Welcome to the Major Arcana tarot cards interpretation! Major Arcana is the heart of the tarot deck; it consists of 22 cards depicting specific scenes and characters.
They are numbered from 0 to 21, with our Magician here under the number 1. Major Arcana cards were originally just a part of a gaming card deck, with allegorical and symbolic meanings attributed.
The very term ’Major Arcana’, as well as ’Minor Arcana’ (the rest of the 78 cards deck) is applied when the cards are being used for esoteric purposes.
Let us dive into the magical world of tarot; magical indeed, since The Magician is on the table! What does The Magician card represent and what could tell it about your destiny?
The Magician Tarot Card Quick Facts
I know what I want, and I will get what I desire.
We could say this is a motto of the Magician. Basic characteristics of this tarot card are the following.
The Magician is associated with our inner potentials, with our abilities to use our potentials in order to achieve what we desire, what we dream about.
Some of our wishes lie dormant in our subconscious mind; the Magician could help us discover them and make them come alive.
Key terms for The Magician tarot card: Destiny, willpower, manifesting energy, creation, inner energy, personal potential, desire. All energies are one, all elements are intertwined.
Key essential elements for the Magician are: Ether, Air
Major Arcana numerical of The Magician card: 1
Planets and astrological signs of the Magician: Mercury, Gemini, Virgo
Yes/No question for The Magician card: Yes
Ruling energy for The Magician card: Yang, masculine
The potential of this card is tremendous. The Magician is someone who manipulates energy in a powerful way, in order to create an illusion.
Now, illusions are not as elusive as they sound. In the world of the esoteric, an illusion might become real; you, as a magician of your own destiny, create your reality. The Magician card tells about such potentials.
Let us make this light and clear! The comparison with the 0 Major Arcana card, The Fool, will help us understand The Magician card better.
Both of them could be deceivers, in a way, though very different in nature; both are connected with the archetype of a trickster, manifested in a peculiar way in each of them.
However, the Fool is a clown, the Fool makes fun, makes us laugh and forget about serious things; the Fool tries to trick us, scheming behind our back.
The Magician, on the other hand, creates an illusion in front of our eyes and amazes us; we greatly admire his brilliant skill!
The Magician is an illusionist, a professional, a figure of immeasurable knowledge and skill.
Just as the Magician carefully applies the skill of magical illusion, we could learn to use our own inner potentials to our own benefit.
This card reveals an individual’s process concerning his or her inner energy and power.
Visual Description and Symbolism of The Magician Card
Take a look at The Magician card (The Tarot of Marseille, Tarot de Marseille, is the standard design pattern of tarot decks).
You can see a young man in long robes, holding one hand high towards the sky and the other pointing towards the ground, in almost a perfect diagonal position.
There are also some interesting items in front of him and some symbols. What do they represent?
Look at the Magician’s head; precisely, look above his head. The symbol you can see there (usually taken as the Magician’s hat) is a horizontal number 8, also identified with the mathematical symbol of infinity.
In occultism, this number is associated with Hermes. Hermes is one of the major figures in occultism, associated with magic, with mysterious bond between the worlds, with alchemy, with the major principle of alchemy, ’as above, so below’.
The position of the Magician’s hands reflect this thought; he is a mediator in between the worlds, he could travel both to heaven and earth, using the universal energy, converting the pure energy into solid matter.
He is a creator, capable of making the elusive become real, using the spiritual energy to create a manifestation in the visible, tangible world.
This powerful figure holds a magician’s wand in his left hand, channeling the energy; the left hand is not chosen by chance.
It means that the Magician’s ability to channel the energy is given, natural, inborn.
It is associated with something beyond intellect and reason, it is subconscious. In that sense, we should bring our energetic potential into awareness and use them.
The right hand pointing towards the ground clearly represents the connection between the two principles, the heavenly, spiritual and the earthly, material.
It reflects the alchemic credo of solve and coagula or ’dissolve and join together’.
The Magician is dressed in white and red. The white represents purity, the red represents knowledge.
If you carefully examine his dress, you will notice the serpent girdle; in fact, his belt represents a snake biting its tail, which is a common symbol in all kinds of belief systems and in occultism.
The snake itself represents wisdom and healing, while its activity represents the eternal circling of energy (search for Ouroboros meaning, for instance).
