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The Tarot Your Guide to Tarot Mastery
Edition 1 Spring 2010
Spring is almost over, so how come
this newsletter is only just arriving on your
computer? I've had the good fortune to spend
September and October travelling through
Scotland, Ireland, Wales, England and France,
so this issue had to wait until my return.
It wasn't just a standard holiday though,
I was busy collecting ideas and photos for
Tarot-related articles. Castle turrets reminded
me of The Tower, and standing on the top of
mountains brought The Fool and The Hermit to
mind. Museum displays on funeral customs
were a sharp reminder of mortality and the card
called Death. There's a story for every card, and
they'll all turn up in future editions of this
newsletter!
During my journey I was also lucky
enough to gain access to a set of historical cards
(called The Mantegna Tarocchi) which strongly
influenced the design of the modern Tarot. And
I saw some of the first Rider-Waite cards to be
published. Compared to the U.S. Games
version of today, there are a subtle differences
within the colours on the cards. I was able to
photograph them, so more information on those
discoveries will turn into an article as well
sometime soon.
This edition is devoted to The Magician,
which is perhaps my favourite card from the
Major Arcana. There's so much charisma and
knowledge attached to this young man that it's
hard not to like him. In this newsletter I will
unveil some of the magical qualities that I see
in the number one card of the Tarot.
Tarot blessings,
Page 1 - Editorial
Page 2 - Magic Man
Page 3 - The Magician's Spiritual Lesson
Page 4 - Using Tarot to Overcome Challenges
Page 5 - Future Events
Page 6 - Difficult Cards
www.MisterTarot.com
Magic Man
Or is it all an Illusion?
Edition 1 Spring 2010
Le Bateleur is an old French term for
someone who does conjuring tricks.
In this card, from the Marseilles Tarot,
we see this colourful trickster in the
process of performing an illusion.
Le Bateleur is now associated with the
card we call The Magican. The curves
of his hat inspired the lemniscate
(infinity symbol) which now features
above the head of A. E. Waite's
version of this card.
In the earliest Tarot cards, The Magician was
depicted as a medieval fairground hustler, performing
sleight of hand and illusion.
Mountebank is another word that fits the
meaning of Le Bateleur (one of the recent titles for this
card), it’s an old word meaning the seller of quack
medicines, or a charlatan, or someone who could fix a
toothache, or one who performed magic tricks. These
street entertainers were familiar figures in 14th and 15
th
century Northern Italy.
As shown on the card at left, one of his main
tricks was the cups and ball game. In its modern
version, a ball is placed under one of three cups and
they are switched around under the con man's hands and
the 'player' has to guess which container hides the ball.
This piece of street gambling has been so
successful at entertaining punters - and making a profit
for the performer - that I saw it being offered on the
streets of Paris just last month!
The Italian name for this card is il bagatto,
which means 'juggler' - yet another street performer. But
when the occultist Lévi described this card, he brought
about a significant change to The Juggler’s persona. To
complete the transformation of this card, Paul Christian,
who was a devotee of Lévi, renamed the Juggler as the
Magus, and the change from a sleight of hand magician
to a metaphysical mage was complete.
A. E. Waite transformed The Juggler/Magus into
a Ceremonial Magician with an impressive pose, and
this archetypal image has been a standard on Tarot cards
ever since.
Is The Magician a mountebank or a practitioner
of High Magick? Maybe, due to his association with the
Greek God Hermes, he is a bit of both. Hermes is a
trickster God who is both a God of Wisdom, and the
patron God of thieves!
Despite his previous, dubious reputation, The
Magician is a creative, dynamic force within the Tarot.
The Spiritual Lesson of The Magician
The spiritual lesson you can learn from The
Magician is discipline. Without discipline and a sense
of purpose, ideas cannot take form. Having the right
tools for the job are half of the equation; having the
desire to use them, and having the skills to use them
properly, are the keys to success. Many people have
dreams and have been inspired to undertake a
challenging project such as landscaping a garden,
rebuilding a car engine, or writing a novel, but few
have the discipline to put aside the distractions of
television and social time to commit to the job at
hand. Some don’t even make a start.
