Motherpeace Tarot - The Magician

ehetep

The Magician:

As she performs her ritual of empowerment and manifestation, she aligns herself with her spiritual needs. She gazes towards the sphinx. The challenges are ever present. Can she maintain her focus, work through the obstacles of achieving her goals? Can she keep a cool head in spite of emotional challenges?

She is in touch with the elements, the different aspects of herself as well as the ways of manifestation in the outer world. Her passion burns brightly in the form of the torch in her left hand, her feminine side, ruled by the right hemisphere of her brain – she has creativity to achieve her goals. In her right hand her athame is raised, conducting the electrical currents of freshness, new-ness, belief in oneself, and inspiration – the air is charged with the vitality of her intent, new ideas, and fresh perspectives. New ideas that can make her more active in the world. One foot touches stones, representing her physical goals, what she wants to manifest for herself. It may not be easy, making these goals manifest, but she is determined. The other foot streams water from dipping into the jar. She is in touch with her compassion. Her ideas are vibrant, and she is passionate, but she has awareness of how her actions affect the whole. She is sensitive to her own needs. She knows that a strong ability to function out in the world is balanced by a spiritual focus and practice that is grounding and harmonizing for her.
 

Arania

I usually see the Magician as totally focussed. Unless you try really hard, you cannot break her concentration. And I wouldn't suggest you try, who knows what would happen if all the energies she is managing are allowed to just escape.

With the leopard coat, she seems to be half feline, half human. I like that aspect of her a lot. Cats are mysterious at times, especially the wild ones, and so is she. You won't know whjat she's up to next, but whatever it is, it is very likely to succeed.
 

3Jane

The scene and symbolism (as I see it intuitively without referring to the book):

A person dressed in jaguar skin is holding a dagger in their right hand, pointing upwards. A lightning touches the tip of the dagger. They are holding a flaming torch in their left hand, pointing downwards. From their right foot, water seems to be falling into a cup. The left foot stomps on some brown discs. The background is divided into four parts. The person is arranged in such a way that tool is positioned on its own background: the dagger on light orange, the wand on dark orange, the discs on light brown, the cup on green. Around the figure there is a halo of yellow colour. On the orange/wand part of the card (towards the left if you were the figure) there is a Sphinx.

The story based on the scene above:

A woman dresses in leopard skin and goes into trance. There, she meets a Sphinx that she must pass if she wants to gain power. To answer the Sphinx's riddle, she demonstrates the proper usage of magical tools. This understanding grants her mastery over all realms of life, herself becoming the centre of the perfectly balanced world.

Some words and phrases have caught my attention when reading through the book:

(Card description) changing one thing into another (through fire), toolmaker, shaman, mediator between two worlds, discriminating, making choices, responsibility, differentiation, reason, ego, fire of will manifesting through power of thought. Connection to the world instead of superiority – working with it by merging with it. The Sphinx is the keeper of ancestral mysteries.

(Divinatory description) Consciousness. Action. Goal. Self-confidence. Creativeness. Get what you want. Gift of energy, motivation to do, to act, to go forth. Beginning projects. Taking a stand. Affirming a belief. Sense of purpose. Reaching out. Fire of passion. Sexual initiation. Dance of ecstasy. Fire of new growth.

Based on this, my keywords would be:
Positive: being goal-oriented, action, mastery of tools and skills (by harmonising yourself)
Negative: obsessed, restless, treating everything instrumentally

Quotes I found on BrainyQuote that I thought were related:

Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal.
Henry Ford

You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.
C. S. Lewis

A goal is not always meant to be reached, it often serves simply as something to aim at.
Bruce Lee
 

3Jane

Career, Work and Finances:

What does the card mean if you are searching for work?
If you don't have a clear image of a job you're looking for, decide on one. Then go actively hunting for it. You have all the skills you need, but you need to get fired up about your goal.

What does it tell you about your current work situation?
It makes you excited. It's sitting at just the right level of challenge and skill mastery. You're involved in a little bit of everything, positioned between the newbs and the experienced guys.

