Dark Grimoire Tarot - The Magician

teomat

An Arab man sits at a table writing in a book, from which a strange glow seems to be emanating. Also on the table is a pestle and mortar, a skull and a glass funnel, suggesting he is a scientist of some sort - perhaps an alchemist. A stack of scrolls are behind him and the drapes of a window are being blown in revealing a murky landscape.

The Magician is often seen as either a magus or a conman. In this image, he appears not to be the master of magic, but rather the discoverer of it through experimentation. He records his discoveries, and the act of writing down his results brings forth the magic. He recalls the Egyptian god Thoth (who is often associated with this card) - the god of writing and communication.

There is a sense of action and reaction. His work is changing the outside world as he writes in the book, although whether it heralds enlightenment or not we cannot tell. In some respects he is like the Hermit, but whereas the Hermit reads his books for knowledge, the Magician writes them - he IS the source of knowledge.

This deck is inspired by fabled books of magic (grimoires). The Magician, as the first card of the deck, shows us the genesis of the book - the starting point from which we progress through the deck. Thus, as in traditional interpretations, he represents beginnings and that initial inspiration for a course of action.
 

F.M. Tarot

The man depicted in the Magician card is Abdul Alhazred to quote from Wiki...he is a fictional character created by American horror writer H. P. Lovecraft. He is the so-called "Mad Arab" credited with authoring the imaginary book Kitab al-Azif (the Necronomicon), and as such an integral part of Cthulhu Mythos lore.

Much more here! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdul_Alhazred
 

Onyx

The Magician is the one who manifests, he creates the illusions and changes reality by using thoughts and communication. The Magician is elementally Air and astrologically connected with Mercury. Abdul Alhazred writes in his grimoire and around him are the elements of alchemy. Magic flows into the book both from his words and the magical working he is undertaking.

All of the grimoires are products of human creation and the spiritual, magical workings they perform. The Magician works with the forces of the world and the spirit to create. Here the creation shows up as a record of his discoveries in his magical workings. It is his testament, proof of skill and legacy to instruct the future magicians.

I always wonder who was he writing th grimoire for and who would follow in his steps? Did he have a student, an apprentice who would follow in his steps? Who would be the steward of the book after his death and what would his intentions be for the power it possessed?

Written words have a power of their own an that can control, influence as well as enlighten or deceive. How are his words going to be used? The question may not even concern if the words written are true or not but to what or whose purpose would they serve? The Magician has always had an undertone or shadow for the potential of deception and malicious illusion. There is a danger in the construction and use of any grimoire. The powerful magics always require a cost. Does the Magician know and ready to pay that cost as well as send this book into the world for others to follow and pay the same price?

Onyx.
 

Myrrha

Abdul Al-Hazred sits at a desk working on his manuscript. He is a very learned man and is investigating the secret nature of the world. An alembic sits on the table (alcohol being difficult to come by in Damascus) and a generous portion fills the glass in front of him.

Behind him is a basket of scrolls, illustrating one possible interpretation of his name, “all-has-read”. He has spent his life studying forbidden and dark lore. The mortar and pestle and human skull are used in his ceremonies of worship and speak to another possible interpretation of his name, Abd meaning “servant of” and al-hazred meaning “the prohibited”. Prolonged contact with such forces changes one and many who meet him, noting the strange light in his eyes, simply call him “The Mad Arab.”
Here, he works intently on his grimoire, the Book of Dead Names, or Necronomicon. In this work the ancient evil Gods are named and instructions are given for their service and calling. A golden light hovers over the page as he works.

Knowledge, the light that even dark knowledge brings, quick thinking, self-sufficiency, investigating reality through books and study.
 

ceildric

Besides what others have accurately noted about this card, I immediately sense another presence in this card. The LWB mentions that Alhazred knew that the sound of insects in his region were actually ancient demons. The curtains of the window billow as if alive. Alhazred's eyes suggest to me he is in a moment of inspiration or revelation.

I sense that we are witnessing Alhazred, the magician, in a moment when he hears some revealed truth from the spirits of the air, or perhaps glimpses the entire Truth, and prepares to transcribe its dark, weighty secret to the page.

My first thought was that the core of this truth might be that as the Magician, he can create and transform as he wills. Whatever he writes comes into being. This gives him great power, but also great responsibility; both to himself and others. It is hard for many to accept responsibility for their own decisions and how their own life turns out. How much more weighty must it be to realize you could have literally anything, if you just grasp it. Meanwhile, as we see in the rest of the deck, these grimoires fall into the hands of others one way or another, and might lead them to physical harm or madness.

Alhazred is not looking down at the blank pages of his book, the present, but rather off into the distance outside the borders of the card: the future, where his creations will manifest.