Kicking off our Card of the Week feature is the Magician, the second of the major arcana. When I drew this card to write about, I didn’t really believe it. Who would believe that randomly I picked one of the best cards for starting off a new venture? If I was going to purposely select a card for the first post, the Magician is the best candidate. I picked it randomly. No, really. I shuffled a lot.
All Your Ducks in a Row
The Magician has all of his tools ready to begin a new undertaking. On the table, all four suits of the minor arcana are represented: Pentacle, Sword, Cup, and Wand. This is the way to start something new and make sure it works. The Magician is making sure that he’s ready to tackle something large, life-changing, and important.
This is also symbolic of harmony between the four elements, represented by the tools of the minor arcana. Harmony between the elements brings a balanced and sturdy foundation.
As Above, So Below
The Magician raises his own wand into the sky with his right hand, while pointing to the ground with his left. In doing so, he is symbolizing the Hermetic axiom found in the Emerald Tablet, which states, “That which is below is like that which is above & that which is above is like that which is below.” The symbol for infinity floats over his head like a halo, and he is surrounded by a glowing white aura.
With this pose and the tools, the Magician appears ready to perform some great magical act. The ultimate magical act is the unification of the soul with the Divine. The major arcana doesn’t mess around, by the way. Its messages are grand. There really is no better card with which to begin this enterprise.
The featured Tarot deck is some version of the Rider-Waite Tarot which I’ve had for years. The book behind the cards is a volume from the Pritzker edition of the Sefer ha Zohar, a necessary work for students of the Kabbalah.
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