This will have to be another explanation leaning on the Crowley/Harris deck as they have provided the most in-depth symbolism for the card. The Magician has been described as a mountebank, a trickster and con artist who performs sleight of hand for money. Supposedly this indicates skill on the part of the practitioner. This distracts from the fact of his position in the deck, being only one step removed from the Fool, and also removes him from his rightful place. The regular accepted Magus card from Crowley’s deck, attempts to right this error in thinking and display the Magician for what he is, a truly realized being. Still in mortal form, The Magician has fully completed the Kundalini awakening as symbolized by the staff topped by a winged orb. He has powers. Symbolized by the juggling of the of the elements cloaked in the tools of the Temple, he has become the Master. His feet are winged, like Mercury’s sandals and he is moving forward through space and time outpacing the degradations of matter and karma.
The Magician is who you can become if you can complete the Kundalini awakening. The staff symbol shown in the card, always represents the spine in the body and the movement of psychic energy from Mulhadara chakra through the crown of the head into Kether on the tree of life. It is total realization and the Magician is a yogi. Over the course of time exceedingly few saints, practitioners, and madmen have been able to reach this exalted state. In addition, the Magus has been an alchemist, and has quite naturally found the way to immortality. By learning and mastering the riddles posed by later cards, he has conquered the Universe while still clothed in a physical body. It is prerequisite for the coming experience of the Fool, which doesn’t need to be incarnated at all.
The Magician is an invitation and exhortation to master all the other symbols of the deck in order to become realized. In addition, given his position on the tree of life he symbolizes the Logos (the word). The hidden name of God that is spoken to create the Universe. This is a secret word that can be spoken to take full control over creation. In the beginning was the word, and the word was God. The Magician is the only living incarnated being that knows this word, and it is reflected to us in popular culture by the stage magician’s use of the magic word Abracadabra. Jesus was considered as well, to be the living incarnation of this word, but if we consider its placement on the tree, this leaves Jesus at least one step removed from the supreme God of our Universe.
Once again this card becomes clear. The way to realization is to master the riddles of all the other symbols and become a living God. It may require the mastery of the tools of the Temple to gain control of the elements, but it suggests this is what you could become. I for one, would suggest that the Kundalini is the most important suggestion of the card and recommend yoga over temple-craft, but if you can find the route through the practice of High Magick it’s just as valid. The main key is the movement of the psychic current in the root chakra has to travel the length of the spine and pop out through the top of the head, and at that point, you have conquered the Universe.
