The Magician in the Major Arcana

Upright: Confidence, Creativity, Important Communications, Skills, Talent
Reversed: Lack of Direction and Will, Deception, Instability, Lack of Knowledge, Insufficient Communication

The first numeric card, The Magician in the Major Arcana is the first stop of twenty-two stations. The card marks a beginning of life and signifies all things are possible, one has the power to make the future. The card depicts all Minor Arcana suits symbolized on the table – the elements of Earth, Water, Air and Fire.

“As above, so below” is seen in right hand raised skyward with a receiving wand, and in the left hand pointing to the ground. The Magician is known as the Spiritual Teacher, Master and Guide. He is a good listener as well as an intelligent and skilful communicator.
Traditionally, in the duality pair of The Magician (1) with The Fool (0), the Magician is the Will of Man while The Fool is the Will of Source.
The Magician is The Fool reborn – The Magician is considered to be the progressed form of The Fool after gathering all the knowledge and wisdom of the road. The keyword for the Magician is “I Will”, expressing that the sheer force of his will deems him capable of doing anything he puts his mind to.
In the Major Arcana, The Magician is known to wield power over all the forces of nature. If you draw this card, then you are harnessing all of that power for your own life.

In a personal spread, The Magician in the Major Arcana encourages you to begin practicing focused meditation. This is a form of manifestation (following the Law of Attraction) – connecting to and envisioning your higher self will help transform your desires into truth. Through this, you become capable of letting go of how you are going to get something done and ease into the knowledge that it will be. This is a card of action, and encourages you to move on from pondering or wallowing in situations.

The Magician also orders high focus and concentration. If meditation is not for you, this would be something you can place in your routine. The world is a distracting place and it is hard to get anything done sometimes. The Magician in the Major Arcana stands for combining everything that we already have the access to into enlightening and enriching experiences. If we create our own experiences, you have the power to make yours positive.

In a love spread, The Magician in the Major Arcana demonstrates the idea of love as one of the most sought-after experiences in a person’s life – we think about it a lot, and think we are deserving of satisfying, beautiful, romantic, electric love. At our own pace, the ideal is attainable, but we often slip into our own fantasies when approaching the subject. The Magician card affirms that we are worthy of love, but only if we are active participants. If you are searching for a partner, set goals for the sort of person you are after and embody it as well. In this case, like attracts like. If you are struggling with the idea that you are not worthy of an amazing partner, then you must first focus on self love. As The Magician indicates, you have full control of love, of will and desire. Put yourself in a place of powerful self-love and you will be granted what you wish.

In a health spread, The Magician in the Major Arcana traditionally represents a lack of fire in the body, and this is translated to a lack of desire in the body. At worst, this indicates a potential for depression and/or overall lack of momentum. It will be common to find yourself caught in periods of slumps and deteriorating emotional health because there is a lack of movement. If you happen to be suffering from mental health problems, The Magician encourages you to work on training your mind to process this in a way that will help you improve life experiences. Allow thoughts of healing and progress into your mind and surround yourself with it in your immediate environment whenever you are able to.

In a career spread, The Magician in the Major Arcana indicates the peak period for you to choose a direction you desire to take. If you are pondering over financial matters, like say, an investment, put it into action and see that endeavour working out in your mind’s eye – it will start to work in that direction. Pursue the drive The Magician encourages us to embody and act on the opportunities that are presented to you, take actions necessary to create the world that you seek.

Reversed, The Magician in the Major Arcana shows a level of indecision that causes you to feel stuck. The advice to this would be to make decisions for yourself to pull you out of the stagnant state. The reversed position of The Magician also indicates a possibility that you are using your skills in an unhealthy or unethical way that could be having a negative influence on those around you. Take a moment to remember you have full control of your life and the more you practice visualising your desires, the more in control you will be and the more fulfilling you will find your experiences. Make sure objectives are clear and you will be led in the direction you have created for yourself.

Romantically, The Magician in the Major Arcana in the reverse position tells us about half-truths and white lies or complete deception/trickery at worst. If you are concerned about a partner not being honest, your hunch is likely to be accurate. This is not to say you should be making wild accusations, but rather investigate further and dig deeper before arriving to a conclusion. Sometimes the card also indicates our unhealthy anxieties and insecurities – an experience to grow from to help improve our daily living.

At home, The Magician in the reverse position is about a lack of direction for household stability. The family life being out of order. It demands a focus back to striving for stability – ensuring life goals and finances are in check. Consider a family discussion to check that everyone is on the same page. If you have been withholding information from your family members, this card suggests that the truth will reveal itself. Take action to control this by informing those around you about your difficulties.

At work, the card shows a lack of communication, resisting logical or sound advice and being led astray by colleagues that are not particularly qualified to be in charge. Be careful about anyone offering job opportunities at this time as it could be part of a scheme. You could be led astray, intentionally or not. 

In health, the advice is to visit a medical professional if you are facing health issues. The Magician in the Major Arcana reversed indicates a lack of knowledge. Consult a professional to get a second opinion. The card is also indicative of old habits coming back to haunt you (through drinking, smoking or unhealthy diets). If you have not been actively watching your health, the time is now.