The Magician teaches you that discipline is a
state of mind. This is true on a spiritual level too.
Many individuals decide they would like to live a
more spiritual life, because they can see the benefit of
a peaceful mind and a more harmonious state of
being, but few take the time to look for the tools they
need for this task. Fewer still take the time to evaluate
what qualities they need to develop in themselves in
order to become empowered. Self-mastery involves
developing the mind, pursuing worthwhile goals,
maintaining a kind disposition, and being conscious
of how your words and actions affect others. Being
disciplined in your approach to these personal
qualities animates The Magician within you.
The Magician can help you to achieve your
goals. Whenever you feel as though you are wavering
from your intended aims, focus on his energy and you
will be redirected towards your desired outcome.
Between a goal and its achievement, there is nothing
but discipline.
Edition 1 Spring 2010
Insights from Tarot Gurus
"The infinity sign above The Magician's head (called a lemniscate) symbolizes the truth that life is eternal, without
beginning or end, that nothing is destroyed but only changes form. As a
sideways number 8 it suggests "As above, so below," but also a variation,
"As without, so within."
- from "Tarot Wisdom"
by Rachel Pollack
"It is said that good luck is where planning meets opportunity, and this
partly describes the Magician. Outwardly, the Magician is confident, capable and successful; inwardly he
plans, rehearses his moves and awaits opportunity. When the opportune
moment arrives he moves resolutely towards achieving his aims."
- from "Mastering the Tarot"
by Paul Fenton-Smith
"In a spread of cards, the Magician indicates an important beginning. It suggests a time for action - creative initiative, skill and potential are in
abundance. The equipment needed is available but steps may not yet have
been taken towards achievement of the goal. New opportunities for intellectual or creative pursuits are presented, and the possibilities for new ventures seem
assured."
- from "The Complete Book of Tarot"
by Juliet Sharman-Burke
Using Tarot to Overcome Challenges
Tarot cards can help you to manifest your dreams by empowering you with ideas for overcoming challenges. Focus on your current problem and tell yourself you are going to draw one card from the deck to indicate your first step in overcoming this obstacle or difficulty. Pick a card at random and look at the image. Perhaps the overall scene will suggest a scheme you can use to move forward, or maybe one of the symbols on the Tarot card will provide a useful idea so you can get over this initial hurdle. After you have put this strategy into practice, choose another card to get inspiration for your next goal. Tarot cards are not just for divination, they can provide an action plan for life itself. Tarot can be your companion through the joys and sorrows of our amazing adventures on this planet. And with Tarot’s help, every step along the way will overflow with excitement and fulfilment.
Edition 1 Spring 2010
It's a nice coincidence that the newsletter
devoted to The Magician is being produced
in the season of spring.
Like the surging energies of growth that we
find around us at this time of year, The
Magician has all the characteristics of
creativity, transformation, and expression.
The red roses which form a colourful border
around this card mirror the abundance of
flowers making themselves seen in our
gardens at the moment. In the image of The
Magician, the roses are symbols of vibrant
energy, activity, and a passion for the
manifestation of spiritual and physical goals.
Occultists have always seen the rose as a
symbol of unfolding wisdom. As the outer
petals of the mundane world fall away, the
sweet inner core of enlightenment is
eventually revealed.
In this card, these flowers represent the
desire to connect with our spiritual power,
and the inner need that we all have to bring
this serenity into our everyday lives.
This spring, spend some meditative time
with The Magician and ask him to guide you
through the garden of secrets waiting to be
discovered within the Tarot. It's a journey
that will take a lifetime, but it's also the
journey of a lifetime!
