Keywords for the Magician
| CONSCIOUSNESS | POWER |
| ATTENTION | INTENTION |
| FOCUSED ENERGY | MASTERY |
| ACTION | CONTROL |
| CREATION | MANIFESTATION |
It’s late afternoon, and we see an intense, mysterious looking man standing alone in a secret garden. Dressed in long, flowing robes of red and white, his ritual attire mirrors the flowers blooming here on this sacred ground.
The red rose we see represents our heart’s desires, the power of our subconsciousness, as well as the body. It is our primal will, our emotions, feelings, instincts and drives.
The white lily, on the other hand, symbolizes our capacity to discern the truth, the power of our consciousness, as well as our mind. Where they bloom, so do reason, logic, truth, honesty and integrity.
Turning back towards the Magician, we see that he stands before a wooden table, upon which are inscribed various symbols and astrological glyphs. Upon this altar are set the tools of his craft:
A wooden wand, for the spiritual element of fire: that which is active, inspired, fast-moving, adventurous and expansive.
A golden cup, for the emotional element of water: that which is receptive, imaginative, peaceful, gentle and quiet.
A sword of steel, for the intellectual element of air: that which is logical, rational, discerning, and concerned with truth.
A brass pentacle, for the physical element of earth: that which is mundane, grounded, patient, stable and secure.
The magician now casts his circle, calling in the powers of the four directions, asking they be here with him now.
He thanks the elemental forces for their power and their presence. Then with deliberate intention, the Magician holds a white wand up toward the heavens in his right hand, as he points down to the ground with his left.
Fully grounded in his power, he connects the Above with the Below. With single-pointed attention, he repeats two words alone to himself as he works his magic.
Solve: It is the death, decay, and destruction of the current form of being. Every death, every disintegration releases a powerful surge of energy. As the old form collapses, power is made available to be used for creation of something new.
Coagula: The energy freed in death is transformed. Freed from its imprisonment in matter, it is now available to take on a new shape, to be reborn into new ways of being.
The task of the Magician is to channel this powerful energy into what he desires to create. In this moment, he is between worlds. He is both passive and active at once.
He passively receives inspiration and creative power from above. He actively directs what is received through his attention into the desired object or outcome.
Like Thoth, the God of words, language, and magic, he exists at the crossroads. Similar to Hermes, the Magician acts as a mediator and messenger, communicating the will of spirit in the world of matter.
The Magician Interpretation
When this card comes up, it often speaks to our capacity to make decisions and manifest change in our material world. It often indicates mastery, a certain level of skill and command of both our inner and outer resources.
This card is a symbol of mastery and controlled action, utilizing the force of one’s focused intent to cause a change in conformity with will.
The Magician also means acting as a channel for divine inspiration to flow through us into material reality.
This card asks us to turn our attention to channeling our potential (in the form of ideas and inspirations) into something tangible, concrete and manifested in the physical world.
It is a reminder that, with proper focus and intent, we can truly create magic in the world.