The Magician

With such a trump card in hand, you can start the game! The time of waiting and inactivity is clearly over, it's time, it's time! New opportunities appear for solving old problems, achieving set goals, with a rapid development of events expected. The Magician is a very energetically saturated and positive card, and it calls for equally energetic and creative action from the querent ("you wanted it yourself – you do it yourself"). The Magician says – you have power. Right at this moment, you are given the ability to manage the course of events and control your surroundings. Exert will and mind – and you will be able to subdue the elements in the game, people, resources, driving forces of the action. Don't you want that? Carpe diem! This is a rare opportunity to transform the situation, move to a qualitatively different level of being, surpass yourself, master new spheres of life, achieve new heights (material, intellectual, romantic, creative, spiritual – any). The Magician, as the first card of the first septenary, always means the beginning of some new period of life when nothing is yet decided and no mistakes have been made.

The Magician says that the entire process about which the question is asked is proceeding under the direct control of the querent; he is the main actor, and therefore it is up to him to decide which way to turn the situation. As a rule, The Magician card says that the present time is a period of relative safety and success, when one can quite create favorable conditions for oneself and generally take something under one's control. The card makes it clear that there are all possibilities to transform and arrange one's life. Under The Magician, changes usually originate from the querent themselves, although it also happens that life transforms some external factor (a hint of this can be given by surrounding cards).

The Magician reports an excellent opportunity to realize what is conceived in reality. It foretells success and announces a physically tangible beginning of actions. It can indicate the start of an enterprise no worse than The Fool, a sudden insight, enlightenment. If The Fool's energy is chaotic, The Magician's energy is a very purposeful and orderly impulse. What will happen with this impulse further and where it will lead will be shown by the surrounding cards.

The main thing The Magician does is produce changes to bring about desired results. He can do this as an artist, a commander, or a doctor. Moreover, The Magician asserts himself and transforms the world to suit himself and offers the querent to do the same. As a rule, the person is perfectly aware of which area of life it is time to show activity and take initiative into their own hands. Perhaps they have long resisted this and do not want at all to take the bull by the horns. But precisely The Magician says: all necessary resources are available for realization – a plan, material prerequisites, time, people, skills, personal qualities, ripe karma... call it what you want. Everything is accessible, everything works for you, you can do it. It remains to add initiative and enterprise, and the deal is done! The Magician has one purely esoteric peculiarity – his actions "echo" very far. They always cause consequences. Sometimes it looks like sheer magic – did a trifle, produced a very small change, and processes rushed unimaginably and consequences poured out like from a cornucopia (not necessarily those the person counted on). Well, that's exactly how magicians worked (and work), producing changes in the magic circle and causing other changes far beyond its boundaries. So The Magician is a kind of warning that now actions (including at the level of intentions, desires, and imagination) will have increased effectiveness. Life is full of wonders. And not least, one must learn to manage one's thoughts because now it is consciousness that determines being.

In Tarot, there are many Arcana emphasizing mainly the power of the unconscious. The Magician emphasizes the power of consciousness. The Magician is characterized by originality and creativity, intelligence, quick-wittedness, an active life position, an independent spirit, willpower, self-confidence, the ability to control one's own actions and influence other people, determination to see things through. The Magician knows no fear.

The forest is waist-high, and the sea is knee-deep – that is his distinctive feature. He does not know what it is to tremble, avoid, and postpone, which is why his biography risks becoming a bestseller during his lifetime. Intelligence, skills – everything is with him. He is capable of getting fired up by some idea himself and captivating others. And what seems unattainable to ordinary people, The Magician sees only as the next "peak" on his path. The Magician is a master of communication; what he knows how to do is communicate. Unlike the rigid and uncompromising Emperor, The Magician is more flexible and cunning (and as a rule does not reveal his strategy to anyone completely). He can influence other people not only imperatively, and his domination is not so straightforward, therefore it can be less tangible, but he can easily try to take power into his own hands. His actions are never random, chaotic, and illogical – he KNOWS what he is doing. But does not always fully understand what he is doing...

Some authors unequivocally interpret The Magician negatively, as a fraudster who should not be trusted (a similar negative distortion is found in the case of The High Priestess). Apparently, this is the result of some personal observations and cannot be considered the only correct one. The Magician is capable of strongly influencing reality, pursuing his goals, that's all we know about him. These goals may well be honest and noble, and the methods of influence – delicate and ethical. Although, of course, this is not always the case, and sometimes such ability can even corrupt a person.

