — the other party may not motivate and may actively resist), and he does not rest until he achieves his goal. It is sometimes noted that he is accustomed to getting everything at once and patience is not his strong suit — but this can be debated. The Magician concentrates on the task with all his will, "with all his thoughts, with all his understanding" (which is precisely why The Magician is an excellent card for study of the medical type, in the course of which a person is prepared to go through anything and subordinate themselves to the set goal). In general, his "professional advice" is to give heart and soul to the matter. And in this case, the "matter" is the conquest of another person. So, as the great Bulgakov would say, rest assured: if this truly is his goal, he will find the means.

At the same time, The Magician is a pronounced individualist. One is one. His individuality is so strong that he does not particularly feel the need for a complement. He is egoistic, intelligent, not especially sentimental, and endowed with a very strong will to act — for instance, to end a relationship that does not suit him, or to begin one that he needs right now. He does not always incline to pay attention to the moods and feelings of others (or rather, he takes them into account insofar as it suits his interests).

As in everything else, The Magician says that it is in our power to transform the situation in the desired direction — to find a soulmate, to divorce the first... in short, to work an ordinary miracle. The advice The Magician can give in love is: solve your problems! With your own hands forge a new, previously unknown happiness, learn and teach, build the relationship you desire, create your masterpiece day by day — a garden in place of a desert.

Generally speaking, if one trusts the direct symbolism, The Magician embodies vital force and clearly says that the person is in excellent shape. Traditional interpretations are for some reason quite negative, possibly due to the strong association with the healer — and if a healer has arrived, something must have happened: trouble, misfortune, suffering, grief, disorder, illness, ailment, weakness, anguish, pain, a doctor, a healer. In modern readings it is considered that The Magician heralds a favorable outcome when the question concerns health problems (the doctor will be able to provide the needed help; it should be borne in mind that physical and mental health are closely connected). Reversed, The Magician strongly accentuates mental imbalance (perhaps because in its natural state reason and will are at their peak — here they are blocked or a pathological manifestation develops). Before The Fool — strong stress, danger of losing one's mind; perhaps because both cards symbolize the descent of information from above into the weak human mind. With the Seven of Swords in old interpretations — you will not fall ill; it is for the better.

The reversed card can point to two different phenomena: a blocked flow of energy or its incorrect application. In the first case, this is weakness of will and ability, impotence, lack of self-belief. It may signal indecisiveness and self-doubt, a dismissive and unfounded attitude toward oneself (as a person) and toward one's abilities. Nevertheless, there are authors who assert that The Magician card is always positive — the person simply underestimates their control over the situation, the scope of their power of realization, so to speak. In reversed position, The Magician may mean that the moment of choice has already passed, that events have begun to unfold according to their own laws, so that now all one can do is wait for the outcome. In the second case, the reversed Magician points to the use of abilities for destructive purposes, to the abuse of force and power, to egoism. As the remarkable author Mary Greer writes: "The Reversed Magician reminds me of a teenager who, having committed a misdeed, shouts: 'It wasn't me! I wasn't even there.'"

Cunning, unscrupulousness, and treachery; playing on the weaknesses of others (for example, a swindler, a blackmailer, a recruiter). Besides this, this is the case where someone may have outsmarted themselves — the goal was achieved and it turned out to be nothing like what was needed. Sometimes it may indicate that the goal itself is fine, but the means chosen are unfortunate (for instance, an office romance in a given firm is not the best means of building a career). Other cards in the spread will say more about this. Sometimes the possibility is indicated that someone is conducting magical operations against the querent.

Cards that amplify the effect of The Magician in a spread include Judgement (heralding ultimate success and the most positive changes in life), the Eight of Pentacles (development of mastery), the Eight of Wands (an element of illumination, the penetration of secrets), the Two of Wands (the attainment of power). One can certainly also expect an amplifying resonant effect from other cards — for instance, The Emperor, Strength, The Sun, the Six of Wands, the Three of Pentacles.

The Star or The Moon alongside The Magician speak of the benefit of developing intuitive abilities and the need to listen to one's inner voice. There is merit in acting on intuition, even if from the outside this seems to contradict common sense.

Cards that are opposite in energy are the passive, introverted High Priestess who waits, the Hanged Man who is inactive and bound hand and foot, the Four of Swords taking a time-out, and the Eight of Swords languishing in powerlessness and confusion.

The combination of The Magician and The Devil is eloquent ("be careful what you wish for"), as is The Magician and The Tower (and here comes the bill).

This is Hermes Trismegistus, the Alchemist. He has grasped all things, alpha and omega, and above his head floats the symbol of infinity — the merging of consciousness and subconsciousness, the chief Hermetic principle (as above, so below...).

Thoth

Merlin

Adam

Daedalus (the brilliant ancient inventor)