Western Tarot symbolism
The Magician
The Magician raises a wand toward heaven and points with the other hand toward earth. Before him lie the four suit emblems, interpreted as the resources of natural life available to an adept. The commentary associates the figure with communication of spiritual gifts and the unity of individual being. The divinatory list instead includes skill, diplomacy, will, and several unfavorable possibilities.
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In the sources
Principal account
LiteraryThe Magician raises a wand toward heaven and points with the other hand toward earth. Before him lie the four suit emblems, interpreted as the resources of natural life available to an adept.
Further detail
LiteraryThe commentary associates the figure with communication of spiritual gifts and the unity of individual being. The divinatory list instead includes skill, diplomacy, will, and several unfavorable possibilities.
Context & interpretation
The active library scan carries L. W. de Laurence’s name and reproduces material associated with A. E. Waite’s Tarot exposition. Its symbolic descriptions and divinatory lists are distinct registers, and neither provides a guaranteed prediction.
Original passages
Source 1
The Illustrated Key to the Tarot: The Veil of Divination
in front of the Magician are the symbols of the four Tarot suits, signifying the elements of natural life, which lie like counters before the adept, andOpen this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: Western Tarot symbolism; active reader leaf 43
Exact passage checked against active scan text and original-leaf mapping; scan line breaks normalised.
- Edition
- IMJ-0149-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0149-E001-P0043
- Original scan leaf
- 48
- Recorded leaf number
- 48
- Current Reader position
- 43
- Reader verification
- Matches the reviewed Reader
Source 2
The Illustrated Key to the Tarot: The Veil of Divination
AND THEIR DIVINATORY MEANINGS 1. The Magician.—Skill, diplomacy, address, subtlety; sick- ness, pain, loss, disaster, snares of enemies; self-confidence, will; the Querent,Open this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: Western Tarot symbolism; active reader leaf 148
Exact passage checked against active scan text and original-leaf mapping; scan line breaks normalised.
- Edition
- IMJ-0149-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0149-E001-P0148
- Original scan leaf
- 154
- Recorded leaf number
- 154
- Current Reader position
- 148
- Reader verification
- Matches the reviewed Reader
Continue exploring
Justice
Accountability according to deeds, distinguished from spiritual election.
Shared source pageStrength
A woman’s gentle mastery of the lion rather than a contest of force.
Shared source pageThe Chariot
Triumph and directed power whose external victories have limits.
Shared source pageThe Emperor
Seated sovereignty as executive power, reason, and realization.