1 The Magician

Keywords: power; magic; self-control; influence; the occult; the elements– earth, air, fire, water; self-assurance

Archetypes: Merlin; The Wizard of Oz; Gandalf; Dumbledore; Snow White’s step-mother, the Queen; King Arthur’s sister, Morgane

Correspondences:

Number/1

Planet/Mercury

Element/Air

Astrological Sun Sign/Aries

Upright Interpretation:

“You have the Power!”…says The Magician. He’s every great wizard or powerful witch who’s ever been portrayed in folklore or the media. He’s all the over-the-top special effects type magic you’ve ever wished you had. (And yes, we’ve all wished we could twitch our nose and get what we want.) He’s a reminder, just in case you’ve lost sight of the fact, that you are strong and capable and have it within yourself to be successful, to be a winner. Pick up this power, The Magician tells us, and run with it!

Reversed Interpretation:

Someone has found your weak spot and is draining you, or at least making you believe that you’ve lost “it”– the ability to win and succeed. Sometimes we actually do this to ourselves, through low self-esteem, through a lack of self-confidence. Sometimes this ugly little character called Doubt slips in, and convinces us that “we can’t”, when really “we can”. Don’t let your energy, your magic, and your strength drain away. Turn this card around, you can do it. Yes!– that’s the magic…You Can Do It!

Study Questions:

1. What is your first impression of this card?

2. What does this card mean to You?

3. Are there details on this card that especially stand out for you? If so, write them down and explain.

4. How does this card define relationships?

5. How does this card define financial circumstances?

6. How is this card relevant to health issues?

Affirmations for Meditation:

1. I am the power.

2. Earth is my body, may it be healthy and strong.

3. Air is my mind, may it soar with infinite possibilities.

4. Fire is my passion, may the flames of my will burn bright.

5. Water is my intuition, may my dreams and visions speak to me.

A Tarot Reading for The Magician:
The Magician ~ Queen/pentacles; 4/pentacles ®; Ace/swords ®

The Magician, the one with power and abilities above the realm of the rest of us human beings.  But is this a true scenario?  Sometimes the power of The Magician can be greatly exaggerated.  There are times when this individual is struggling just like the rest of us, but he may feel that there are higher expectations for him. (Like the Golden Child, so successful that he feels he will gravely disappoint if he is not repeatedly brilliant.)  This is so unreal, and unhealthy.   Behind (or beside, or in front of) this character stands a woman.  A powerful, strong, nurturing woman.  At her best, she may be his god-send; at her worst, she is what drives him to the brink of insanity.  Isn’t this the psychology example most familiar to us?…“How did you feel about your mother?”  But for The Magician, this can often be a very pointed, very defining, very eye-opening question with unexpected answers.

With all of the tools of power at his fingertips, along with the knowledge and gift that is the art of it all, The Magician still holds back.  What is it that this individual clings to so desperately?  It could be material things, but it more often than not goes much deeper than that.  He’s afraid to let go.  He’s afraid to let go because he might fall.  So he hangs on with a tenacious grip– to money, to relationships, to theologies, to ideas and opinions, not realizing that he might choke the life out of the very things he wishes to keep.

Communication will be the key to free The Magician.  With all of his glorious external paraphernalia representing power and magic, the one thing that has eluded this individual is the incredibly potent ability to communicate openly, clearly, honestly with the people around him, and sometimes even with himself.  This is where he needs to start to regain his balance, to clear his head, to pick up all the positive energy in the universe that is paused and waiting for him.  He needs to breathe the element of Air into his soul, he needs to clear the pathway for communication at all levels.

Tarot Study Guide
A Complete Listing

©2015 Amythyst Raine