What career paths may be associated with the card?
A salesperson. A flight coordinator. A campaigner. Someone working in a NGO. A secretary. A helpdesk/call center employee. A dancer.

What does the card tell you about your financial situation?
You've got clear financial goals and you're on your way to fulfill them.

Personality Types:

Imagine you ‘are’ the card. What does it feel like to be this card?
I'm excited. I'm in motion. I'm getting there. I know just what to do. I'm in a creative trance, totally absorbed and joyful. I have found my purpose. I can do something about it, no more waiting. I am the master of my fate. I have passed difficult tests and emerged victorious. I have guidance of animals and spiritual beings. I am alive.

What would it be like to meet this person/card?
I would be swept in her enthusiasm, or left aside if not needed. I would admire her sacrifices and total concentration, as well as joy she gets from her life I would be a part of her project. I would be passionate about it – either a supporter or a detractor. I would learn from her and be intimidated by her, as a person of success and action. I would be exhausted by her intensity.

Relationships and Love:

What does the card mean if you are searching for love?
That person. Yes, them. You know exactly who I'm talking about. The one that makes you feel all hot. Go ask them out, right now.

In a relationship?
You've got the person you were after and the sparks are flying. Lots of hot sex. Potentially also hot arguments.

Trying to fix a relationship?
As diagnosis: someone in the relationship is overly goal-oriented and the goal may seem to be more important than the other person in the relationship. There's no quiet time together – only go, go, go.

As advice: figure out what you want out of the relationship and start actively working towards it. Make sure you're not treating the other person instrumentally – they are your partner in this dance. Be willing to communicate and serve as a mediator between other involved people, if any.

What does the card tell you about other types of relationships in your life (e.g. friends, family, colleagues, etc.)
You're the middle child, the mediator, the person with their fingers in all the pies. You're the life of the party.

Spirituality:

What is the deeper spiritual message or lesson of the card?
There are two necessary components before taking action: you need to determine (verbalise) what your goal is, and account for all your tools and skills.

What does this card tell you about your own spiritual journey?
You've found something that excites you. This is the path that you should take. However, you need to take care not to become obsessed with a single detail: a balanced mastery of all realms of life is required.

Wellbeing and Health:

What does the card tell you about your general health and well-being?
Very active mentally and physically. There is a potential risk of overwork.

What might be some specific health issues associated with the card? (Remember, though, that if you are not a health professional, do not give specific health advice, unless qualified.)
Sports related injuries. Exhaustion. Overwork.
 

Gwynydd

On closer inspection, this card seems to retain much of the traditional Rider Waite Smith meaning, bringing all four elements into play in one moment. The background is divided into four quarters, which appear to relate to each element. She has the wand on fire in one hand, in one quarter segment, the knife or sword in another quarter segment. Interestingly, her knife or sword is in contact with lightening. I myself, have harnessed the energy of a good storm during spellwork, too, although not coming into such direct contact with it as this woman!

She has one foot in water, in another quarter segment. The other foot, in another segment is in the earth. To me, this speaks to the idea of 'walking with one foot in the physical world, and one in the otherworld'. Otherworld being, the subconscious, our imagination, the spiritual world, etc. Her wearing of the leopard skin makes me think of shapeshifting, which to me can be considered a magical practice, as well as connecting the otherworld to the physical world. Shapeshifting in shamanic journeying can be an ecstatic, empowering experience! It would definitely be a powerful mindset for performing magic.

I don't know much about Egyptian culture, but I'm just going to guess that the Sphynx might drive home the Otherworldly point just that little bit more? All in all, I do love this card very much. This woman is really feeling her work, and appears as though she is in an ecstatic state as she works her magic.
 

Crika

Magician

I see that card in the beginning of her voyage.
I follow the division of the 3 steps : physicAl, emotional and spiritually. The magician is still in the physical level...has to learn a lot, but has her 4 elements to help her: water, air fire and earth. SHe is very creative and has corageous .
If reversed I see as absence of that items.