T.1 The Magician
Activity
Spend time with each of the Trumps to generate your “tarot encyclopedia” notecard for each.
Working with the Trumps is slightly different because they represent forces of subjective experience instead of forms and objective structure. The symbolism in the cards is more complex, subtle, and profound. For this reason, we will slow down the presentation pace to only one Trump per page.
You are encouraged to only engage with one Trump per day.
For anyone who may still find it helpful, here is the recommended process.
- Look at the image on the card and examine its details.
- Read the page in the companion book for that card.
- Read the description provided here.
- OPTIONAL: Read other descriptions of that card online or in other books.
- Reflect on the questions posed.
- Write down the details of the image that have meaning to you and the 2 or 3 interpretations (perhaps 1 heavenly, 1 upright earthly, and 1 reversed earthly) that resonate most strongly for you.
- Reflect on whatever correspondences you can find, such as relationships to other cards, astrological associations, and anything else. Include notes on anything specific that stands out.
Feel free to write down your own interpretations based on what comes to you!
I. The Magician

Name: The Magician
Hebrew Letter/Meaning: Bet (ב), House, Life-Death
Element/Planet/Zodiac: Mercury, Virgo, Gemini
Name of Path: Transparency
Type: Formative (-)
Connecting Sefirot: Crown (1) & Understanding (3)
Tidbits: Master of form and skill that gives structure to the pure force flowing into it. If The Aces are the source of Pure White Light then Wisdom is the light bulb and Understanding is the lenses and mirrors that turn it into a laser beam. The magician connects the structure to the source, functioning as both the transmitter and what is transmitted. He is the primal substance (philosophic mercury) transforming itself back into its pure essence.
The Magician is our capacity for self-knowledge and resourcefulness to ceate, manifest desires, and master external knowledge. If out of balance, self-control becomes controlling others, skill becomes manipulation, and mastery becomes an abuse of power.