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I- The Magician
Associated Astrology: Mercury
Key words: Mastery, Timing, Communication, Innovation, Skill, Manifestation, Willpower, Action, Purpose, Focus, Education, Language, Productivity, Messages
"It's still magic, even if you know how it's done" - Terry Pratchett
Welcome to the Magician Card. The charismatic super-conductor of the tarot has arrived in a puff of mastery at precisely the right time. He is so adept in his actions, that to onlookers the results looks like magic. He is the archetypal alchemist who has the ability to transform lead into gold.
In a modern world he could be likened to a musician like Bob Dylan, famous for the being the 'voice of a generation' or great scientist like Nicholas Tesla, whose genius and showmanship saw him display a radio-controlled boat in 1898 to an suitably impressed crowd! The Magician always breaks new ground. The knowledge he possesses can shape the zeitgeist of his era. How? Well, ambition and unwavering self-belief are always the best place to start.
He is related to the planet Mercury and as such is the messenger of the gods, but also a god himself. This makes him uniquely placed in channelling knowledge from the inspirational ether into the reality of human experience. He is a master of communication and the ultimate Master of Ceremonies. He is also associated with the chemical elements, the alphabet, sacred geometry, and the mysteries, to name a few!
His message is one of willpower and focus. With a magic word he can manifest in any area of life, and in the tarot these areas are represented by the symbols of each suit, or element, which traditionally sit on a table in front of him.
Mercury was a seriously significant god to the ancient Greeks and Romans and was known as a psychopomp (conductor of souls). As a result he was able to assist the transition of souls between heaven and the underworld. He is a force that joins mystery to reality and his wand is an emblem of this bridge between realms.
So what is he saying to you?
First and foremost, he wants you to recognise that the thoughts you are having contain valuable potential, as he represents the process of articulating your ideas. He is not related to the birth of language for nothing! Write about it and talk about it to kick things off. It's quite possible you're feeling inspired, and now is time to brainstorm.
Secondly, he is asking you to recognise the power of now. For me the Magician's ultimate gift is one of timing. He indicates that you are ideally placed to able to communicate your ideas with a confident gusto. Because of his word-wielding capabilities, he is notoriously charming and can engage a crowd easily. No other character in tarot can hold the attention of the masses like one. He is telling you that this is the time to 'Get your show on the road'. If you are looking to channel your focus in anyway, or to showcase your new project, he is the ideal companion. It's on you to take advantage of his energetic and perfectly timed gift.
The Magician doesn't care about those who doubt or disbelieve. He is untouchable because he is who he is and he knows what he knows. 'I can because I am' is his mantra. With him well-placed in a reading, then so can you!
The resources, like the tools on his table, are truly at your fingertips.
The Reversed Magician: When dealing with a reversed card, or when surrounded by cards that indicate negative elements then this card can become the very opposite of focussed and inspired. The energy he brings can be confused and dissipated making it hard to know where to go.
You may feel beset with choices and possible directions, resulting in a sensation of being blocked where you are neither 'here nor there'. You can swing from over-confidence in some areas to crippling doubt (the equivalent of stage fright) in others.
The need to regain control over your reality can therefore be an issue. You must take care to curb a desire to manipulate or convince others to invest in you. The flip side of the Magician can seek reassurance via social approval or shared belief systems, but these modes of behaviour can truly impede self-development. Even if your cause is 'worthy', close attention to your true inner intention is vital to avoid pitfalls.
You are not well-placed to ensure people receive a genuine return for their effort to invent in your ideas. At the root of this concept is a belief that 'they have what I need'. It is as if the channelling forces favoured other people and you may feel unfairly short changed.
This is not a challenge to use your persuasion or intellect to gain footing, money, affection or admiration. Stop competing and comparing. Truly let go of caring about what other people think.
If you withdraw from the pressing voices of needs and wants you can find true connection. If ever there was a time to use meditation, yoga, counselling or any other focussed technique in order to relax and balance - it is now.
Regardless of how he is aspected, the Magician is always about being in the moment. This is either a call to expand your energetic power or, reversed, to retract from wanting. If he is upside down then all those tools fall to his head and float about in the sky. Only by finding an inner stillness are we able to rediscover a sense of grounding.
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True accomplishment is found in an authentic expression of one's destiny, and searching the soul for what that means to you.