If The Fool, unaware of himself, identifies with the Creator – then the card The Magician implies a distinct vision of oneself, and a vision that is not mundane. This is the first numbered card of the Tarot: any path begins with self-awareness and self-determination. The Magician loses the absolute free will of The Fool but adds to will knowledge, making him a master of his craft. He is full of creative masculine power. He can be associated with the Sun and Mercury. Mercury in its high hypostasis 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 a messenger of the gods, conveying their will to mortal people, but the same Hermes is a deity of cunning, and businesslike ancient Greeks turned to him when starting any commercial venture, especially not entirely legal. The winged messenger may indicate receiving some important information – this is another meaning of the card. The intermediary, border role of Hermes-Magician is noted by Banzhaf and Akron (referring to another author): "In borderline situations and systems that have reached their limits, the archetype of Hermes-Mercury manifests everywhere: he knows how to create fog, disorient... his liberating laughter shakes the system. In times of social cataclysms, revolutions, and uprisings, a great many tricksters and cunning individuals always appear."

The Magician is not the first card of the deck for nothing. At the very beginning of the journey, it indicates that all created things are nothing but a dream, the existence of divinely created elements fashioned by trickery, and life – a continuous gambling game. The seeming miracles of nature are simply the deeds of a cosmic conjurer. In fact, The Magician is like God. The lemniscate above his head personifies access to higher knowledge and the hermetic principle "as above, so below." In his upraised hand is by no means a sword, but a wand. Wands – the embodiment of will and thought, governing the elements (the spirituality of the cup or cross, the pentacle of earth or the mason's square, and the energy of the sword). The image on the Arcana says that The Magician is the ruler of the four elements of the world and a tribute to the four principles of magic: to know (cups), to dare (swords), to will (wands), and to keep silent (pentacles). The Magician personifies the power of consciousness and confidence in one's abilities (partly rooted in ignorance), power over the forces that move this world. For him, contact with previously inaccessible wisdom has occurred, resulting in an increase in implementational power.

Although the card indicates a high potential of consciousness, this does not mean that the potential of other, subconscious forces at this time can be neglected. On the contrary: the readiness for action, for success, indicated by The Magician, is based precisely on harmony between consciousness and the subconscious. Only thanks to self-confidence arising from this harmony can we truly move mountains. The Magician's right hand is raised and draws in power from above. The right hand is controlled by the rational left hemisphere of the brain. The wand in The Magician's right hand attracts creative energy from the heavens, consciously focuses it (in this sense, it is a "magic wand"). Although one can allow that The Magician's acquisition of inspiration, creative vision occurs outside of logic. But through the left hand directed at objects, controlled by the irrational right hemisphere, his influence on manifestations in the world descends. Cards also often advise drawing with the left hand so that the process is carried out not so much logically as intuitively. The Magician's body thus represents an energetic channel for the embodiment of ideas, a kind of instrument. Through him, what wishes to be created rushes into the world. This magical gesture, giving consciousness the possibility 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 universe in his mind becomes a universe in reality, whatever he thinks will come true... the question is, what. This is individualistic creative self-expression, not yet fully tamed by responsibility. A stage in spiritual development where personality formation occurs through creative abilities, autocratic subjugation of all aspects of life while mastering the key, having great potential to control oneself and the world. But in reality, The Magician is still naive and self-confident. The world seems to him a playground; he cheerfully demiurges, but with the childlike approach of Alexander the Great – to reach the edge of the world, what's there to walk... The Magician does not yet know that his power over the world will end with a card where there will be only The World, and he himself will not be. In The Magician is embodied the childish self-confidence and power 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 any Major Arcana, at any stage of development. For The Magician, it is the risk of "creating a mess – you won't sort it out."

Speaking of The Magician's youthful self-confidence, the LHC – Large Hadron Collider – comes to mind. A picture in the style of Biedstrøp: a cloud hovering over the collider, two Elohim sitting, dangling their legs and looking down curiously. One says to the other:

"Listen, what did they build this for?" "Well, they want to understand how ALL THIS is made! They're looking..." "Ah!... and what are they looking for?" "Some Higgs boson..." "Well, well..."

The Magician truly rules over the inner and outer world, and therefore already at this stage the temptation arises to consider the goal achieved (although in reality this is only a "playroom," the first step on the path of growth, the formation of abilities through objective activity, and The Magician is the Apprentice). This is the God complex at the childish stage of spiritual development. A powerful, self-confident personality with a sense of boundless abilities to influence reality. Iron willpower, courage, and a sense of omnipotence – a rather adolescent set of self-assertion at the stage when independence is first managed to be manifested. But if there is an overreach, life will force the mastery of a much quieter, more precise, and careful behavior ("first think and understand" – but that's already for the next Arcana, The High Priestess).

