The Magician in brief
In the Rider-Waite tradition, The Magician stands for willpower, skill and the ability to turn an idea into something real. Modern readers often take it as a sign that the tools for a task are already at hand, while the reversed card warns of manipulation, trickery or talent left unused.
In Waite’s numbering, The Magician is card I, the first numbered card after The Fool. Labyrinthos describes him as taking the potential of The Fool and shaping it into being with the power of desire.
The card’s picture
Waite described a youthful figure in a magician’s robe, with “the countenance of divine Apollo”, a confident smile and shining eyes. Above his head floats the sign of life, an endless cord in the shape of a figure 8 lying on its side. Around his waist is a serpent belt, the snake appearing to swallow its own tail.
His right hand raises a wand toward heaven while his left hand points to the earth. On the table before him lie the symbols of the four tarot suits, which Waite called the elements of natural life, set out “like counters” for the adept to use as he wills. Below grow roses and lilies, which Waite read as garden flowers that show “the culture of aspiration.”
Modern guides keep these details. Labyrinthos reads the raised and lowered hands as “as above, so below”, the idea that earth reflects heaven and the outer world reflects the inner one. Biddy Tarot reads the white robe as purity and the red cloak as worldly experience, and links the cup, pentacle, sword and wand to water, earth, air and fire.
Upright meaning
Waite wrote that the card signifies “the divine motive in man” and the will in union with what is above. Waite’s divinatory list for the upright card begins with skill, diplomacy, address and subtlety, and also includes self-confidence and will. Waite’s list also holds darker old meanings, among them sickness, pain, loss and the snares of enemies.
Labyrinthos reads the upright Magician as the representation of pure willpower, the connecting force between heaven and earth. Labyrinthos also reads it as a sign that the time to act is now, whether in a new job, a new venture or a new love.
Biddy Tarot calls The Magician a master manifestor, a card that shows the spiritual, physical, mental and emotional resources are all present. Biddy Tarot adds that a clear vision of what to create, and why, comes before action, and that commitment and focus on one thing at a time matter more than ego goals such as money, status or fame.
Reversed meaning
Waite listed the reversed Magician as physician, magus, mental disease, disgrace and disquiet.
Labyrinthos reads the reversed card as a master of illusion, magic used for deception and trickery. Labyrinthos also reads it as someone who pretends to have another person’s interests at heart when the opposite is true, or as an unhealthy pull toward power.
Biddy Tarot reads the reversal more gently as well: an idea being explored but not yet acted on, or effort that feels misdirected because the goal or the reason behind it has gone unclear. Biddy Tarot adds that at its worst the reversed card signifies greed, manipulation and trickery, with skill used only for personal gain.
The Magician in love
In love, Labyrinthos reads the upright Magician as making things manifest, with skill, creativity and desire behind romance. For anyone looking for love, Labyrinthos reads it as advice to take action and create chances to meet someone, while still checking that no illusion is at work. Labyrinthos also reads the card as bringing excitement and a wish to experiment to both singles and couples.
Reversed, Labyrinthos reads the card as a sign that not everything may be what it seems, and advises getting to know a new partner well. Labyrinthos also reads it as low confidence or low willpower in love, creating insecurity around romance.
The Magician in career
For work, Labyrinthos reads the upright Magician as opportunities close at hand that decisive action can take up. Labyrinthos links the card to willpower and drive, the root of ambition, and applies the same drive to anyone looking to start a business. Labyrinthos also notes that if the card stands for a colleague or business partner, some caution may be wise.
Reversed, Biddy Tarot reads the card in career readings as many skills and talents whose real potential is not being used. Labyrinthos reads the reversed card in a similar way and adds that people at work may have hidden agendas.
The Magician and money
Labyrinthos reads the upright Magician in money questions as a prompt to take stock of the tools and skills already available, and to ask which abilities are going unused. Labyrinthos frames creativity as the key theme here.
Reversed, Labyrinthos reads the card as energy or talent being wasted, or as a lack of confidence in putting oneself forward. Labyrinthos also reads it as a reason to be careful about sharing details of one’s situation with others.
The Magician as feelings
As feelings, Labyrinthos reads the upright Magician as excitement and a sense of potential: someone drawn to another person’s energy and charisma, who sees the connection as a chance to build something meaningful. Labyrinthos also reads it as one’s own confidence and readiness to act.
Reversed, Labyrinthos reads confusion, doubt or a sense of being misled, with one person unsure whether things are as they seem. Labyrinthos also reads the reversed card as one’s own self-doubt and a feeling of being cut off from one’s abilities.
Questions to reflect on
- What skills or resources are already within reach and not yet used?
- Is the reason behind a current goal still clear?
- Where is focus scattered across too many things at once?
- Is any situation asking for a closer look at what is real and what is performance?