I - The Magician
The Magician is the embodiment of deliberate action in the Major Arcana. He signifies how the creative process takes something intangible – an idea, burst of inspiration, or concept – and molds it into something tangible through action. The four symbols on the table represent the four suits in tarot. The Magician uses all of them in his process, a lovely nod to how so much bounty can come from a well-balanced life. Indeed, the foreground and top of the card is positively bursting with lush flowers.
The Magician is also, how to put it… magic. He’s not “The Worker,” after all. The card could also be called “The Alchemist,” as the symbols present are rife with alchemical meaning. His outstretched arms bridge the heavens and the earth. He’s poised to turn lead into gold.
For The Magician to succeed, he needs to stay concentrated and present, allowing his body to become a conduit for ideas. With his arms stretched diagonally, his body acts out the connection between divine inspiration and the physical world, or earth. He himself embodies the creative process. Without him there would be nothing to link the two, and no way to make “something out of nothing.”
Because of this The Magician illustrates the seeming paradox of creativity. You must remain present and open to ideas while grounded in reality and willing to do something to make the idea real. Openness, focus, and a sense of movement give The Magician a dynamic and exciting edge. This card urges the querent to open themselves up to inspiration and get lost in the work it demands.
Seeing this card in readings signifies a time of great action & potential. The tools are all laid out on the table and the scene is already lush. The challenge of this card is to maintain the conditions that allow creativity to flourish. A combination of experience (The Magician is no novice), mindfulness (he must be present to channel his ideas), and action (doing the work to actually make something) allow The Magician to flourish.
Additionally, The Magician signifies a time to proceed with confidence and belief in one’s abilities. Arrogance and pretension are not advisable; however, false modesty and reluctance are just as detrimental. Above all, The Magician must actively create. Learn by doing and allow for something other than ego to shine through your work.
Keywords
Power, potential, mastery, channeling, manifestation, opportunity, creation, action, interweaving, inspiration, dynamic, focus, limitless
Life Situations
Launching a new creative venture, business, or project. Creating something new that usually combines interests or topics. Getting inspired and ready to start. The feeling of being ready. Planning after a flash of inspiration. Being absorbed in a task, project, or relationship. Creating new material in quick succession: writing, crafting, music, you name it. Being absorbed in work. Being single-minded & focused on one thing.
Positive Attributes
Productive, energetic, & creative – working to create something tangible from ideas, “making shit happen,” ability to unify separate elements, self-assured & magnetic, fully present in actions, simultaneously grounded and inspired
Negative Attributes
Potential for arrogance and feelings of superiority, disdain for other less action-based approaches, single-minded, unable to move beyond the process of creation – abandons projects after they’re started, inability to stop and smell the roses, loss of focus and original intention if sustained too long
Blog Posts & Tarot Readings featuring The Magician
Welcome to Questioning the Tarot, a series exploring the questions posed by each tarot card in the deck. Use these questions to guide your readings, personal practice, or explore new facets of their meaning. Inspired? Do add your own questions to deepen your practice. Reading for another person? Simply change the pronouns!