We come to our second month of the tarot story and we are now introduced to the Magician he is a confident man who is connected to the higher realms; you can see his hand with a wand in it raised to the heavens. This is a man of action; although he appears to be static there is a lot of movement in his demeanour. He is pointing to the ground, as though his is a conduit of information from the heavens to earth, this is one of the Magicians greatest activities, he is the 'messenger of the Gods' as is Hermes, or Mercury.

Mercury's role on a psychological level is the multiplicity of the functions of the human mind. He allows us to delve into the depths of the psyche and also to be able to communicate with each other and the various parts of our own being. But, he is also the trickster, and he will cloud our perception, we will project ideas that are not true onto a whole host of subjects.
Human intelligence is multifaceted and with the gem of this knowledge, Mercury is both practical and intuitive, Mercury is at home in the imaginal world and he lends us the gifts of expressing inner truths, in the form of the Magician, this should be taken seriously.
Let's look at magic seriously for a moment, what is it?
A current definition comes from Ronald Hutton. He says magic may be conceived of as ‘embracing any formalised practices by human beings designed to achieve particular ends by the manipulation and direction of supernatural power or of spiritual power concealed within the natural world’ . In The Tree of Life   Israel Regardie tells us that the word magic was derived from the Greek mageia and that magic is a science and a religion based on the teachings of the priests of Zoroaster. He agrees with Hutton saying, Magic is the art of causing change using symbols, imagination, correspondences and intention. Cornelius Agrippa speaks of magic as a combination of three systems, Natural Philosophy, Mathematical Philosophy and Theological Philosophy. Agrippa states that, 'Magic comprehends, unites and actuates; deservedly, therefore, was it by the ancients esteemed as the highest and most sacred philosophy. It was, as we find, brought to light by most sage authors and most famous writers.'
When we look at the card the Magician of the Rider Wait deck we see that he has carious 'tools of the trade on his table' He has the Pentacle which would be a practical and earthy part of the tarot, it is the suit that is more material. Ye has the Cup with depicts the emotional and watery section of the Tarot, so there it is the Magician dealing with the emotional area of life, then we have the Sword lying on the table the handle easily accessible the staff also lying on the table, which is a more practical wand. In many shamanic traditions especially in the tribal countries the apprentice is given a stick made from the branch of a young tree, this stick is used as the staff and is revered as having magical qualities, as well as protective qualities. The staves in the Rider Waite deck are known as wands, which are different from the wand which the Magician in holding in his right hand, the wand that he holds in his right hand is the transformer from the material world to the psychic and intuitive world.

The magician is also able to be the energy that inspires us. The word inspiration comes from the saying 'filled with holy breath' the inspiration that the Magician gives is to hand us all the tools to work with so as to build wisdom of the self and our situation.

Think for a while, who and what is the Magician in your life, remembering at all times that it can be you! You can create a life that is magical by looking at all aspects of your life and saying which parts you can and would like to change, then as an exercise, keep the picture of the Magician in mind. Now, don't forget that the Magician can also be the trickster, so you will have to be quite astute, and watch for the fact that we can and often do delude ourselves. But also do not be hard on yourself in this learning process as it is supposed to empower you and be fun.
The Magician requires integrity, and in that way we cannot ask him to interfere in any one else's life, only ours.
This honesty and integrity is what allows us to really see truths, and not the illusion in which life is often shrouded.
Using the energy of the Magician, this month, decide on a goal that you would like to achieve, now really act on it. People who seem to get what they want in life go out of their way to achieve it!
This achievement is often as a result of single minded focus and determination, will power and belief in their own ability to achieve their goals, now with the Magician at your side, you too can empower yourself to reach for the skies!

About Bernie
Bernie Rowen relocated to Scotland from South Africa, where she had a counselling practiced based on Jungian principles and shamanic work. She has published 2 books, Massage, published by New Holland Publishing and Natural Solutions an A-Z of natural healing published by Metz press. She holds many qualifications in Natural Medicine and counselling from Reiki to clinical hypnotherapy and holds a diploma in Adult Education from the University of Cape Town she is registered with Independent Professional Therapists International as well as Tarot Professionals.
She lives in Livingston and runs a practice using both tarot and astrology as tools for spiritual and personal development. Bernie also runs psychic development evening's, all welcome, particularly beginners. To make an appointment This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it her or call 01506-433638