Card one in traditional tarot is The Magician. The typical depiction is a of a person standing firm in front of a table. His right hand holds a wand and is pointed to the sky. His left is pointed toward the ground. On the table in front of him are 4 tools- a sword, wand, pentacle and cup; one for each suit of the tarot. Above his head is the symbol for infinity and he is cloaked in a flowing robe reminiscent of a robe worn by witches in ritual.
In Tarot, The Magician follows the Fool and is the next stage in the Fools Journey. The Fools Journey is a series of the life events that unfold in the 22 cards of the Major Arcana. The Major Arcana is a cycle and is not linear. We are The Fool multiple times in our lifetime, and we are The World an equal amount of times. We work through each card, 0-22, along the way. When The Magician appears in a reading it is a nod to your abilities. He is skilled and masterful at manifesting and is full empowered to create, change and go forth. The Magician, standing there in his/her power, is here to show you that you have the tools you need to move forward in your task- they are all there right in front of you. You are grounded in the logic and earthly elements of this venture while also connected to your spirituality and higher self, as shown in “as above so below” position of The Magicians hands.
As an early card in the journey, you are still excited but unsure if you are capable. This card is here to remind you that you are and now is the time to take action. When The Magician appears reversed, his energy is stifled. While the tools are still there for the taking, something is causing you to take pause. Possibly it is poor planning or prep work, or another type of interference. Possibly you need to take a moment to hone in on what is causing the pause and deal with that, before moving forward. While a traditional card of action and empowerment, the reversed pull asks us to dig a little deeper into our plans and ensure we are aligned before moving forward.
Reading by Shelby Bundy, @themoonincarolina
