The Magician Tarot Card Meaning: Upright and Reversed Meanings & Breakdowns
The Magician Tarot Card Keywords
Upright Keywords
Creation, Manifestation, Magic, Action, Conscious, Experimentation, Abilities, Inspiration
Reversed Keywords
Trickery, Dishonesty, Narcissism, Manipulation, Overconfidence, Illusion, Fakery
The Magician Tarot Meaning
The Magician is the Major Arcana’s first step into the conscious realm. After The Fool’s leap into the unknown, the first energy he comes into contact with is The Magician. This is where he learns how to wield all the forces available to him. We can see this in many illustrations of The Magician, as a figure stands in front of a table laden with the four classical elements, represented by the four Tarot suits.
You’ll most likely see a wand being held aloft to help channel the power of the universe down from above and into the physical realm below. You’ll see a sword to represent the element of air and things like communication, inspiration and knowledge. There’ll be a cup to represent the element of water and the emotional and intuitive energy, and a pentacle to represent the element of earth and its grounding, physical properties.
With these tools, The Magician sets to work, wielding them, mixing them together and seeing what he can create from seemingly nothing at all. This card is an energy designed to inspire us to think about the power we wield and how we can use it to create, find wonder and be more conscious of the impact we have on the world.
The Magician Upright Meaning
The Magician is an archetype that is focused on the development of any kind. It’s an energy that encourages experimentation in the hope of transformation. Think of a scientist locked away in their lab mixing different chemicals together, testing their reaction and then making small adjustments to the formula in order to aid the scientist in creating what they want to achieve. That’s the sort of energy The Magician upright brings to the table.
The use of the four classical elements – Fire, Water, Earth and Air – is to remind us that this ‘magic’, this ‘power’, this ‘energy’ that we work with when we step into The Magician, is based in the physical realm.

We have everything we need at our fingertips. Now, it’s time to play around with them to see what we have the power to conjure.
When The Magician upright appears in your readings, it could be a call to spend some time experimenting and exploring. The Magician upright is a perfect card for personal development and working to grow, heal and transform the self. At this stage, with The Magician, you’re just gathering the tools you need and thinking about how to use them. Results from your experiments will vary, but the value lies in the act of conducting the experiments in the first place.
Journal Prompts for The Magician, Upright
What does the next level look like for me, and what needs to change to get there?
How can I use what’s already available to me to help me get to where I want to be?
What knowledge and or skills could help me with my personal development or to reach my goals?
“The magician takes the ordinary something and makes it do something extraordinary” – Christopher Priest
The Magician Upright Meanings | Love, Career & Finances
The Magician Reversed Meaning

The Magician reversed can reveal the card’s trickier personality traits. We all love a bit of sleight of hand magic as a source of entertainment, but if it’s used against us, it could cause us to be cheated, defrauded or have the wool pulled over our eyes.
With The Magician reversed, it’s best to be vigilant, watch every move, be hyper aware of what is happening around you, so that you don’t fall victim to a falsity. When we turn this energy inwards, though, like we often do when a card is in a reversed position, we channel all of this into our sense of self, our sense of being and perspective on our own abilities.
This can cause common limiting beliefs like impostor syndrome. It may even cause you to not feel good enough to do the things you feel called to do. We doubt our abilities to manifest the things we want most and downplay our own magic.
When you get The Magician reversed in your readings, there are two areas to look at. The internal world and the external world. With the external world, look out for opportunities or offers that seem to promise the world. More than likely, these will be a way to trick you into a position where you have little power. With the internal world, assess and explore any limiting beliefs you may have about your abilities and skills. Question any thoughts that come up that say things like “You’ll never…” or “You’re not good enough to…”. These thoughts are not facts. They are a symbol of a need for Magician energy in your life that will lift you up.
Journal Prompts for The Magician, Reversed
How might I be doubting my own power and abilities right now?
How might I be being manipulated right now, and for what purpose? – Could be internal or external
Where am I lacking a sense of wonder and sources for inspiration? How could I resolve this?
“You have all the tools right under your nose to manifest your goals. It’s all just a matter of focus” – Theresa Reed a.k.a The Tarot Lady
The Magician Reversed Meanings | Love, Career & Finances
The Motivation of The Magician
When reading The Magician – whether in the upright or reversed position – it’s worth keeping the card’s archetypal motivations in mind. The Magician first and foremost is motivated by a need to transform and make dreams a reality. It wants to understand fully how things work. It wants to use this knowledge in the transformative work it is designed to do.
The Magician is also a bridge. As the second card in The Fool’s Journey, The Magician creates a bridge. It connects The Fool’s soul/spirit and the spiritual understanding of the physical world in The High Priestess. It is a bridge between the inner and outer world and channels the energy that surrounds us into physical manifestations.
The Magician | Esoteric Correspondences
Astrological Sign

Mercury
Mercury is the planet of the mind and intelligence. The Magician channels this through its ability to take what’s in the mind and make it a reality. It is the archetype of creation, manifestation and using intellect to find ways to create a life we desire.
Elemental Energy

Elemental Fire
The Magician has the element of fire because of its passion for creation and embracing personal power through its use of the wand. In theory, it embodies all of the elements, but it’s the fiery motivation that allows The Magician to create and manifest dreams and goals.
Numerology

Number One
Within numerology, the number 1 is the number of creation. Even its shape mirrors the wand that The Magician holds aloft. It is the first step on any journey and marks the point where wheels are set in motion, lessons are spread out in front of us, and we begin the process of enlightenment.





