In the oldest Minchiate decks, the Magician is reminiscent of the Tarot de Marseille character, standing behind the table heavily loaded with tools of the trade, and holding a wand. He has a couple onlookers behind him. The Minchiate Etruria introduced a somewhat different image: the table is mostly bare, and the magician is holding a cup and apparently having an intense conversation with his two young companions or customers. Williams loosely follows this later design in his deck. The magician's other hand holds a ball or egg, and a deck of cards is on the table.

We see, in fact, that his two companions are youngsters, a bit older than the children on the Fool card, probably about 12 years old. This is very telling--they are now too grown-up to be amused by the simple, physical games of the Fool. Now they are drawn to the Magician's clever illusions and seductive spiel. They are fascinated by him, and his apparent command of worldly secrets.

In the book, Williams presents some background on sorcerors and magi of early Europe, both historical and legendary. This is a nice (though too brief) contribution to "Magician lore", but doesn't, for me, connect up with the card very closely. The figure at the table is hardly Hermes Trismegistus. He's not even the philosopher-magician of the Renaissance Tarot. This magician turns my thoughts in a quite different direction.

Most of us, as young adolescents, probably had some older friend who became an idol and the object of fascination: someone exciting to be around, with the coolest hobbies and a tight circle of friends and admirers. A person apparently savvy about the ways of the world, yet charming, amiable, and never arrogant. Perhaps a teacher with an atypically youthful outlook, or even an aunt or uncle, or a friend of the family. At some point, of course, your idol's mystique dissolves or shatters, and you realize they're no more the measure of all things than you are. But for awhile, you are drawn, almost mesmerized by the desire to enter their world.

And, if the person is passably responsible and humane, the experience can be enormously valuable, as the youngster stretches to learn new things, to replace the games of childhood with hobbies and recreations more substantive and meaningful. The charismatic hero image draws one forward into adulthood with greater force and speed than could be accomplished otherwise. Later, of course, we learn that we must grow beyond hero-worship, and pull ourselves into the future. There is, after all, something disturbingly fraudulent about anyone who accepts the role of idol. There is the implication that the idol is always beyond the reach of the admirer, hence more than human.

Still, The Idol is an archetype that will find a person to adhere to, whether the person seeks the role or not. It is a role fraught with temptations and dangers, but it also has rewards and merit, if it is managed with care.

Indeed, the lowest major arcana of the Minchiate, from Fool to Eastern Emperor, present a psychologically meaningful progression of authority figures or objects of admiration. Human relationships are rarely symmetrical. There is a bit of "follow the leader" even in the most modern, egalitarian, and liberated arrangements, whether personal, professional, or political. The unusual presence of children on the Minchiate Fool and Magician cards sets this scene, and establishes a context for the three cards that follow. When one of these cards appears in a reading, I usually give some attention to examining the asymmetries in my relationships. If I am the "follower", I think about my expectations and the boundaries of my independence. If I am the "leader", I consider my responsibilities and ethical duties. This is especially true with respect to the Magician card, which (I feel) provides a very strong signal of the possibility of abusing the asymmetry.

Tom Tadfor Little
tlittle@telp.com

Tarot at Telperion Productions
http://www.telp.com/excursions/tarot/

The Hermitage: A Tarot History Site
http://www.crosswinds.net/members/~hermit/