The Magus is card I of the Major Arcana in the Thoth Tarot. In a reading it speaks of will, skill, creative word and communication. In the Golden Dawn system it corresponds to the Hebrew letter Beth, path 12 of the Tree of Life between Kether and Binah, the element Spirit and Mercury in astrology.
will · skill · creative word · communication · tools
What does The Magus mean?
You have the tools and the skills to act: the key is clarity of intention. Conversations, contracts, learning and initiatives that call for skill are favoured.
Everyday meaning
Dexterity, intelligence and the ability to use the tools at hand to give shape to an intention. It points to communications, negotiations, study and initiatives guided by ingenuity.
Psychological meaning
The mind that names, connects and directs; the consciousness that knows it can act on the world. It invites you to recognise your abilities without mistaking them for omnipotence.
Initiatic meaning
Path 12 from Kether to Binah, the letter Beth (the house, 2) and Mercury: the Logos that carries primordial unity toward the Mother who will give it form. It is the creative Word and the messenger who transmits the Will without altering it.
The shadow side
Ill-dignified, it signals cunning, manipulation, lies and mental scatter: intelligence placed at the service of deceit or self-deception.
The Magus reversed
The Thoth Tarot is traditionally read without reversed cards: the reader judges from the cards around it whether a card is well or ill dignified. This is its ill-dignified or blocked reading:
Abilities that are present but unused, or used with too much calculation; words that never become action. Possible deception, including of yourself.
The Magus in love, work and spirit
In love
Brilliant dialogue and intellectual seduction; check that the words are matched by facts.
At work and career
An ideal moment to present, negotiate, teach or launch technical and communication projects.
In spiritual practice
Practice as the alignment of thought, word and action with your True Will.
Kabbalah, astrology and the Hebrew letter of The Magus
Beth ב (2) · path 12: Kether – Binah · Spirit · Mercury
Crowley on The Magus
In the Thoth deck the Magus is Thoth-Mercury himself, juggling his tools in the air; beside him the ape of Thoth mimics and distorts the message, a reminder that every Word risks being misunderstood.
Frequently asked questions
What does The Magus mean in the Thoth Tarot?
You have the tools and the skills to act: the key is clarity of intention. Conversations, contracts, learning and initiatives that call for skill are favoured.
What does The Magus mean in love?
Brilliant dialogue and intellectual seduction; check that the words are matched by facts.
What does The Magus mean for work and career?
An ideal moment to present, negotiate, teach or launch technical and communication projects.
What does The Magus mean reversed?
The Thoth Tarot is traditionally read without reversed cards: the reader judges from the cards around it whether a card is well or ill dignified. This is its ill-dignified or blocked reading: Abilities that are present but unused, or used with too much calculation; words that never become action. Possible deception, including of yourself.
What are the Kabbalah and astrology correspondences of The Magus?
In the Golden Dawn system The Magus corresponds to the Hebrew letter Beth, path 12 of the Tree of Life between Kether and Binah, the element Spirit and Mercury in astrology.
