The allegories of tarot cards are very extensive. In fact, based on the history of their appearance, which refers them back to the wisdom of ancient Egypt and initiatic knowledge that could have been preserved by initiates of antiquity, the Tarot is an extremely useful tool not only for fortune telling, but also for parsing the encodings embedded in it. For example, the Fool (0) correlates with mastery of breathing, the element of Ether (which is also omnipresent/all-permeable and has no “weight”) and the Heroic (spiritual) principle within us. The same applies to mastering the breath and the power of life, binding into one spirit/soul/mind/body. Mastering BASE breathing and other basic pranayama techniques is the initial stage of initiation, something that the student must learn at the very beginning. This is why the Fool arcane is number 0.
However, in this article I would like to consider the allegories of the first arcana - the Magician. As you can see, the allegory of 4 magical tools was originally depicted even on the oldest editions of the Magician card, which means it is an original idea, and not a later addition. The picture shows a Tarot from Milan, presumably 1432. Magican.
As many here know, and as High Priestess Maxine explained, the magician’s tools are allegories of the 4 elements. The wand in the hand represents fire, the knife or athame represents air, the ritual chalise represents water, and the coins (or magic pentacles) represent earth. The magician himself, of course, represents the Ether. The development of which was included in the Arcana of the Fool (0). The magician is the next step of initiation after the Fool on the symbolic ladder of the Magnum Opus.
It is by mastering 4 magical tools/elements that we become able to influence the world with the help of our will. By himself, the Fool controls only himself and his breathing; this is the level of microcosm. The magician learns by mastering himself and with the help of tools to influence the macrocosm - the whole World (XXI). However, I would like to dwell in more detail on the interpretations of the 4 instruments, because as we know, they also mean the suits of the Tarot themselves. This means that by considering each element separately (the ace or the root of elemental power), we can also better understand all the other Tarot cards in the deck, at least all the minor arcana. For this reason, let’s take a closer look at each instrument.
First, let's remember the wonderful section on the site dedicated to magical tools. As was said earlier, you can use these tools at different levels, wield them only with the help of will or at the level of the astral temple, acquire physical ones and charge them, combine the first and second - as you like. However, correct and truly proactive use of the instrument is the astral level. The magician does not need to constantly carry a knife and wand with a chalise; these things may be in your altar - but this does not mean that without them you are not capable of anything.
Let's start with the Wand/Wizardy staff. It is known to represent the element of fire, our spine (also known as Vas-scepters in Egypt). Life force is directly related to fire, flexibility of the spine, the element of will and overcoming, as well as libido. Fire is the most subtle and mobile element of the elements, it is closest to the Ether and for this reason it is also called Spring, Bacchic, Basilisk. Mastering the “first secret fire” is where all the occult work of Magnum Opus begins. It is precisely because of the importance of this element that so much attention is given to it in The Joy of Satan. Fire is directly involved in overcoming our blocks, for the success of magic, strengthening ourselves in all respects. People who do not have a sufficient level of astral fire do not have enough energy for proactive activities. As High Priestess Maxine wrote, it is necessary to always maintain the astral temperature in the soul (in alchemical texts this is called “the heat of the crucible”). The most advanced level of mastering the fire element within oneself is the direct “mastery of the Dragon/Snake” - that is, the rise of the Kundalini Serpent. This is symbolized by the flowering rod, as well as the full Caduceus.
According to some magical treatises of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance (from where they were later mercilessly stolen and appropriated by all sorts of “kabbalists” and “(((magicians))) of the golden dawn”) - The Four Tools of the Magician correlate with 4 mottos, as well as hermetic maxims of the qualities of the Magician. A magician must have 4 powers (4 elements) within himself in order to succeed in this path. Knowledge is symbolized by Air, Desire by Water, Intention by Fire, and Silence by Earth.
In this sense, the Staff is willpower/intention. It is the internal energy of the Tree that makes it bloom. In the same way, in us, the power of the spine within the soul revives the unmanifested to life. In this sense, we really “resurrect on a tree” as in the Myths of Wotan(Satan), where the tree symbolizes the energy of the soul and nadi. Note that in this medieval image of Wotan, he holds a Staff in his left hand and a Sword in his right.
