“Turning Base Metal into Gold has long been the domain of the Magician.”
In this month’s tarot lesson, we’re going to have a look at one of the most well-known yet little understood human archetypes: The Magician. In the tarot, the Magician is number 1 on the major arcana. This suits the solo prestidigitator well, for it was s/he who was once thought to turn base metal into gold.
Magical Meanings
When the Magician show up for you in a tarot spread, there are a variety of possible meanings, depending on your question and situation. But they all share in common a theme of using your personal power to change your physical reality or material circumstances.
And while at first blush this may sound ‘magical’, in fact, using personal power to change material reality is something you do more frequently than you think! Okay, you probably can’t take a piece of lead, run a wand over it and voila … gold. But I’ll bet you can change your reality in other ways. Let me explain …
Mundane Magic
Have you ever followed a gut instinct to do something outside of your normal routine, only to find out later that you averted some kind of danger? You know, like getting a ‘wild hair’ to take a totally different route to work then discovering that night on the news that there was a multi-car pile-up on your normal route. This is an example of the kind of intuitive ‘magic’ that seems rather mundane, but drastically effects your reality.
Another example of this kind of ‘mundane magic’ is simply taking action on a goal or dream. When you do this, you literally say: “I command change in my reality!” And while the change you have taken action to bring about might take some time (which is why we often ignore the ‘Magician’ connection), it still fits exactly with Major Arcana #1: “using your personal power to change your physical reality or material circumstances.”
Light & Shadow
Please be aware that just because the Magician shows up in a reading doesn’t mean you are on a positive path. As with every archetype, the Magician can represent good or ‘light’ qualities – like taking positive action for beneficial change – or shadow qualities.
Shadow qualities connected to the Magician have to do with using your personal power to satisfy ego needs, to benefit yourself at the expense of someone else’s well-being, or to ignore or deny other peoples’ free-will. If you use your personal power in any way that knowingly harms, limits or causes trouble for another (or yourself, for that matter), then you are working with Shadow Magician energy. And this, my friends, is nothing you ever want to mess with!
The Lie of Sweet Revenge
Revenge is a very common example of working with your inner, Shadow Magician. To make decisions or orchestrate circumstances that cause harm to another, justified by revenge, is one of the lowest quality acts there is. The Magician teaches us that “Sweet Revenge” is a lie. It’s an old school consciousness that must be surrendered in order to evolve.
Instead, when you feel wronged and want to see justice done, look not to manipulating circumstance. Instead, call upon the power of Justice to set things right!
Got questions about the Magician and your power to create ‘gold’ for your life? Share them with me in the comments below!
Until next time many blessings,
Dawn
