A powerful and enigmatic archetype, The Magician is arguably
one of the most troublesome cards of the Tarot, perhaps because it embodies
several powerful patterns that can be, at times, conflicting.
One of the main differences between the Light and Shadow
permutations of The Magician is motive: gain for others versus gain for self.
After all, every permutation of this archetype involves some form of skilled
manipulation.
Let’s examine a few of the powerful archetypal permutations
of The Magician and some examples of each pattern:
Shaman - This is the powerful healer of the tribe, one often
seasoned in animal communication, herbology and ethnobotany (the use of plants
in hallucinogenic rites, vision quests and soul retrieval). In the higher
expression of the Shaman, we have noble medicine people and wise, sporadic
advisors such as Rafiki in The Lion King
or Mama Odie in The Princess and the Frog. In the lower expression, we have the
proverbial "snake oil salesman" who feigns the ability to cure,
reverse curses or see the future (for example Dr. Marvel/The Wizard in The Wizard of Oz, Dr. Facilier/Shadow
Man in The Princess and the Frog and
Dr. Terminus from Pete's Dragon.)
Communicator - This is the silver-tongued individual that influences
and inspires the masses—the great orators of history known for sagacity,
insight, communication skills and, sometimes, diplomatic wizardry. Mercury, the
god of communication, governs The Magician (which is why the term "Mercury
retrograde" often strikes fear in the heart of those who believe in
astrology because they dread the snafus that may assault conversations,
contracts and electronic gadgets during these times.) On the other hand, this
permutation can also be the "spin doctor", copywriter or advertising
specialist that distorts or repackages reality in order to manipulate or
influence readers, viewers and consumers.
In many ways, Jesus embodies The Magician archetype,
especially with his healing ability, transformative touch and the power to sway/inspire/encourage crowds with his
sermons/parables. However, what he was to "become" through religious
tradition via modern Pharisees and institutions falls under the aegis of Trump
V, The Hierophant. "Magicians" of this caliber change perspectives, which
often results in the literal shifting and healing of ingrained belief systems
and cultural attitudes.
Jester/Trickster/Provacateur - While some say that The Fool
embodies the Jester archetype, I feel that this is more the domain of The
Magician for one reason: The Fool doesn't yet know enough to manipulate or
influence others, but The Magician does. In fact, he has all four
domains/elements/tools at his disposal to do so (symbolized by the four tools
on his table--the Coin/Earth, the Cup/Water, the Sword/Air and the Wand/Fire).
Thus, he can be a great force for good--or for ill. The Jester was the only one
in the King's court that could not only mock the King and get away with it, but
also speak harsh truths about politics and politicians without getting killed;
the modern version of this archetype is the satirist (e.g. Jon Stewart, Sacha
Baron-Cohen in roles like Borat and Bruno, Steven Colbert, etc.) The Jester
differs from the Clown archetype (which is
within the domain of The Fool, in my opinion) precisely because of the
manipulation factor: Clowns exist to entertain or distract, but Magician
provocateurs have a “change” agenda.
Tricksters were often called "Trickster gods" or
“messenger gods”; several examples that come to mind are Loki, Blue Jay,
Reynard the Fox, Eshu, Coyote—even Hermes (Hermes is the Greek version of
Mercury; thus, it's connected to communication, too). The Trickster mythos and
archetype is utterly fascinating. Tricksters bring chaos, sow discord and
disrupt harmony. However, they are not "evil" (as in the myth of
Satan from Christianity). In fact, many traditions consider the Trickster a
divine messenger; by disrupting order--"shaking things up", as it
were--veils were pierced and curtains lifted, allowing truth to be revealed.
In fact, it's said that the colors of the blue jay symbolize
this connection between the Divine and humanity through trickster behavior:
blue for the heavens/divinity, black for the earth/humanity and white for the
wisdom that joins them via the lessons of the Trickster. By clearing obstacles
and opening up channels of communication, Trickster energy shifts paradigms,
which births illumination, enlightenment and even healing (some Trickster-gods
were also healers). In fact, the Caduceus (winged serpent on a wand held by
Hermes) symbolizes healing and medicine to this day. Trickster energy also
brings chaos to order, provoking new cycles of change (whether individuals want
it or not!).
Wizard/Illusionist - The term "wiz kid" or
"wizard" denotes someone who is adept in a particular trade, skill or
predisposition. Savants are "wizzes" at math, music or other
disciplines. Magicians have the ability to juggle and pull off multiple feats
with aplomb. Metaphorically, those who can multi-task with ease and meld various
interests/ideas into something new (like inventors, entrepreneurs, writers and
artists) are Magicians. "Renaissance Souls" and polymaths like Da
Vinci would be this type of Magician, as would Steve Jobs (Apple) and Jeff
Bezos (Amazon.com). Pixar, the movie company that produced the first CGI
movie in 1995 (Toy Story), embodies
the Magician archetype, as well, both in terms of skill and the result. An offshoot of the Wizard is the Illusionist,
who pretends to perform the
miraculous, but is in fact "fooling" the audience with sleight of
hand and "smoke and mirrors"—with
the audience’s consent (and delight). In some manifestations, such as
illusionist extraordinaire Criss Angel's feats, the results are awe-inspiring
and mind-boggling (but nevertheless able to be explained).
Some Illusionists merely use the power of their words and
peer pressure to perform their trickery; for example, in the fairytale The Emperor's New Clothes, the shyster
tailors pretend to weave clothing of the finest fabric, declaring that only
stupid people cannot see their fine work. Of course, no one wants to appear
"stupid", so they deny what they see (nothing) and agree that the
emperor’s garb is the finest they’ve ever seen. It takes a clear-eyed child
(The Fool) to speak the truth ("the emperor has no clothes!"), much
to the horror of everyone. The Fool has not yet been sullied with peer
pressure, societal expectations or ingrained mores, and is thus able to
evaporate the gossamer lies of the shadow Magician.
As you can see, the Magician archetype is rich
in lore and pop culture relevancy! So the next time you encounter this pattern
in one of its permutations, consider the manner, the motive and the expression
in order to mine this multifaceted archetype for its powerful lessons and
insights.
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Permutations of the Magician Archetype
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