Sunday, June 21, 2015

Tarot Blog Hop: The Magician


Welcome to the Summer Solstice Blog Hop! Please use the links at the top or bottom of this post to navigate to the other blogs in this circle!

For this Solstice Hop our wrangler, Alison Cross, asked us to choose a card from the Major Arcana and discuss any aspect about it that calls to us, and then, if we like, to put any sort of creative twist on it (a drawing, a poem, a spread, a story, a recipe). I chose to discuss the special gift that the Magician offers, and at the end of this post I've laid out a simple spread that highlights its energy.

This Major Arcana card, as all do, covers a wide range of possible elements. There is the Magician as a manipulator, or trickster, or in a more positive light as a person who has the ability to make desires reality ("you have all the tools you need!"). There is the Magician as the doctor or shaman, the teacher and student, and the diplomat. The Magician is known to have the ability to unite all elements of his/her environment through Will.
New Orleans Voodoo Tarot
Destiny Books
If we distill the essence of the Magician into a concentrated offering, it is: manifestation through absolute self-confidence and focused intention. This is not about crossing your fingers and hoping for the best; rather it's knowing that you will accomplish what you set out to do, and it is the ultimate realization of that desire.

In magical traditions, doubts can be damaging to the efficacy of the work being performed, and it is often not even enough to simply hope that a working will be effective. You carefully select your resources and materials, you create a space conducive to concentration and communion, and you know that your work has reached gentle, energetic fingers out into the universe to help to influence your goal.
World Spirit Tarot
Llewellyn Publications
In the book A Practical Guide to the Runes (1989), Lisa Peschel writes:

Why does magick work? It works because you believe it works. It doesn't just happen, however. You must make it happen. The way you make it happen is through belief and understanding. You must have belief in yourself and in the operation, and you must understand the operation thoroughly. 
Aleister Crowley wrote in Magick in Theory & Practice: "Magick is the Science and Art of causing Change to occur in conformity with Will," and anyone who has ever performed magick of any kind can attest to the truth of that statement. Magick is not "supernatural." It is a well-thought-out and self-willed scientific exercise in which the results are known before they actually happen. 
You will find your magick becoming more effective as your understanding and confidence grows...
(pg. 130-131)

Even if you do not practice a magical art or tradition, the energy of the Magician can be channeled into any area of your life, into any situation that would benefit from unwavering self-confidence, focused intention, and personal empowerment. To this end I've created the:

Magical Roadmap Spread

1) Point A: Major circumstance or issue in my life
2) Point B: My goal for this circumstance
3) Magician: How I can best focus my resources and Will to manifest my goal

May your inner Mage always be with you!

Happy Summer Solstice, and Happy Hopping!


19 comments:

  1. Great post Olivia. Magic is something I like to think about a lot and sometimes try it for myself. I do believe it is all about focusing will and intent and making this intent visual with whatever comes to mind. Of course I prefer cards. So this spread is certainly one I am going to try. Usually I pick my cards for a spell myself but sometimes the Universe can come up some great ideas too :)

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    1. Thanks, Ellen! Yeah, I think using cards to help us focus our intent on a specific goal (whether it be an action or simply a way of thinking) is a great way of engaging magic!

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  2. Awesome post, this is exactly how I feel about the Magician. Can't wait to try your spread!

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  3. Love this! I read too often of people being urged just to WISH for something and the universe will provide. I'm a great believer in putting in the hard work - just like your Magician. Stunning sleight of hand comes after a lot of hard work!

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    1. Haha, I hear ya! You can't just sit at home and wait for the universe to provide... you've got to sweat a little!

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  4. Ditto what Alison said! Ha! Don't get me started on misapplied Law of Attraction and such... I could go on with a LOA LOL outburst for quite a while... :D

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    1. Oh yes, definitely! Haha... hey if I could just *imagine* a million bucks...........

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  5. What the others said... "knowing that you'll accomplish what you set out to do" says it all.

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  6. Wonderful post! I sometimes use The Magician alongside The Moon card to help manifest creative ideas. He's a wonderful representation for channelling energy, minus the ifs/buts/doubts that can interfere :-)

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    1. I love that idea! That could be a great "Tarot spell" :-)

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  7. Love your spread! Simple and to the point. :D

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  8. Yep, it's not about simply wishing. Knowing is key to successful magic. :) thanks for the spread. I drew the cards and I got told to apply love to the situation. Always good advice. :)

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    1. Thanks, Joanne, I'm so glad that you had a positive reading with the spread! :)

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