Aesop's fisherman is a true magician in the Tarot's terms: he is a humble performer, but he also has true magical powers. The moral implies that these two qualities are related, that the power a performer wields over his or her audience is fully dependent upon his or her ability to influence others in the real world; this may be true of the utterly talentless, but those who are truly skilled in language, art, or music usually have no trouble getting the fish to dance, as it were, without the use of a net.
My partner has warned me against posting about anything too topical, concerned that the cards will lose relevance more rapidly. I considered that, but since I'm planning on continuing this project indefinitely, I figure there will always be a shiny new subject to replace the old, worn-out one. It's possible, however, that none will shine brighter than Bruno (née Sacha Baron Cohen), the gay Austrian fashion icon whose movie enjoyed its London premiere this week:
Bruno isn't the star of this post, he's merely a reminder about the true nature of the Magician. You see, starting in the 19th century, occultists transformed this card into a self-portrait of the ceremonial magician, or "magus". He was assigned the tools of ritual magic and imbued with an air of divine wisdom (most specifically, that of the god Hermes). In other words, people who thought themselves to be sorcerors ultimately succeeded in turning this character into a sorceror.
That concept of the card has its own sort of lyrical beauty, so I can't bring myself to hate all over it. But if you look at the earlier Magician cards, it's obvious that he was nothing but a common hustler, an entertainer. Instead of magical weapons, he's wielding dice and other games of chance. In fact, his French name, "Le Bateleur", doesn't mean "magician" at all -- it refers to jugglers, tight-rope walkers, and other street performers. So if he's any sort of magician, he's the kind who you might hire for a child's birthday party: less Eliphas Levi and more GOB Bluth.
I find this original concept of him to be far more effective in readings, because everyone can recognize and relate to the trickster archetype. Nimble and dextrous, cunning and sharp, confident and daring -- these are the magician's true underlying qualities. He may be low in rank, but his natural gifts guarantee that he will not be easily suppressed. You can't live by your wits forever, but will certainly be times in your life when you need to be able to do exactly that. The card hints at an ephemeral victory -- people tend to leave the circus broke, but happy. Remember that when you start putting on your own show.
Sacha Baron Cohen's schtick puts him on this sort of tight-rope all the time. His comedy outrages people and results in tons of lawsuits (Bruno has already begun racking them up). Some people just want to laugh at him, other people want to debate the meaning of his work, and still others really just have no idea what to think. The kind of reality-warping he's getting away with on a large scale is something each of us can get away with on a small scale. Consider that as a viable approach to challenges both foreseen and unforeseen. Hermes would approve...
These vast planetary landscapes may look like Hubble telescope captures, but they are nothing you couldn't make at home with some detergent and a wire-hanger wand. Under Jason Tozer's photographic eye, ordinary soap bubbles become worlds of their own, swirling with unearthly colors and hovering still and eternal in outer space.
We all know that bubbles only last a few seconds, but for a brief and wonderful time everything hovers breathtakingly in the air, creating a bold and effortless illusion of perfection. The Magician is the first card in the deck (the Fool being technically numbered zero), and he demonstrates how easily and dazzlingly elements combine when you approach them with the proper amounts of concentration and daring. This blaze of inspiration is often linked symbolically to the original act of creation -- both the Big Bang version, and the microcosmic one that occurs when sperm meets egg. There is incredible potential for learning and mastery here, with consequences far more complex and delicious than are apparent to the naked eye. All the better to dazzle your audience!
Lest a novice grow a little too over-confident in his abilities, it's worth remembering that his "magic" depends entirely on his flexibility, his ability to observe and conform to the natural laws of the universe. The second he expects those laws to conform to his will, he loses balance and the bubble bursts. [Via]