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

The Magician foretells the conquest of new heights in some work, usually interesting to the person themselves. This is not the case when one drags one's feet to work, moping and cursing everything. The Magician is a fan of his work and usually brilliantly knowledgeable in his field. An indicator of a competent specialist, a master. The Magician emphasizes professionalism, mastery, possession of many knowledge and skills, competitive advantages. Readiness to transform the world, ability to use one's talents to accomplish a task. Confidence in one's professionalism. Creative abilities. Ability to manage – people and events. In business, it usually means a call to active action, to seize the initiative, to firmly defend one's positions. Sometimes (if the person themselves cannot at all identify with The Magician in this situation) it indicates intrigues, complication of affairs, and, naturally, a strong competitor capable of causing a lot of trouble. Possibly, someone is trying to seize power, control over the situation.

The Magician often indicates writers and literary people, so the table before him, on which the "elements of the world" are laid out, can sometimes boldly be considered a writing desk, and the wand in his hand – a pen. He demiurges and creates reality (and, by the way, sometimes encounters that something from this happens in reality). Generally, the table often plays an important role in The Magician's work (and can well be an operating, laboratory, teacher's, and sometimes even a launching table). It is amazing, but the elements of the image on the Arcana sometimes should be understood absolutely literally – it works.

Dexterity, inventiveness, mastery, search for new non-standard solutions. Under The Magician go rather creative, intellectual, and creative professions – builders, architects and designers, writers, artists, specialists in advertising and public relations, managers, and, of course, teachers. Usually, The Magician leaves on everything he does the imprint of his individuality, his professional approach. Under The Magician, doctors and all sorts of therapists (including psychotherapy and all sorts of extrasensory approaches) not so rarely pass. Traditionally, The Magician has a special relation to medicine and chemistry (historically he is The Alchemist!). The Magician is a scientist and naturalist, and what exactly he studies or practices on will be suggested by other cards (especially Court Cards). Moreover, he is, as a rule, a skilled negotiator.

Under The Magician go all sorts of trainings and trainers who know how to speak publicly, change masks, and adapt to the audience. The Magician, naturally, shares knowledge, but not all, and does it by no means just like that. Radio and television workers, all sorts of presenters, professionally media personalities are also often described by this card. The Magician reflects concentration of attention, acuity of perception, quick reaction, a lively and inspired mind, therefore very favorable for study questions. Successful passing of exams, tests, passing various qualifications and certifications. Ideas are correct and there is enough energy to realize what is conceived in life.

The Magician speaks of ideas, undertakings, drawing up plans and projects, recognition of existing opportunities (e.g., market), of creative actions and implementation of projects.

The Magician is an ambiguous card in love. On one hand, it has gained fame as a sign of powerful, bright, confident male sexuality. One – the archetype of a masculine number, and The Magician's wand is a phallic symbol. A partner described by The Magician is a bright personality, sexual, masculine, self-confident, possessing the fullness of physical and spiritual abilities. Not so rarely – a subtle dictator and manipulator, regardless of gender. The Magician knows how to charm and bewitch. He knows how to make the first move or attract without making that move but motivating the other to do so.

With not particularly favorable surrounding cards (the crown here, of course, is The Devil), The Magician emphasizes issues of power, control, and confrontation of sides ("in that duel of self-wills, who in whose hand was only a ball?"). When The Magician's motto "I want!" collides with the motto "And I don't want!", viscous power relationships form ("you'll be mine!"), serious games, confrontations, struggles of wills, sometimes "to the victory," after which the universe cannot be restored. The Magician is a very enterprising and strong-willed comrade, and essentially pushes like a tank, removing all obstacles in the way (though externally this may look not at all so straightforward but very veiled, especially concerning Magicians of the female sex). He is characterized by exceptional self-motivation (precisely "self" – the other side may not motivate and even kick back in every way), and he does not calm down until he achieves his goal. Sometimes it is indicated that he is used to getting everything at once, and patience is not his strong suit, but one can argue with that. The Magician concentrates on the task with all his will, "with all his thoughts, with all his understanding" (precisely why The Magician is an excellent card for training like medical training, in the process of which a person is ready to go through everything and subordinate himself to the set goal). Generally, his "professional advice" is to give body and soul to the cause. In this case, the "cause" becomes the conquest of another person. Therefore, as the great Bulgakov would say, be reliable. If this is truly his goal, he will find the means.

At the same time, The Magician is a considerable individualist. One is one. His individuality is so strong that he does not feel a particular need for complementation. He is selfish, intelligent, not particularly sentimental, and endowed with the strongest will to act – for example, to end relationships that do not suit him or to start relationships that he now needs. He is not always inclined to pay attention to the moods and feelings of other people (or rather, takes them into account insofar as it is in his interests).

As in everything else, The Magician says that it is within our power to transform the situation in the desired direction – find a soulmate, divorce the first... in short, perform an ordinary miracle. The advice The Magician can give in love is to solve problems! Forge new, unprecedented happiness with your own hands, learn and teach, build relationships as you wish, create your masterpiece day by day, a garden in place of a desert.