Zephyros
1. 1. The Magician or Juggler Mercury. Beth
He is Mercury, the messenger of God, and juggles with ther four symbols of the elements, and the papyrus or Word, the pen or Will, the wand or Wisdom.
He represents the creative force in action.
As Thoth in Egyptian tradition, his attendant and shadow is the Cynocephalus Ape.
Lady Frieda Harris, 1942
Sorry for the delay, my computer was on sick-leave.
So here we have the Magus. I gathered that Harris talks about the Magus that was originally included in the deck, evn though it can relate to all three, since the key symbolism is there in all of them.
Cynocephalus, the dog-headed Ape: was the Egyptian hieroglyphic symbol of writing, and was closely associated with Thoth. Mercury rules the astrological Third House of writing and communication. Cynocephalus is symbolic of the moon and Thoth of the planet Mercury. Because of the ancient belief that the moon followed Mercury about the heavens, the dog-ape was described as the faithful companion of Thoth.
Mercury: Mercury is god of trade and profit, merchants and travelers, but originally of the trade in corn. In later times he was equated with the Greek Hermes. He had a temple in Rome near the Circus Maximus on the Aventine Hill which dates back to 495 BCE. This temple was connected to some kind of trade fair. His main festival, the Mercuralia, was celebrated on May 15 and on this day the merchants sprinkled their heads and their merchandise with water from his well near the Porta Capena.
During the time of the Roman Empire the cult of Mercury was widely spread, especially among the Celtic and Germanic peoples. The Celts have their Gaulish Mercury, and the Germans identified him with their Wodan.
The attributes of Mercury are the caduceus (a staff with two intertwined snakes) and a purse (a symbol of his connection with commerce). He is portrayed similarly to Hermes: dressed in a wide cloak, wearing talaria (winged sandals) and petasus (winged hat).
Mercury is also known as Alipes ("with the winged feet").