Druidcraft Tarot - The Magician

sapienza

Well I thought as it's been a week since we began with the Fool that I'd start this week off with the next card, The Magician. Hope that is ok with everyone.

This is quite an interesting Magician as he's older than the Magicians in other decks. At first the card made me feel mildly uneasy, scared even – like I didn’t know what to expect. Like there was so much power in the scene, I felt kind of small.

In the background of the card is the yellow of what I assume is the rising sun – dawn time. There are standing stones and also in front of the magician is a stone table or alter with the magic implements on it for ritual. A rooster stands beside the large stone and is crowing – another sign of dawn which may represent beginnings or newness or a call to ‘wake up’. The magician holds a wand up to the air and the other hand is down (as above, so below) and he has the infinity symbol on his belt. He also wears a coat of feathers – could this represent intellect – birds make me think of flying and therefore air which is about intellect or wisdom perhaps.

I always feel like the Druidcraft Magician is more like the Hierophant in other decks and the High Priest in this deck is more like the Magician in other decks. This Magician kind of strikes me as a wise teacher, someone who is powerful because of his knowledge rather than his physical strength. If I relate this to the traditional meaning I feel like he is wise enough to know the value of channelling the creative spirit into something real and tangible in order to stay healthy.

After spending some time with this card I've really grown to like it. I'm looking forward to hearing everyone's thoughts on this card.
 

Bat Chicken

I read the book this time, first, in order to avoid duplicating the stories...! :)

I agree with your observation of this magician being the wise man - rather than a young man with physical strength. He makes me think of Merlin, the wizard....

The wizard was often consulted before battle. The rooster in as much as it represents dawn light, also is a symbol of battle (I think it appears in the 5 of Wands too) and can be considered one of the incarnations of the god Lugh. He was said to have led the Tuatha De Danaan against their oppressors and after victory, forced their leader to teach them about farming. The festival of Lughnasadh is connected to his name.

Lugh has been linked through his "mastery of the arts" to Mercury....The Pythagorean symbols on our Magician's belt seem to be a further indication that he is linked to this character. "n Irish tradition Lug is associated with youth, kingship and healing, and his mastery of all arts suggests he transcends all divine functions." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lugh)

Looking at this card, I almost feel a 'call for battle' and the power of the man standing next to the sacred stones. I feel the great energy of this card as it is being conjured by the Magician in it. There is a sense that something is indeed about to begin and there is potential in this moment for the first step in the Fool's transformational journey.
 

Mi-Shell

This Magician has found his way back from the toned down sleigh of hand- trickster - bateleur - illusionist of the Marseille patterns!
Here we have a shaman / druid in shamanic state of ecstatic consciousness about to evoke real change!
The feather cloak attests to that.
He is the one who recognized the fool as an apprentice to the magic / druidic arts and has taken him / her under his wing = opening up another way of "seeing the world for this fool and thereby for us.
The cock crows! the time is right to awaken!

Mi-Shell

"Air and Fire
Water and Earth!
Elements of our eternal birth
I call you now
attend to me!
I call upon you
to make everyone see!"
 

carol_earth

I am fairly new to this deck, and don't have much knowledge of the druid customs, but purely on a visual level, I love this card, it is one of my favourites in the deck.

Compare it to the Rider Waite magician, the altar is lower or he is stood further back from it, we see much more of the magician, he seems much more powerful for it, and much less defensive. While he is aged more than the RW version, his upward rather than forward stare make him seem that much more determined to overcome things even above his understanding, through this, his age and large balding forehead make him wiser still, and yes I agree that the stones behind him emphasise this while making him seem a very stable and grounded character.

Also, while I love this deck for it's abundant references to nature, I find it very fitting that there is no foliage in this card, everything appears much more straightforward and man made.

The lack of contrasting colour in his attire also tell me that he is not trying to create an illusion of power, his power comes from within and does not need to be overstated by his appearance

This card screams will power, positivity, ambition and determination at me and I absolutely love it when it comes up in a reading no matter which cards are alongside it.

Sometimes I just have to look at this card for a moment or two and it makes my day seem more pro-active!
 

Arania

He's the powerful Magician, he doesn't have to try arund and learn the ropes, he KNOWS. Unlike the RWS Magician, who always appeared a bit new to me, having issues concentration and only focussing the energies of the elements on himself, this man uses the energy for another purpose. Is he calling rain from the sky, or maybe making a healing potion? Is he gathering the energy of the universe to aid his people in a battle? In any case, he's done it over and over before, and it is routine for him. Yet, he respects the powers he controls and doesn't play aruond with them. Everything he does has a purpose.