Arcanum One The Magician

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Arcanum One The Magician

Post by TarotModerator » Mon Feb 14, 2011 12:58 pm


                                              Arcanum One The Magician


Image    Image    Image    Image    Image

Element: Fire.

Direction:East.
                                 
Cabala: Aleph: Ox.

Minor Arcanum: All Aces.

Planet:Mercury.


Card Symbolism

Card Color:Yellow, Colour of the Sun, life force.Creation of light, the source of life and control over destiny as we know it.

Flowering plants.Creative power, growth.Fertility, life force, development.

Table with objects.Maybe an altar, Sometimes variety of objects, mostly,
a pentacle,
a sword,
a chalice,
a wand:
Wondering what he wants to do with it?God-like Control over all people represented by the minor Arcanum. At his will all the elements are merged and manipulated to his benefit.

Main figure.A man pointing up with right hand holding a wand, and down with left. Transferring energy from the spirit realm to the natural. As above so below, indicating his creative and controlling force.

Robes Attainment as Magus.Control and creator of the Universe.

Snake grabbing itself by the tail as belt.Orouboros serpent of alchemy.Master in the art of alchemy. Mind-control using created miracles.

Sign above head.Inverted eight lying on its side, maybe a halo, signifying him as a saint.Life force and Infinity.

CandlesBlack- Boaz- negation.White- Jachin- beginning.God like control over the beginning and the end of life.

                      Aleph               Bet →

Phoenician    
Hebrew        

Image  
     
Aramaic  

Syriac  
   
Image
Arabic      

Image
                                                       


Phonemic representation (IPA): ʔ
Position in alphabet: 1
Numerical (Gematria/Abjad) value: 1


The Magician is directly linked to Aleph in the Hebrew alphabet or Aleph-Bet.  When we start investigating Aleph we see that it is constructed from two Yods and Vav diagonally, joining the Yods.

In the Kaballah the Yod appearing on the Top represents God, Vav mankind; we can see this in the creation of Adam on the sixth day. The bottom Yod represents the revelation of YHVH to mankind. Vav or hook, shows how the two realms are connected. The two Yods then displays the connectedness of God to mankind, being far yet close, being near yet far.

The Magician is assigned to the Planet Mercury, with the following characteristics:

Mercury,

The messenger of the Gods, associated to Thoth and Hermes. Related to Water and Air. It’s neither male nor female and is mainly represented by the hermaphrodite.

Rules:

Intelligence, Speed, Agility, Skill, Dexterity, Cleverness, Speech, Math, Astronomy, Cunning, Communication, Intellectual energy, Perception, Reason, Memory, Speaking, Words of Power, Travel, Transportation, Education and Research.

Let us now qualify the association of The Magician to Aleph:

The Modern name in Italian for the Magician is il Bagatto, this term has no Italian meaning, except for the name of this card, and is also numbered 1, in Sola Busca and Tarocchi Siciliano, in fact, most decks. On one of the oldest Italian woodcuts, we see the Magician as becoming a traveling street performer or trickster. He wears a limp pointed hat. Looking at the table the only objects we can clearly define are the dice. On the Marseilles deck his hat is broadly brimmed and a knife and a bag replaced some of the other objects, we still find the dice on the table. This is where we have our first reference to the number Twenty one. The dice, also used for divination, has twenty one combinations in total, and relates to the 21 letters of the Hebrew Aleph-Beth. Another reference to the Magician is seen in Ancient religions. Mercury or Hermes was the Protecting God of gamblers, travelers, storytellers, dice, merchants, alchemists, magicians, liars and thieves. The broad brimmed hat he wears is like the petasus of Mercury, a traveler’s hat. On the table, a bag for his belongings, suggestive of being a traveler. Although he is not portrayed as an occultic Magician, the association with Mercury is valid.

Being under the protection of Mercury and Hermes, he has been assigned the first planet, and that is why the Fool can not occupy this position. Furthermore, the Aces are under the rule of the Magician-Aleph (1) and not Beth (2).

When we look at the Magician, his arms are outstretched, one pointing up, the other pointing down. As above, so below, a precinct assigned to Hermes Trismugistus, The diagonal Vav, his head the upper Yod and his lower body, the lower Yod.

The overall Gematrix for Aleph is one, but Aleph is made up of Yod=10, Vav=6 and Yod=10. Now we see an interesting scenario, the division of Aleph gives us a total of 26. The number twenty six is the same as that of YHVH.

