While I’m away this week, guest writer Pamela Eakins again takes up the reins in my absence. Here, with her permission and with much gratitude, I have excerpted her description of The Magus — also known as The Magician — from her book Tarot of The Spirit. Pamela and her mother Joyce — who painted the Tarot of The Spirit deck — have an unfailing ability to capture the archetypes with clarity and precision, and this writing is a powerful act of creation in itself. I hope you enjoy it. You can visit the website for The Tarot of The Spirit here. I’ll be back on Sunday with the Weekend Tarot Reading.— Sarah
Key One, the Magus, is Beth, the House. The house is potential form in which the universal force can reside. This house can be viewed as the House of God. It can also be viewed as the physical body, that which houses the divine spirit. The Magus represents the ability to channel and direct universal force through the vehicle of the house.
The Magus is the Supreme Magician: the master of dynamic power, expanded perception, the motivating energy at the center of the turning of the spring (see Key X [The Wheel of Fortune]). The Magus, standing at the center of the Wheel of Fortune, which is the circle of life, is the master of all things.
The Magus has mastered the three layers of mind: the subconscious (as symbolized by the dark), waking consciousness and the superconsciousness (called the light). The Magus is the master of the elemental forces of Fire, Water, Wind and Earth and the eight directions: South, West, East, North, Above, Below, Center and Ether. What does this mean?
Symbolically, the elements and directions are forces of spirit (Fire, South), emotion (Water, West), intellect (Wind, East) and matter (Earth, North). Spirit, emotion, intellect and matter are the first four directions. The next three are above, below and center. Above corresponds to superconsciousness, below to subconsciousness, center to waking consciousness. The final direction is Ether. The Ether is the substance that represents the summation of all that is. Ether is the direction which is everywhere and nowhere at once.
Through combining and recombining the forces and forms of the elements and eight directions, the Magus transforms the world. The ability to transform the world is the result of possessing the secret essence of the alchemical process of the ancients. Through this process, the baser metals of Self and world are transformed into gold and the elixir of perpetual life is discovered.
In coming to understand this secret alchemical process, the Magus must discover the power of the revelation I AM! I am unique. I am separate. I am powerful. I am magical. I can create the world as I so choose! I am a visionary. I AM THE ONE LIFE! I AM THE CREATOR!
Whereas the Fool is all potential, all that is possible in the circle of existence, the Magus is the focal point — Key One — at the center of this circle. Out of this point, all that was, is and shall become, all that is manifest or material, proceeds. Through the powers of the Magus, potential is focused and brought into existence.
The Magus holds, understands, and is the master of wielding all the tools, both of mind and matter, of transformation. The major tools, which include the magical wand, cup or mirror, blade and shield or stone, represent the elemental forces of Fire, Water, Wind and Earth. The wand, which represents Fire (the spirit) conducts the force of energy, This energy is will and drive and represents the Magus’ connection to macrocosmic forces. It is as if the Magus is connected to the lifeforce of the universe through an electrical current which can be channelled through the Wand. With the Wand, the Magus creates.
The Cup and Mirror, representing Water (emotions and divinatory power) contains all form. The Magus is fully capable of determining the shape or the form into which the universal energy force will be channelled. With Cup and Mirror, the Magus preserves, but also dissolves.
The Blade of the Magus (the intellect) is the tool of reason. It is the analytical ability to break information into its smallest components, the ability to understand the whole through the force of microcosm. The Blade represents knowledge gained through systematic attempts to know. It is the persevering effort of the Magus. The Blade is paradoxically a weapon, the power of the Magus to destroy. With the Blade, the Magus both creates and destroys the universe.
The Shield and Stone represent matter (the body). They provide protection for the Magus. The Shield is also a shining coin. With this coin, the Magus redeems. The Shield sometimes appears as a pentacle. The five points of the pentacle correspond to the arms, legs and head of the Magus. This represents the power of materialization.
The Magus’ Creed — which is the essence of bringing the creative force into form — corresponds to the working tools. That creed is:
TO KNOW (intellect, Wind)
TO WILL (spirit, Fire)
TO DARE (emotion, Water)
TO KEEP SILENT (manifestation, Earth).
Maintaining silence is essential for the Magus. Those who have eyes to see will see. Those who have ears to hear will hear. The Magus need not attempt to explain the magic of creation to those who disbelieve.
In Magus energy, you are in tune with the most creative and powerful aspects of your Self. It is the part of you that directs the flow of creative energy. It is the part of you that receives the force and creates reality, that changes the structure of the living situation at will.
In order to effect lasting and rewarding changes, however, you need to be in balance with the universal flow and observe the divine law. The key to balancing is to know and understand your Self. This means that you must attune to your strengths in Fire, in Water, in Wind and Earth. Fire is the source of strength and drive of the primitive or energetic Self. Water is the structure or pattern of the relationships and situations or forms you create. Wind is your analytical mode. How do you arrive at and rationalize your conclusions? And then, how do you manifest these structures in your physical reality? How do you manifest the products of your imagination on your Earth?
To tap the cosmic energy flow and use it toward your ends, you must first recognize and affirm your own power. You are gifted and unique. You are your own leader. You are creating the structure of your own life. If you wish to change, you have only to alter your ways. Nothing concrete stands in your way. If you perceive obstacles, it is only the result of your own lack of confidence or your lack of attunement to your higher purpose.
What could explain an inability to manifest that which you want? It could well be that you are out of balance, that you are not standing balanced at the center of the Wheel of Life, but that you are off to one side, too caught up in North, South, East or West, and as a result, you find yourself precariously clinging to center, but unable to move.
Do not let yourself be distracted by outside influences. Attune to center. Be careful about whose opinions you take to heart. And remember, you need not explain yourself.
It is time to know, to will, to dare and to keep silent.
The key for the Magus is to trust the lessons of experience. The Magus is continually refining internal energies. This means that the Magus is becoming a clear and calm actor and reactor, a clear and calm channel of the inner word. The Magus meets calamity with constancy.
The higher purpose of the human race is to create and maintain a world of beauty, goodness and truth. It is to create a world of harmonium. Here we all become the Magus. We create our world in the image in which we wish to experience it. This is the natural way of universal will. If you are not succeeding, examine your motives. Are you working with clarity? Are you working with an attitude of goodness? Are you bringing light to others?
The Magus is the creative power of the unmoved mover who stands in perfect balance at the center of the wheel. In perfect balance there is perfect trust. In perfect trust, there is perfect love. In perfect love, the vision is clear.
The Magus represents your second mode of power, FOCUSED ACTION. Through action with a clear focus, the universe is transformed.
Excerpt taken, with thanks, from “Tarot of The Spirit” by Pamela Eakins, Ph.D., companion to the tarot deck painted by Joyce Eakins.