The Magician’s body position suggests the same as his hands. He stands with his feet firm on the grown, his whole body is straight, his head as well.
The green color on this card represents something that is implanted, grounded, just as the flowers in front of the Magician. Flowers and grass are symbols of creation.
Take a look at The Fool card again; you will see no grass or flowers below his feet, for the Fool’s energy is floating.
Items on the table in front of him represent elements of Fire, Earth, Air and Water, all joined together by our Magician.
They represent his tools, needed for the conversion of energy, or, in simple terms, bringing the idea into realization.
The Magician is an aspiring character; his potential is unlimited and he desires to grow and flourish, like roses and lilies in front of his feet.
The Magician Card Meaning Guide
Now when we have carefully the visual appearance of The Magician tarot card, let us get deeper into its meaning and elaborate quick facts aforementioned.
The Magician card symbolizes an individual’s potential, his or her willpower, the ability to stand for your goals and desires. Do not be afraid to use your skill, do not be afraid to work on it.
The Magician works in a way of creator, for his own causes. The lack of originality, the lack of personal will and flexibility, as well, prevent us from individual evolution and growth.
The greatest power of the Magician is flexibility, skill, dedication, but also cunningness and manipulation.
We have said that The Magician card is numbered as 1, which is also in direct connection with the masculine or Yang principle. This is a moving, active principle, energetic, procreative.
The Magician represents consciousness and self-sufficiency, but the position in tarot opening will tell you more about it. It could represent a deceiver, as well as dexterity and skillfulness.
Unlike the Fool, the jester, the Magician is thoughtful; his eyes are intelligent and concentrated, his mind is focused. The Magician knows well his own value, but also of those around him.
If we transfer the Magician into real world, this figure may represent a person of any gender, a complex character, full of knowledge and wisdom about the world and the people.
The Magician is very independent and knows how to do with others.
We will learn more about different aspects of this card in the following paragraphs on its upright and reversed position. The combination with other tarot cards will reveal further meanings, as well.
The Magician – YES or NO
‘Yes or now’ readings in tarot represent a simple technique, good for those who are just entering the world of occultism and tarot.
In such a reading, a simple, clear and focused question is being asked and one card is being opened. The card itself represents the answer: yes, no or maybe.
The Magician is undoubtedly a YES answer! It is considered a positive tarot card to get in these readings, but you have to be ready to embrace your desires for real.
Remember what people use to say – be careful about what you desire. The Magician is a powerful ’yes’ card.
The Magician Card Upright Meaning
If the card appears upright from your point of view, then all its positive energy applies. Such positioned, this card suggests that the power is in your hand, just like it is in the magician’s.
Not only that you have the power to regulate things, but it is also your right to do so. This is a very good reading, since it implies flourishing and growth in various areas of life.
The individual is capable of controlling their environment, conducting business and, generally, concentrate on what is happening at the moment, using the best out of it.
This auspicious card opens amazing possibilities; you could take care of your business, master some new spheres, achieve great results in areas you find appealing.
The Magician, being the number 1 card, represents the fresh start, the new beginning. It stands for the phase in which the individual has a great potential for something, without yet making any significant progress or any mistake.
The upright position appears encouraging; embrace your energy and you will be great. The success is to be expected.
The upright Magician represents someone with strong will, convinced in the positive outcome, a person aware of their qualities, knowing what he or she wants.
Well, all the tools are at your disposal. We have said it is a ’yes’ card. It means a person would achieve amazing things through good intention, which is all turned upside down if the Magician appears reversed. Let us see into that.
The Magician Card Reversed Meaning
The reversed position means that the card is inverted from your point of view. The reversed Magician tells about cunningness and deception.
It tells about the person who misuses his or her power, someone manipulative, deceitful, immoral. In that sense, it means one could achieve goals, but not through righteousness.
It is common that a reversed Magician appears before people of selfish personality, those unscrupulous, those who would achieve their goals by any means.
Such an individual does not care about ethics and morality; he or she takes what they want. In such a mind, moral principles are completely ridiculous and unimportant; the success is what matters.
This is a tricky card; be aware of its alluring potential. On the other hand, reversed magician stands for everything opposite in terms of basic characteristics that the card embodies, such as willpower, self-confidence, clear goals and intentions.
It represents the lack of will and courage, being afraid and insecure, not knowing what we want.
