Meaning

The Fool now has the tools for anything: In one tarot narrative, it’s said the Fool first goes to the Magician or otherwise encounters him first on his journey, hence being card 1. The Fool is mesmerized, and gives over his bundled traveler’s pack when asked. The Magician opens it on his table with just his mind, his powers. When the Magician opens the Fool’s pack, it’s revealed to have swords, wands, cups, and pentacles inside. As these represent the four elements (air, fire, water, and earth) (which also represent the mind/thoughts, spirit/willpower, emotions, and physical resources respectively), the Fool can now create anything. The Fool now has infinite possibilities for innovation. The big question is if the Magician created the tools or if they already existed.

The Magician is the master of materializing things out of thin air: Another way to put that? Willpower! Creating something out of seemingly nothing with apparent magic. The Magician represents sheer willpower. He’s symbolic of action and power in your life — take the initiative!

Harness your strong willpower to take action: Move forward by turning your thoughts and ideas into something real. The presence of this card suggests you have or should have the self-confidence and drive to make it happen. The Magician gets an idea and finds a way to verbalize it, bring it into fruition. Tap into your inner power. Be tenacious. As an example, if you get this card when asking about romance, actively create opportunities to meet someone who you desire. Skill, resourcefulness, adaptability, and determination will bring success in love or whatever this card is referring to.

This card usually indicates success: Now isn’t the time for self-doubt. Your level of success will depend on your level of belief in yourself, as well as your determination and will. You have focus, talent, and agility. And if you think about powerful wizards depicted in fiction, they’re usually successful, no?

Utilize your resources, knowing you are your own best resource, trust yourself: Tap into your energy, look at your available resources, and appreciate your potential. Gather yourself together. A dance teacher once told me “Your body is the greatest instrument you’ll ever have” — here, it’s a focus on your mind as well. Have confidence in your innate creativity and authentic ideas, share them with the world, and they’ll succeed. Don’t hold yourself back. Your natural urges are exactly what is needed, and you’re smarter than you think. Have faith in your inspiration. You do not have to understand it all intellectually; intuition is your ace in the hole. Respond in a spontaneous manner to what is right in front of you.

Master your imagination and intuition: Visualize yourself creating something unique, guided by forces that emerge spontaneously from within your soul. Give your questioning nature and free-associating mind plenty of room to explore the subject at hand. You may bring freshness and clarity into the situation that is both stimulating and catalytic. It's best to keep your imagination open with this card. Let a vision come to you. You will manifest abundance when you’re on your authentic path and believe in your deservingness.

The Magician connects the four elements: Notice that all four suits are depicted on the card (in the Rider-Waite deck). Since it’s one of each, you can think of them like the Ace of each suit, and Aces signify undeveloped power. You have untapped potential waiting to be released!

Also, the Magician represents Mercury, planet of communication: The Magician can help you identify and verbalize your idea/solution/whatever because he represents Mercury, which signifies information itself (and therefore communication, which is the transmission of information — Mercury is the messenger). Mercury is quick with words, sharp-minded, witty, fast, and clever. Mercury rules Gemini and Virgo. If it’s relevant to the query, you might utilize organizational skills. If you’re looking for career guidance with this card, it might point to careers of invention or where speaking is important (sales, storytelling, politics, etc.).

As above, so below: This is a famous phrase associated with The Magician, and a famous tarot phrase in general. It symbolizes the Magician’s ability to mediate between the heavens above (or the greater universe) as well as the earthly plane. It can also represent conscious versus unconscious mental processes, which comes back to Mercury. He’s a conduit, channeling and conducting to present something to you that you should take action on.

Other: Originator and invention. Intellect and wit. You’re able, proficient, adept. Make decisions, hone your craft. Potency.

And a fun fact: The infinity symbol over the Magician’s head is called a "lemniscate.”

If you’re the querent, stop here. If you’re trying to learn tarot and don’t mind the magic being ruined, read on.

To me, the Magician is more wise and clever than magical: Based off of what I’ve seen, I think the Magician probably didn’t create the tools, I think he just revealed them in an inspiring way. That said, I think the “magic” of a snake oil peddler is real, just in the form of placebo. The Fool is given the reassurance and confidence in his authentic path and ideas and is shown that he has all the tools to live his best life, and that’s invaluable.

Similarly, the Magician should give you confidence: I see this card itself as a placebo. You know, believe you’ll feel better and you will. Be told you’ll succeed and you likely will. The Magician presents the querent with a positive self-fulfilling prophecy, and that is magic in a way. His authority and intelligence inspires confidence.

“Snake oil salesmen” can help: In my eyes, the trickster Magician isn’t a fraud exactly. If he brings someone peace of mind and empowers them, I don’t care if it was unknowingly inside of them all along. What matters is that the Magician was needed for them to feel that peace, so the Magician did something, even if it wasn’t the magic advertised.

Things could be revealed to you: Just as the Magician is a card about things being revealed, something (especially important communications) could be revealed to you soon too, like an idea or a solution to a problem. But remember, the Magician probably doesn’t magically create ideas or solutions, you’ve probably had the thought (or at least the capacity to form it) all along and the Magician is just making it appear. His talent is allowing you to see, process, and verbalize the abstraction.

Mercury associates with con men: Mercury is the god of thieves and rules smooth talkers, salesmen, and convincing snake-oil-or-not healers. This makes sense — con men are persuasive communicators, never at a loss for an answer, speedy improvisers. They’re typically smart, inventive, eloquent, charming, and fast, just like Mercury — “sharp-minded, witty, fast, and clever,” remember? Hot take: the Magician is a con man with a heart of gold.

It’s rare, but you could be the charming Magician: It’s uncommon for tarot readers to interpret the querent as the Magician, but if you feel you’re in a time of particular persuasiveness, the card could represent you. However, it’s usually better to think of this card as the querent encountering the Magician and being inspired to use their willpower and follow their authentic path.

Someone else in your life could be him: Beware of con men in your own life posing as Magicians: family members, coworkers, new relationships. They may be subtle but equally insidious tricksters.

Other: Some say powerful Magicians and wizards are commonly depicted as being a little blind to those close to them? Not sure if I see it, but I may as well pass along the warning to not make that mistake. It could otherwise become an obstacle to your success.