Understanding Tarot: The Magician's Message

This article is written by Tarot Reader, Claire Chilvers. You can find out more about her insights and readings at @ClaireChilversTarot

Following the Magician’s teachings to create your own magic.

I recently wrote about The Fool and his journey through the Major Arcana cards. Today I am going to talk about The Magician. His number in the Tarot is one, and he is the first person that The Fool meets on his life path journey.

Consequently, the Magician teaches him his first and arguably most valuable lesson about the Universe and how he can help himself throughout his life.

Many books that give meaning to this card tell of someone to be wary of, a trickster, someone that could be hiding something from you. After all – Magicians are supposed to have something hidden up their sleeve, aren’t they?

Now, here’s a funny thing. I had this whole article planned in my head as it is important to me that my lovely tarot friend is not misunderstood. That happens a lot in the Tarot, especially with the Magician.

My plan for this article was to explain that, for me, The Magician is so much more than that. He, like all my Tarot friends, has so many different layers that I feel that it’s a shame he has been typecast in this way.

Although, it is not hard to see why. Have a think about the last time you watched a Magician’s act. How did it make you feel? Were you amazed at the magic? In awe of their tricks? Or skeptical, desperately hoping that you would be able to spot the secret?

For me, as impressed as I am, I feel a little annoyed that I do not know how the magic happens. I wish they could tell me their secrets, but it is against the Magician’s code.

But, the lovely thing about my Tarot Magician, is that is exactly what he wants to do. He is standing at his table with his objects on display and wand in hand, happy to teach us the tricks of his trade.

Unfortunately, we are not always the best students, or sometimes do not listen or understand his messages.

Sometimes, as we travel along life’s path, we are not in the right mindset to be taught something. There are certain times if we are angry, upset, confused, or frustrated by a situation that it is hard to open our mind to new ideas.

The Magician who stands confidentially before us, cannot afford to feel any of these things, his magic wouldn’t work. So, with an open and clear mind, we need to listen to what he has to say.

As you can see in the card, he has a table in front of him with four objects, a sword, a cup, a wand, and a pentacle. These represent: thought (swords), feelings (cups), actions (wands), and what can be manifested (pentacles).

What does this mean, and why is he showing us them?

On a simple level, whatever we think in our heads, we start to feel in our hearts, we then act in a certain way based on our thoughts and feelings, and eventually, that very thing happens.

The Magician’s message of how to make magic happen is as simple as that, however, this is very powerful magic and has to be used in the right way.

If your mindset is not in the right place, this system will not work…

And this is when I stopped writing my article, and couldn’t think of what to say next. I usually find writing so easy but was blocked. Quite ironic, as the Magician is also linked to the planet Mercury who rules over communication.

“It must be the Mercury retrograde,” I thought to myself as I became agitated that I couldn’t complete my work. After all, I had picked my own daily Tarot card today and The Magician had eerily appeared. If that wasn’t a sign that I should be finishing this article, then why had he shown up?

I sat quietly and looked at the card.

“I am writing about your message,” I told my Tarot friend (yes, I do talk to my cards!). “Why have you stopped me?”

I meditated for a little while and the answer came:

“You have forgotten to mention that it takes hard work and practice to become a Magician; understanding the message is just the beginning. And you also need to practice what you preach, what else do you need to do today?”

I understood immediately, his presence in my life as my daily tarot card wasn’t just about the article, I needed to make a phone call.

This week I had decided to make some very big changes in my life and I was very excited. I wanted to share my news with my loved ones and I had…to all but one of them. This particular loved one had been going through a very difficult phase in her life, and understandably was often upset and low.

A few times throughout the year I had unintentionally upset her by asking her how she was, one time I was hung up on before I’d even had a chance to ask.

While I knew I shouldn’t take this personally, I began to withdraw from too much communication for fear of making matters worse or, perhaps selfishly, not wanting to have my own positive energy crushed.

This year, more than ever, I had worked very hard to raise my own energy to a more positive, higher level and was perhaps guarding it a little too much?

So, as I pondered The Magician’s message, I realized I was doing exactly what he promised I could do, but for all the wrong reasons.

In my head, I thought of our past communication. It made me feel anxious and upset, and I was imagining a full-scale argument and the potential of not speaking for months, which was the last thing I wanted.

“Practice what you preach,” was The Magician’s message to me that day, as I sat with my unfinished article on my lap.

I put down my work and picked up the phone, as I did, I imagined myself smiling and laughing with my loved one about my plans and how excited I was. Instead of feeling anxious, I imagined myself listening to her with love in my heart, not necessarily trying to cheer her up or offering well-meant (but probably unwanted) advice.

And I made the call.

And it was lovely. I was so happy to hear my loved one had begun to transform her own life into a more positive one, and we shared stories and laughed, and the outcome was hopefully, the start of a better and happier relationship.

And that all happened while I sat down to tell you of The Magician’s magic, and how we can use his magical message to create positive, inspiring outcomes, and the danger that we can also do the same to create negative and destructive ones.

We all have the power to create magic in our lives, but the power of this should not be underestimated.