Intention is actually what moves us towards immortality. The fire within us is a decision, a decision to become a Satanist, to follow the path of initiation, to use will/magic in our lives. No one can ever force you to do this if you do not have your own fire/will for these actions. In this sense, Fire and Magician (which is also sometimes correlated with Aries in the zodiac) is about the power of the “magic wand” taken from this very internal energy. Let's move on to the next steps.
The next tool of the Magician is the Sword. The general tradition of interpretation is the connection between knowledge, the power of the mind, the power of CONCENTRATION necessary for meditation and magic - all this is represented by the Sword and the element of Air. It is the Sword of Reason that is given to initiates. The military symbolism of the sword implies the Power of the Magician with the help of his own mind over everything unreasonable. Using Knowledge, the power of MIND AND CONCENTRATION, the Magician achieves his goals, commands the “sword of the mind” over the aggressive environment of the outside world. It is by using reason that the Magician achieves control over circumstances. In India, the yoga of the mind was called Raja (Royal) yoga. This also has to do with mastering emptiness meditation, the strength to control one’s own thoughts and, as needed, adjust one’s own Mental body to what is needed. Knowledge/Sword is necessary to protect us on the path of Magnum Opus. I’ll just say, how long would we all last here if it weren’t for the Knowledge of the Gods, and the Knowledge, for example, how to build your own aura of protection?
The concept of knowledge of the Magician is also expressed in the astrological symbolism of Mercury. In astrology, Mercury rules our mind and thoughts; one of the signs of its control is Gemini, which is also associated with the element of air. This is an opportunity to exchange ideas (Mercury was the Messenger of the Gods) between worlds, take inspiration (receive it in your own mind/or outside it), work mentally, study and be trained. Without these elements, the ability to succeed in the path of alchemy will be difficult. Knowledge and Will must be in balance since they are two electrical (active/male) elements of the Soul. Without Will/Fire, Knowledge will remain only a theory and a dead concept. Without Knowledge, Fire/Will will only be a mad attempt to impose oneself on the world, at best as an actor/athlete. Many people have the element of Fire without Air, and this is basically a useless activity for the higher purposes of the world and these people in particular.
The sword as an instrument is also found in other Arcana of the Tarot, primarily in Justice, as well as in all Court cards of the Swords suit. This is the power of the law of mind over matter. How the more subtle (mental layer) controls and systematizes the Chaos/Entropy of this world. Knowledge is what helped us create civilization. Many Gods in myths also explain and give magical Swords, weapons that have magical properties. Another important feature of the Sword as an instrument of Knowledge and war is that it is directly related to spiritual warfare. All Spiritual Warfare rituals use knowledge at their core. The power of the enemy was achieved by destroying the “swords” of all pagans, turning knowledge into their own hands, for example in the Vatican. The most ancient repositories of knowledge, such as the Library of Alexandria, were destroyed, others were forgotten and stolen. And all for the sake of spiritual warfare. In this sense, our swords are now knowledge of the Joy of Satan in general.
The next tool in line for analysis will be the Chalice. As already written on The Joy of Satan, desire is an important element of magic, with the help of which we ATTRACT and RECEIVE what we want. Not to have desires is to be like dehydrated Christian hermits. To be “outside sin” is to do nothing and want nothing. A distilled and fat-free society where all “desires” are vices and sins. What happened in medieval Europe, before the geniuses of the Renaissance rediscovered ancient knowledge and began to apply it. Water is correlated with a Mirror (the mirror surface of the chalice and the black obsidian mirror is also water). This is our Queen, the Moon chakra (the Moon also controls the water element, ebbs and flows, as well as the subconscious) - all this symbolism is already embedded in the symbolism of water. It is through the cup that we perceive predictions, moods, and read the environment with the help of our FEELINGS. The bowl tool teaches us mastery of the element of water for all of these abilities.
