The Magician
A
youthful figure in the robe of a magician, having the countenance of divine
Apollo, with smile of confidence and shining eyes. Above his head is the
mysterious sign of the Holy Spirit, the sign of life, like an endless cord,
forming the figure 8 in a horizontal position . About his waist is a
serpent-cincture, the serpent appearing to devour its own tail. This is familiar
to most as a conventional symbol of eternity, but here it indicates more
especially the eternity of attainment in the spirit. In the Magician's right
hand is a wand raised towards heaven, while the left hand is pointing to the
earth. This dual sign is known in very high grades of the Instituted Mysteries;
it shows the descent of grace, virtue and light, drawn from things above and
derived to things below. The suggestion throughout is therefore the possession
and communication of the Powers and Gifts of the Spirit. On the table in front
of the Magician are the symbols of the four Tarot suits, signifying the elements
of natural life, which lie like counters before the adept, and he adapts them as
he wills. Beneath are roses and lilies, the flos campi and lilium
convallium, changed into garden flowers, to show the culture of aspiration.
This card signifies the divine motive in man, reflecting God, the will in the
liberation of its union with that which is above. It is also the unity of
individual being on all planes, and in a very high sense it is thought, in the
fixation thereof. With further reference to what I have called the sign of life
and its connection with the number 8, it may be remembered that Christian
Gnosticism speaks of rebirth in Christ as a change "unto the Ogdoad." The mystic
number is termed Jerusalem above, the Land flowing with Milk and Honey, the Holy
Spirit and the Land of the Lord. According to Martinism, 8 is the number of
Christ.
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Original text by A. E. Waite. This
edited text © 2005. Please note: all applicable material on this website
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The Magician