DaisyDragonfly
This card shows a young boy opening a decorative box. From out of it swirls a multitude of stars and shining lights, coiling into a circus of enigmatic shapes. I can see what might be a serpent, a dragon... the boy looks enchanted, reaching out his hand to take what he wants from the box. What ever is within is green. It glows.
The box itself is gold and red; dragons adorn its sides, whorls and blooms decorate the lid. The boy has found a source of power, a source of magic. It’s up to him to reach inside and do what he wants - or needs - to do with it.
This is from a Chinese fairy tale called ‘The Thunder Dragon.’ Essentially, a strange visitor rides into the life of Wu, a young boy, and his family. The visitor asks for rest, which Wu grants him. The family share food and drink with the visitor, who rides away, promising ‘Wu, Son of Yin,’ that he will return.
Wu’s dad is pretty impressed that the visitor knew Wu’s name without being told. Wu points out that the visitor wore seamless clothes and that there were some scaly patches on the horse. From this, the family deduce that their visitors were spirits - Dragon Spirits. And having granted rest to these visitors, the family will now be given protection.
True enough. A great storm overcomes the village and all is destroyed except for Wu’s home. The visitor reappears and gives Wu a green scale, which the boy keeps in a wooden box. The Emperor hears of all this, summons Wu for a visit; Wu shows the scale and is promptly employed by the Emperor as court magician. Happy times for all follow.
It’s funny. I don’t normally associate the Magician with luck, but there’s an element of that to this story. Luck itself is writ large over the card: dragons are everywhere. But let’s look closer. Is it luck? Really? Without Wu’s close powers of observation, it’s entirely possible that the strange visitor would have been denied respite. In that case, the family wouldn’t have been protected, Wu wouldn’t have gotten his dragon scale and that cushy job with the Emperor. Wu applied his knowledge, used his own abilities and, as a result, earned his position.
What a confident young boy he was! He didn’t doubt his abilities but neither did he search for advancement. This is self-assurance, not arrogance. He did what came naturally to him, used his talents, put them out there. He didn’t doubt himself, think through his choices. This was him + his instinct + his qualities = success. There’s no point hiding light under a bushel. It won’t make anything happen.
The Magician. The first card of the trumps, the first step in the Fool’s journey. The Fool, who is a Tabula Rasa until he starts his journey. Here is burgeoning self-identity. The Magician is when you take stock. Who are you? What have you got to offer? What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses? What are you going to do about them? How are you going to apply them? You've only just set out and right now, all you have are your own resources.
Wu had a few resources. He's not boasting about them. He doesn't show them off. He doesn't trumpet them. He does the wisest thing of all: he uses them. Wearing a orange shirt - representing fire, wands, action, initiative - he understands the basic truth of the Magician card: every action is an opportunity, as long as you see it as such.
Which brings me back to luck. I think it was Jimmy Connors, the tennis player, who said: 'The more I practice, the luckier I get.' I reckon this wasn't the first time Wu used his powers of observation. He'll have been silently using it all of his life, reading weather patterns, reading people. Until came this moment ... the turning point. In the end he made his own luck, as we all do.
Every action is an opportunity; and every action is preparation. You don't know when that moment will come in your life, so know who you are, look honestly at yourself, develop your strengths and practice your weaknesses and be prepared. Opportunity, when it comes, will always be disguised.
The box itself is gold and red; dragons adorn its sides, whorls and blooms decorate the lid. The boy has found a source of power, a source of magic. It’s up to him to reach inside and do what he wants - or needs - to do with it.
This is from a Chinese fairy tale called ‘The Thunder Dragon.’ Essentially, a strange visitor rides into the life of Wu, a young boy, and his family. The visitor asks for rest, which Wu grants him. The family share food and drink with the visitor, who rides away, promising ‘Wu, Son of Yin,’ that he will return.
Wu’s dad is pretty impressed that the visitor knew Wu’s name without being told. Wu points out that the visitor wore seamless clothes and that there were some scaly patches on the horse. From this, the family deduce that their visitors were spirits - Dragon Spirits. And having granted rest to these visitors, the family will now be given protection.
True enough. A great storm overcomes the village and all is destroyed except for Wu’s home. The visitor reappears and gives Wu a green scale, which the boy keeps in a wooden box. The Emperor hears of all this, summons Wu for a visit; Wu shows the scale and is promptly employed by the Emperor as court magician. Happy times for all follow.
It’s funny. I don’t normally associate the Magician with luck, but there’s an element of that to this story. Luck itself is writ large over the card: dragons are everywhere. But let’s look closer. Is it luck? Really? Without Wu’s close powers of observation, it’s entirely possible that the strange visitor would have been denied respite. In that case, the family wouldn’t have been protected, Wu wouldn’t have gotten his dragon scale and that cushy job with the Emperor. Wu applied his knowledge, used his own abilities and, as a result, earned his position.
What a confident young boy he was! He didn’t doubt his abilities but neither did he search for advancement. This is self-assurance, not arrogance. He did what came naturally to him, used his talents, put them out there. He didn’t doubt himself, think through his choices. This was him + his instinct + his qualities = success. There’s no point hiding light under a bushel. It won’t make anything happen.
The Magician. The first card of the trumps, the first step in the Fool’s journey. The Fool, who is a Tabula Rasa until he starts his journey. Here is burgeoning self-identity. The Magician is when you take stock. Who are you? What have you got to offer? What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses? What are you going to do about them? How are you going to apply them? You've only just set out and right now, all you have are your own resources.
Wu had a few resources. He's not boasting about them. He doesn't show them off. He doesn't trumpet them. He does the wisest thing of all: he uses them. Wearing a orange shirt - representing fire, wands, action, initiative - he understands the basic truth of the Magician card: every action is an opportunity, as long as you see it as such.
Which brings me back to luck. I think it was Jimmy Connors, the tennis player, who said: 'The more I practice, the luckier I get.' I reckon this wasn't the first time Wu used his powers of observation. He'll have been silently using it all of his life, reading weather patterns, reading people. Until came this moment ... the turning point. In the end he made his own luck, as we all do.
Every action is an opportunity; and every action is preparation. You don't know when that moment will come in your life, so know who you are, look honestly at yourself, develop your strengths and practice your weaknesses and be prepared. Opportunity, when it comes, will always be disguised.
