The Magician
You already hold what you need to begin.
You already hold the tools you need. Gather your attention and act with intent.
- skill
- focus
- resourcefulness
Traditional association: Mercury
What the card shows
A figure in a white robe and red cloak raises one wand to the sky and points the other hand to the ground. An infinity sign floats above the head. On the table before the figure lie a cup, a sword, a wand and a pentacle, and roses and lilies bloom below.
One is the number of a single point of focus. The four tools on the table stand for the four suits, so every kind of resource is within reach. The raised and lowered hands are commonly read as bringing an idea down into the world. Mercury, the card's usual planet, points to skill and communication.
▲Upright
Focus turns what is possible into something real. You have more to work with than you may think.
What do I already have that I am not using?
▼Reversed
Skill and focus are scattered, held back, or used for show.
Where is my attention going instead of where I say I want it?
The Magician in a reading
In love
Saying plainly what you want and meaning it; sincerity over performance.
Reversed: Skill and focus are scattered, held back, or used for show.
At work
Using your skills on purpose, starting a project with a plan.
Its shadow side: cleverness without sincerity, many tricks and little follow-through.
As a Major Arcana card
Life's big themes and turning points. A Major Arcana card points to a bigger theme than the everyday cards around it.
Related cards
The Minor Arcana cards that share the number 1.
Ace of Wands
Ace of Cups
Ace of Swords
Ace of PentaclesRead it with other cards
Questions about The Magician
What does The Magician mean in tarot?
Focus turns what is possible into something real. You have more to work with than you may think. Keywords: skill, focus, resourcefulness.
What does The Magician mean reversed?
Skill and focus are scattered, held back, or used for show. Blocked: knowing what to do and not starting. Excess: promising more than you deliver. Inward: a talent kept private.
What does The Magician mean in love?
Saying plainly what you want and meaning it; sincerity over performance.
What does The Magician mean for work?
Using your skills on purpose, starting a project with a plan.
What question does The Magician ask?
Upright: What do I already have that I am not using? Reversed: Where is my attention going instead of where I say I want it?
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