The Magician is associated with Mercury’s planet and carries skill, logic, and intellect. The number of the Magician is one, the number of beginnings. The Magician is the bridge between the world of the spirit and the world of humanity. His right hand holds a staff raised toward the sky, and his left hand points to the earth. He takes the power of the Universe and channels it through his own body, and directs it to the physical plane. Above the Magician’s head is the symbol of eternity, and around his waist is a snake biting its tail, another symbol of eternity. His magical table holds all four suits of the Tarot, each representing one of the four primordial elements of the alchemists – earth, air, fire, and water. These symbolize the appropriate use of mind, heart, body, and soul in the process of manifestation. The Magician’s robe is white, symbolizing the purity and innocence found in the Fool, but his cloak is red, representing worldly experience and knowledge. In the bed of flowers at his feet, this duality is repeated in the mix of pure white lilies and thorny red roses.
A robed man stands before us behind a waist-high wooden table under a golden sky and surrounded by lush, flowery vegetation. On the table, there is a sword, a cup, a pentacle laying flat as a plate, and a wooden walking stick, also known as a wand. These are the four suits of the Tarot, and they appear here as they do on the numbered cards of the Tarot’s Minor Arcana. The man raises his right hand. He is holding a small white magic wand. Above his head floats a lemniscate (represented as ∞), the symbol for infinity.
The Magician is pictured here at the moment he is casting his spell. The magic wand in his hand is elevated as high above his head as possible. Over his head, the lemniscate underscores that the possibilities in all of this are infinite. The table represents bringing our constructs and belief systems into the natural world. We change the Universe we live in with our perceptions. Each of the Tarot’s suits is represented indicates that The Magician has the power and control over these things. Cups represent emotions; wands indicate creativity, pentacles are money and issues of the material plane, while swords represent the cerebral sphere of human activity and the verbal expressions inspired within that area. The Magician has domain over these areas of your life and is casting a spell to influence them. This is the card that indicates the ultimate level of control over your life and the events in it. This magician takes responsibility for who he is and what he can do; the objects representing the four Tarot suits are there on the table, he stands alone, nothing is hidden. The magic is in his supreme confidence overruling the things in his domain that he knows he can control. The Magician is the Tarot’s card of being genuine and open, and transparent in any interpersonal dealings. This is the card of making it happen because you practice what you preach. The Magician is the complete package.
Meaning in Past, Present, and Future Positions
Your Tarot reading examines the pattern of cards dealt from the deck. This pattern is called a Tarot spread. The pattern has positions for your past, present, and future where a specific card land changes the focus of that card to carry meaning related to that time of your life.
The Magician underscores a surge of displaying your talents and getting far in the world based on accomplishments in the past position. Perhaps you are resting comfortably on a foundation established during that time. Or you may miss the days when you could seemingly put it all together with a snap of your fingers.
In the present position, this card signals the urgency of a situation you must seize to take advantage of. In this position, The Magician indicates that your ability to be yourself and impress the right person or people can greatly impact the direction your life takes. The Magician in the present position is a metaphor for your free will and good luck combining in a rare opportunity to move way ahead in life. When this card is in this position, take your great leap forward.
In the future position, The Magician is a card of amazing potency. This indicates your wishes are being granted because you take the time to earn everything you want. The Magician represents manifesting your desires and visions. In the future, what you want will arrive when you follow the necessary course of action. You will no longer have to dream about being it; you will have become exactly who and what you wanted to be.
Card Combinations
The Tarot spread is not a series of isolated cards; the presence of any card influences the others. All of the cards sing together in your reading, and it is a unique tune, harmonizing just for you.
When The Magician card is accompanied in a reading by The Sun, your drive to accomplish a big goal is given great energy, but selfish tendencies and self-absorption may emerge. When The Moon card is in the same reading as The Magician, your emotional desire to get what you want blinds you to everything you already have. You could lose it all to gain one specific goal, be it a lover or a career promotion, no matter; it will come at a great cost.
The Fool is a card that complements The Magician wonderfully. Your talents come in handy when you are least concerned with getting ahead. The lack of desire creates trust in friends and strangers alike, and soon many people are helping you accomplish goals you never imagined pursuing. Finally, temperance is a great card to have with The Magician, as you will selflessly work to help others reach their goals. The only problem might be that such a zest to help others leave you not helping yourself despite abundant talent and connections.
The Three of Wands is another favorable card to have in your Tarot reading along with The Magician. This is the card of possibilities occurring in your favor out in the Universe. The Magician has a wand on the table before him and holds a small wand in his hand to cast his spell. The Three of Wands continues this sequence; therefore, this card combination is as good an indicator of coming success from your present project as the Tarot has to offer.