Greater Arcana Study Group—The Magician

Yelell

It's from the B.O.T.A. Tarot created by P. F. Case. It is based mostly on the RWS, with a few changes and "corrections" here and there.

Also the pips are plain, not illustrated. They sell the cards pretty cheaply, black and white to color yourself. I'm particularly fond of the large majors only deck. http://store.bota.org/tarotdecks.html

ETA - they're the cards at the end of 'The Tarot: A Key to the Wisdom of the Ages' mentioned earlier
 

Yelell

In the Magician’s right hand is a wand raised towards heaven, while the left hand is pointing to the earth.

The choice of right and left is apparently deliberate - any idea why this is reversed from previous decks, TdM, wirth etc?
 

Richard

The choice of right and left is apparently deliberate - any idea why this is reversed from previous decks, TdM, wirth etc?

The more I think about that, the more confused I get. Normally the dominant hand (usually the right) is used for projection and the non dominant hand for reception. Also, it seems odd that the wand, usually considered phallic, is being used as a receiving antenna. Of course, the wand of the magician is unusual, in that it is bipolar, more like the wand of a stage magician, which is used to distract the attention of the audience from the other hand, which is actually doing the trick. I give up for now.
 

Zephyros

I once had a theory that the positions of the Fool and Magician are essentially reversed, and show that the deck deals with the internal workings of the Adam Kadmon. Since both point to Keter (or should), holding the two cards in front of a mirror demonstrates this.
 

Abrac

Check out this image. Waite included it as the frontispiece of his book The Holy Kabbalah (1929):

Frontispiece

Normally the Tree of Life is shown from the opposite perspective; the pillar of mercy on the right and the pillar of severity on the left. In this diagram the perspective is reversed but the pillar of mercy is still on the right and the pillar of severity on the left.

The figure in the middle is the "Son" and represents a divine mediator between heaven and earth, similar to Waite's description of the Magician in the PKT. If his right arm were raised like the Magician's it would point to Chokmah, and if his left arm were lowered it would point to Hod.
 

Parzival

I have really learned much from this thread of comments and questions. I went back to Case's chapter/essay on the "Magician." What an amazing range of detailed coverage. It impressed me that he made sense of the number(1), the letter(Beth), the planet(Mercury), the color(yellow surround) , the red roses with five petals, the white lilies with six petals, and the table (with its four tools). He emphasized how the "superconscious" is channeling through the "concentration" of the "conscious." He noted the upper and lower tips of the wand as "Above and below." Case certainly covers much more about the grand image/s than does Waite. As to an earlier inspired comment by Inevia, the Magician is producing a field of energy, no doubt, but mental, I think, by way of willed intention and concentration, to join Spirit and matter. But what specifically is his focus of thinking? Is this Buddhist, Platonic, Kabbalistic, or what, as to the very thinking actually there?
 

Yelell

Check out this image. Waite included it as the frontispiece of his book The Holy Kabbalah (1929):

Frontispiece

Normally the Tree of Life is shown from the opposite perspective; the pillar of mercy on the right and the pillar of severity on the left. In this diagram the perspective is reversed but the pillar of mercy is still on the right and the pillar of severity on the left.

The figure in the middle is the "Son" and represents a divine mediator between heaven and earth, similar to Waite's description of the Magician in the PKT. If his right arm were raised like the Magician's it would point to Chokmah, and if his left arm were lowered it would point to Hod.

Is the tree of life 3 dimensional instead of 2 dimensional? Spheres instead of circles - more like a molecular model?
 

INIVEA

There was something here that triggered a thought which lead to an activity. I will underline it, okay.

I found this in THE DOCTRINE OF TRANSCENDENT MAGIC, by Levi Translated by A.E.Waite

I thought this to be interesting. I Apologize but my computer doesn't put out the Hebrew text/letters, so if you wish to see them please refer to the book.

https://ia801409.us.archive.org/1/items/transcendentalma00leviuoft/transcendentalma00leviuoft.pdf

Pages 160-161 said:
To divine (divinari) is to exercise divinity. The word divinus, in Latin, signifies something far different from divus, which is equivalent to the mangod. Devin, in French, contains the four letters of the word DiEU (God), plus the letter N, which corresponds in its form to the Hebrew alepJi N, and kabbalistically and hieroglyphically expresses the Great Arcanum, of which the Tarot symbol is the figure of the Juggler. Whosoever understands perfectly the absolute numeral value of N multiplied by N final in words which signify science, art, or force, who subsequently adds the five letters of the word DEVIN, in such a way as to make five go into four, four into three, three into two, and two into one, such a person, by translating the resultant number into primitive Hebrew characters, will write the occult name of the Great Arcanum, and will possess a word of which the sacred Tetragram itself is only the equivalent and the
image.

As to an earlier inspired comment by Inevia, the Magician is producing a field of energy, no doubt, but mental, I think, by way of willed intention and concentration, to join Spirit and matter. But what specifically is his focus of thinking? Is this Buddhist, Platonic, Kabbalistic, or what, as to the very thinking actually there?

Science, Art, Force Energy. Field of Energy (Aura)? Concentration, focus of thinking

okay so everyone please try this, I have already done this several times, and it is cool, we are going to test this out. This really works, trippy. We are going to become the Magician. All hands in. Note: (This is not woohoo) This really is happening

Step one find a place in your home, kitchen, bedroom, living room, where you have enough space around you.

Step two stand with you feet slighty apart, close your eyes (keep eyes closed the whole time, until...)

Step three with your eyes closed focus drawing energy in the right hand, like the Magician (positive energy) Then force energy out (negative) through the left Hand, know turn this into a figure 8, motion, circulate it.

Step Four, if step three didn't work for you try drawing energy (Positive) into head then out your Feet (negative) loop that energy around the root of a tree, drawing back (positive) energy up your feet. circulate it like a figure 8.

Step 5 just stand there and feel that weird energy moving around in your body. Now this were is gets interesting. Ask This question. Is my hair color ____ ? (fill in the blank with your hair color) Pay close attention, feel the energy motion in your body. Then ask it a hard question, keep it to yes and no.

Step six, this energy is going to throw you right off balance, with an answer. (open eyes now) you don't want to hurt yourself.

The harder the question, the longer it takes but you will feel the energy, your body will go in circles, side to side, back and forth. your whole body is going to move in all directions. It is the coolest feeling.

ETA: Now that you have done this exercise, and have felt the energy move about inside you, What can you really do with that energy?

ETA: #2 here is a video, I am wondering if this is the energy that the Magician represents https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yU02A-L2NfA
 

Abrac

I believe there is a three-dimensional tree theory but I don't really know anything about it.
 

Richard

......The figure in the middle is the "Son" and represents a divine mediator between heaven and earth, similar to Waite's description of the Magician in the PKT. If his right arm were raised like the Magician's it would point to Chokmah, and if his left arm were lowered it would point to Hod.

The Magician is the path from Kether to Binah. Anyhow, why would the Adam Kadmon be transmitting energy from Kether to Hod specifically?