May 06 2008
The Magician becomes The Master
In the old world tarot system, The Magician symbolizes mastery. The archetype here is generally developed as an extension to The Fool archetype. For the ram and the lamb, this is is The Fool submitting to the task at hand which is, depending on who is sitting in the chair in front of you, personal, moral, or magical mastery. Should the fool prove to be amenable to instruction, should the chela prove “adept,” they will pass through the “orders” and “the levels” and “the circles” (or however the hierarchy is conceived) and eventually attain mastery. The end result of the initiation and esoteric development process is power (or grace, or self awareness, or moral rectitude, or worthiness to “enter into heaven,” or whatever). Of course there is always an element of trial and worthiness here. You are not a master yet, but may become one should you learn the proper use of the “elements” before you. The main point of the old world archetype is clear. You’ve got potential kid, but you’re not there yet.
Many commentators rightly pick up an undercurrent of submission to authority in this card. Commentators often point to the position of the arms which, they say, indicate the magician is learning to manifest “divine will.” They key here is recognizing the archetype of authority and and submission. It’s your job to manifest somebody else’s will, right? Part of the task of “mastery” is to figure out the best way to manifest “somebody else’s” will. Consider the old world magician archetype in the context of The System. The system cannot function without the top down flow of authority and this archetype helps create the structures that allow for that by positioning.
In the Halo/Sharp archetype, the idea of mastery is preserved and highlighted. The difference however is that in this case, the message is not that you must become a master in order to serve another, the message is you are are already a master. You have followed the golden road into incarnation, have taken a body, and now you bring your considerable intelligence, power, wisdom, and experience to bear upon the manifestation tasks you choose to undertake. The Halo/Sharp archetype, the new world archetype, acknowledges your eternal soul and the experience, wisdom, and power you have must have gained from countless prior lifetimes where you exercise the will of spirit which is to create, exalt, and enjoy creation. This archetype puts you in the driver’s seat.
Of course, given the imposition of the system and the prevalence of the old energy archetypes in your consciousness, at this point you may not feel like the master that you are. But that will come. The first step in creating the conditions for tapping into the ageless power and wisdom that lies within you, but just beneath the thin surface of this 3D reality, is recognizing that it is there. Therefore, accept that you are a master and begin the process of bringing this glorious being forward.
