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I - The Magician (RWS)

Here we discuss the workhorse of Tarot, The Rider-Waite-Smith deck.
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Questions and topics specific to the Rider Waite Smith deck are discussed here.
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TheLoracular
Sage
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Joined: 14 Sep 2020, 15:50

I - The Magician (RWS)

Post by TheLoracular »

Image

The Magician is my very favorite card in the RWS deck. It inspired teenage me into exploring what an esoteric magician was, and when I am at my very best? I feel and act like one. I hold up one hand towards the divine power of life, love, light and creativity and ground myself then transform force into form via praxis, just like the figure on the card. But I never would have known how if the tarot and its magician had not shown me and taught me how. I'm still not the master, just a journeyman apprentice.

The Magician is the card that most embodies the principles of Yang to me and the High Priestess most embodies the principles of Yin to me. As a woman, I identify him as my Animus, the part of myself that isn't manifested biologically but rather in my subconscious. I have to reach in deep to draw him out to bring his knowledge and expertise to the surface and whenever he shows up in self-readings, I know that is exactly what I'm supposed to do in order to work towards whatever goal needs accomplished.

The Magician is a ritualist who is prepared to his imagination/spirituality (wands/fire), morality/heart (cup/water), intellect and words (swords/air), body/environment (pentacles/earth) to perform an act of magick. And magick is transformative, most especially self-transformative. He is wearing the white of purity of purpose and the red of passionate intent crowned with the symbol of infinity.
Tarot is a great and sacred arcanum- its abuse is an obscenity in the inner and a folly in the outer. It is intended for quite other purposes than to determine when the tall dark man will meet the fair rich widow.”
― Jack Parsons
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A-M
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Joined: 27 Feb 2020, 10:20

Re: I - The Magician (RWS)

Post by A-M »

Pamela Colman-Smith has added a clue for tarot researchers to clarify the deeper meaning of this card. On the rim of the table, on the right, we see a rising bird. This is the dove of the Holy Spirit, which is also depicted on the Ace of Cups. However, we read in the Bible that the Holy Spirit, in the form of a dove, descends on Jesus.

RWS -magician-universal-waite-tarot uitsnede.jpg

In Christianity the kundalini energy is called The Holy Spirit. The Bible is written in the language of symbolism. Inner processes are explained by using images that the masses could understand. A dove that descends represents the kundalini energy that rises. Pamela Colman-Smith knew this and hid this esoteric knowledge in the card of the Magician.

This is also explains the inverted M on the Ace of Cups. The M stands for the god Mercury and refers to the water that flows from the cup. In alchemy, the kundalini energy is called Mercurial Water.

RWS - Ace (1).jpg

The inverted M indicates that we have to turn over the card, to understand its meaning. The water that flows from the cup and the dove both represent the rising kundalini energy. The five streams of water probably refer to the pentagram (the perfected man).

https://www.anne-marie.eu/en/tarot-1-the-magician/
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