The reversed Magician card meanings could go as far as portraying someone who continuously lacks energy and remains on a bad, losing track, because he or she does not have enough of self-confidence to actually bring their ideas into reality. There is only confusion, anxiety and the feeling of being lost.
The Magician Tarot Card – Career Meaning
When it comes to career, the Magician could be an amazing sign, if upright. As a card number 1, it tells about new fantastic opportunities for growth and development, not to mention amazing business success.
As we have seen, the magician has all the tools needed to channel the universal energy and make the vision come true.
What could you do to take out the best from such a reading? Well, be open to new projects and career opportunities, dare to make a step into something you have perhaps dreamed about, never trying it.
Enter a course or find a mentor to introduce you into the new business area. Do not be afraid to bring your visions to light!
If the card was reversed, be careful about fraud, trickery and deceit.
Do not fall to seductive opportunities, if the means to achieve goals are kind of shady; it could be a hard thing to resist to, because the power of the magician is strong.
The Magician Tarot Card – Love Meaning
The Magician card could tell about great potentials regarding one’s love life. If the card was upright, it appears to be the most auspicious reading!
In that case, the person simply possesses natural magnetism and it is hard to resist him or her. The person to whom it falls is determined, daring, charming and simply irresistible.
People with an upright Magician card have a natural talent of dealing with people in all areas of life, be it romantic relationship, friendship, family life.
They are amazing and caring lovers, people whose energy is enchanting. They easily resolve conflicts with others, they are open in their intentions towards others, but not aggressive. They are true magicians of love!
If the card was reversed, it means that the person hides their emotions, usually because he or she was insecure.
Such people are not sincere and they could be very manipulative in relationships. Some of them would even use the relationship for their own benefit, without actually caring about the other’s feelings.
Therefore, trust your intuition, if the Magician applies to someone else. He or she could literally steal your heart, for better or for worse.
Take a look at the other cards in the reading, in order to see through your personal magician’s real intentions towards you!
The Magician Tarot Card – Health Meaning
You have seen the snake and the flowers on The Magician card; they symbolize good health, flourishing, growth, aspiration, development…the Magician could also be the ultimate healer.
As he connects the spiritual and the material, the Magician embodies the idea of everything being connected.
When it comes to health, it clearly suggests that the physical health is tied to spiritual and mental aspect.
If you suffer from an illness, of any sort, this card gives hope into amazing change and improvement.
It suggest it is a good moment to take things into your hands, which also means that you should actively search help and use everything that is available to you.
Inner self knows what our body, mind and soul need; just listen to it, it is your inner healer Magician.
Reversed card might imply stagnation, feeling like caught in a net, regardless of the nature of suffering (if someone was unwell).
Such a situation requires what is the hardest, the patience, in which fighting the anxiety was probably the most difficult part. Despair not! See into other cards, to find a better clue.
The Magician Combined
The Magician alone tells many things.
However, the meaning gets more precise, when you read combined cards.
So, let us quickly go through several basic meanings of the Magician combined with other cards, in order to give you an idea on how it alters the initial meaning.
- The Magician and The Fool: Failed plans
- The Magician and the Hermit: Gaining new knowledge, research, reflection
- The Magician and The King of Wands: A great project, success
- The Magician and The Knight of Swords: A crisis
- The Magician and the Six of Cups: A dream coming true
- The Magician and Seven of Pentacles: Debts
Astrology and The Magician
When it comes to connection with astrology, The magician card is associated with the planet Mercury.
As you probably know, Mercury was a Roman god of communication, travel, merchants, while his Greek counterpart was Hermes.
He is the messenger god, mediating between the worlds of the living and the dead.
Most of these characteristics are found in astrological meaning of the planet Mercury. If you think of it, the same features are to be found in the figure of the magician.
The Magician Zodiac Sign
The magician Zodiac signs are Virgo, associated with the element of Earth, and Gemini, associated with the element of Air. Mercury is the ruler of these signs, hence the connection.
Virgo is characterized by creativity, meticulousness, taking care about health and well-being, while Gemini is playful, adventurous, youthful and communicative.
Numerology and The Magician
Number one card, The Magician also represents unity, focus of the mind, individualism, self-confidence. The Magician is, by all means, the One.
In his hands are the means of controlled manifestation. Zero (The Fool) represents the free thought; number one, the Magician, is the mastermind to shape it.