Looking at the construction of Aleph we see that the top Yod represents God or spiritual realm, near but far, far but near. Vav/Vau the diagonal line, number value, six. Vav representing Mankind, or the day on which man was created. The bottom Yod, with klots or hook representing the manifestation of God or the Man-God. We can safely assume that God is the centre of the universe and creation.

This is now where we start interpreting the Magician, looking at God, influences translated into the mundane is done via the Magician. Now, representing God as well. We see the Magician as a creator, master of his own environment and controller of the mundane and creator of the universe, intelligence and wise decisions. But, in this sense we must also look at the negative influences that can be practiced.

The Magician is also capable of destructive influences. Such as abusive control over people, altering personal environments and ignorance.

Meditation

Whether you think of this card as the Magician or the Juggler, the allegory is the same. Consider that everything in the universe is spread out before God like the objects on the Magicians table, and these elements of creation are tossed by God in the same manner that a Juggler tosses his objects around. The objects themselves are not important to the Magician as individuals. His ability to control and manipulate them is the most important concern to him.

The opportunities to use talents or to learn new skills has been obviated and been at your disposal. This is the second card in the Major Arcanum. The next move from The Fool.  We need to remember, if The Fool is at the beginning of the deck it indicates a spiritual journey, or lessons to be learned. If you consider the Magician to have completed the spiritual journey as the Major Arcanum depicts, you can think that he has all the abilities to control the mundane world with wisdom, and guidance. But sometimes, it is also a personal trap. You may think you are in control but the reality of the situation is that your control is not shared by others and that you may lose power at any time. You need to go through the rest of your spiritual journey to reach a point where you will be enlightened, this point, only you will know. The synthesis being that you need to be at the highest level to attain completion-The World-. Many people have never gone beyond the level of the Magician, the pleasure they derive from controlling people and mundane events, being an overpowering feeling of attainment. The control they have over the mundane has given them a false sense of security and has been their downfall many a time. Being the Magician, in occult teachings a true Magician stands at the centre of the universe, and all things radiate out from him. However he creates, or recreates, the nature of the universe within his mind, which becomes the nature of the universe in fact. So either way, the individual pictured in this card is someone with the ability to control and manipulate people, things and events.

We must also look at the creative side which the Magician has. Although this card is linked to mysticism, we must remember that the Magician stands for creativity. That which is hidden may be made public. This needs to be seen as a development within his imagination. The skill that he applies to realise imaginary visions and projects is based on his own will and self reliance, he can be seen as a controlling force on the four elements, bringing them together, merging all the power to influence his destiny.

If he ventures into the unknown world of occult teaching, without the skills and training needed, his attempts will be clumsy and unfruitful, if not out rightly dangerous. We can safely say that he is at the point where he is practising control over people without the needed judgement and diplomacy. His unskilled actions lead to ruin and disgrace. We must also think that he may be a very dangerous person as he has a lack of self esteem and willing to exploit the weaknesses of those he controls.

Upright

Strength of will, intuition, self control, self-confidence, autonomy, diplomacy, al leading to success and the ability to control your environment in a positive and creative manner.

Reversed

Cleverness, as in foolishly thinking you are what you’re not, lack of scruples, trickery, cunning, subtlety. An intrigue, a liar, a charlatan, a rogue; one willing to exploit the weakness and trust of others. All resulting from a lack of real esteem, and domination by outside forces; sometimes leading to disgrace or mental imbalance.

If this card is representative of you, then you have the power or potential to control your world. It is up to you, to create a progressive or destructive immediate environment.

Symantic expansion of Aleph.

Aleph, no. 1, is the unthinkable life-death, abstract principle of all that is and all that is not. Aleph is the supreme energy, subtle, alive, but not existing as itself in the space-time world we know, because it is relative. It is the primal energy, it is in all and all is in aleph. It is beyond definition, incapable of being defined or limited. It can be seen to move at infinite speed and thus evades time. It can be viewed as primal consciousness unknown to itself.      
"The twenty-two graphs which are used as letters in the Hebrew alphabet are twenty-two proper names originally used to designate different states or structures of the one cosmic energy, which is essence and semblance of all that is."

Biological synthesis;

Cell: Energy (Abstract). Looking at the biological structure of Aleph. It is the first spark or first formative force, thought or ambition. This can denote the first step taken in a continuous developing cycle, started from a single point.

Google Link:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/16j_ ... edit?hl=en

Mystic Board Discussion and Self study feedback Thread:

http://www.mysticboard.co/viewtopic.php?t=74320

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