Future Events
Hundreds of tarot readers, teachers, authors and
artists will gather for three extraordinary days of
Tarot study and play at The Readers Studio on...
April 29 to May 1, 2011 at LaGuardia Marriott Hotel, New York
The cornerstone of The Readers Studio curriculum is
the master sessions with the 3 presenters. This is your
chance to learn directly from Tarot's luminaries—the
people who create your favorite decks and write the
Tarot tomes on your bookshelf.
Caitlín Matthews is an acknowledged world
authority on Celtic wisdom, the Western Mysteries
and the ancestral traditions of Britain and Europe. She
is the author of over 60 books and tarot decks
including, The Arthurian Tarot, Celtic Wisdom Tarot
and Da Vinci Enigma Tarot.
Corrine Kenner: Author of twelve books, including
Tarot for Writers, Simple Fortunetelling with Tarot
Cards and Tarot Journaling. Corrine teaches and
lectures on tarot internationally in Europe, Canada
and across the United States.
Barbara Moore serves as the tarot specialist for
Llewellyn Publications and is the author of several
books for tarot decks including, The Hip Witch Tarot,
A Guide to Mystic Faerie Tarot, The Gilded Tarot
Companion, Enchanted Oracle, and the exciting new
Shadowscapes Tarot.
San Antonio Tarot Conference
20 to 23rd April 2011
This gathering has a focus on scholarly research for academic participants.
Subjects include Tarot and Art History, Tarot and Literature, and Tarot Artists.
For more info, see: http://ccwe.wordpress.com
The Tarot Guild of Australia Inc. has established a code of ethics for Tarot
practitioners, and provides a forum for professional development. For a state-by-state listing of monthly Tarot gatherings
around Australia, see their website: www.tarotguild.org.au
A note to my Northern Hemisphere friends:
This newsletter is produced in South Australia,
so the seasonal references may not relate to your
part of the world. Spelling is also based on
Australian standards, as per The Macquarie
Dictionary.
I am producing four newsletters a year, and they
are sent around the time of Australia's Winter
Solstice, Spring Equinox, Summer Solstice, and
Autumn Equinox.
Subscription rate is $14.95 per year.
Comments about this newsletter - and requests
for specific Tarot information - can be sent to:
Learn how to combine Tarot and Palmistry in an innovative, five week
course, held once a week at Hahndorf, S.A. Only $150 Email Trevor: [email protected]
Edition 1 Spring 2010
Difficult Cards
The Seven of Pentacles has a mixed message. At first glance, with its
bright colours and fertile imagery, this seems to be a very positive card. The
green plant with its strange fruit of seven golden pentacles suggests growth
and prosperity. Its creeping tendrils tell us that even greater abundance is on
the way.
The problem with the interpretation of this card is the look on the face
of the man tending this garden. His down-turned mouth expresses
disappointment. Where does his discontent come from? How can we see this
as a card of opportunity and rewards if the main character shows displeasure?
The meaning of this card is therefore related to the attitude of the
person for whom the reading is about. Although circumstances in life are
good, they fail to see the benefits involved. It's all about the mind-set of the
individual. This is a positive card, but its message is a warning about not being
caught up in negative thinking, and thereby missing out on the advantages of a
good situation.
Interpretations for The Magician
The Magician is the Tarot's master of illusions. In
archetypal terms he is masculine, a teacher, a
creator who manifests dreams and concepts into
everyday reality.
In psychological terms he is the objective mind
which directs and channels energy into the
fulfillment of plans.
He is the embodiment of intelligence, observation,
analysis, concentration, willpower, commitment,
and manifestation.
Focus on the energies of this card to improve your
levels of discipline and to bring greater conscious
control over situations.
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Copyright on all articles in this newsletter belong
to Don McLeod unless specifically stated otherwise.
w www.MisterTarot.com
Edition 1 Spring 2010
The true Tarot is symbolism; it speaks no other language and offers no other signs.
Arthur E. Waite
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