An overabundance of the Water element can be dangerous and make a person very sensitive/melancholy. Just like the Moon, moving from sign to sign, changes our mood, affecting the water element within us. Water is a MAGNETIC element, which means that it can “color” itself into what it perceives, causing empathy and extrasensory perception. When we perceive something, we relate to it to some extent. And in the same way, we cannot perceive in others anything that we ourselves are deprived of. This is the surface of the Mirror, which serves as a projection of perception. Modern science knows mirror neurons, which are responsible for perceiving the emotions of others and empathy. In the ritual, a sip from the Chalice follows after expressing one's desire into the universe. Mastery of the power to correctly desire and receive and feel the “currents” of astral energies refers to mastery of this instrument.
At an advanced level, the Cup is the "source of the water of life", namely the feminine elixir in our brain. Making and mixing elixirs is a Magnum Opus step and is very advanced. Every energy can be represented as light, but also as fluid flow or smell. In the Chalice section we learn to distinguish and grasp the subtlest. This is why we have desires, they come from a person’s personal preferences, even at the level of tastes in food/clothing, but also at a higher level, we have a certain preference and vision of our life. These are dreams that we make happen with the help of magic.
The symbolism of the Cup is so important and deep that the enemy stole it into his “legend of the Grail with the blood of Christ.” Which in itself only refers us to ancient pagan legends.
The fourth and final instrument considered will be the Pentacle, or Coin. The Earth element is extremely important as a balancing element, associated with the root chakra and Saturn on the one hand, as well as with the alchemical Sun and Gold on the other. This double symbol is expressed primarily as two turns of the Pentacle, which, like any coin, has a reverse and an obverse. This is the dual nature of our world, which contains the front and back sides. "Darkness is light turned inside out - Baalzebul."
The symbolism of the Pentacle is extremely important; it is essentially an instruction - a universal diagram of the World and Magnum Opus. By transforming Saturn into the Sun, or base metals into Gold, we receive instructions for transforming any sphere of life into the Golden Sat Era. The pentacle in this sense can be different. This is any "magical scheme", ranging from the Tarot cards themselves, ending with a solid and applicable universal law, instruction, message and expression of knowledge in material form. On the other way, the Pentacle as a representation of the element of the Earth teaches us the most practical things. Control over the body, behavior, strengthening oneself, mastering practical skills, work. All this is what Saturn teaches.
Keeping Silence in the sense of the Pentacle is the vow of the secret of initiation. What is written on the Joy of Satan as keeping the Secret from outsiders, not revealing oneself. Previously, initiates risked their lives every day practicing alchemy and could be exposed and killed on charges of Heresy. Times are different now, but silence is still an extremely important factor in our business. The Gods respect those who keep Their secrets. This also has to do with the purely “guild” keeping the secrets of initiation from the profane; each next level of initiation must be achieved in practice and proven in the form of power and knowledge. And not revealed on paper in the form of ready-made answers. Then the knowledge has meaning and can be applied.
______
Finally, the main element of the Ether, includes all of the above as the “Background” containing them. But also generating space (in the east they say that the element of ether corresponds to Sound and Space). The Magician himself is Ether, instruments are nothing without the Conscious principle that controls them.
However, in this article I would like to consider the allegories of the first arcana - the Magician. As you can see, the allegory of 4 magical tools was originally depicted even on the oldest editions of the Magician card, which means it is an original idea, and not a later addition. The picture shows a Tarot from Milan, presumably 1432. Magican.
As many here know, and as High Priestess Maxine explained, the magician’s tools are allegories of the 4 elements. The wand in the hand represents fire, the knife or athame represents air, the ritual chalise represents water, and the coins (or magic pentacles) represent earth. The magician himself, of course, represents the Ether. The development of which was included in the Arcana of the Fool (0). The magician is the next step of initiation after the Fool on the symbolic ladder of the Magnum Opus.
It is by mastering 4 magical tools/elements that we become able to influence the world with the help of our will. By himself, the Fool controls only himself and his breathing; this is the level of microcosm. The magician learns by mastering himself and with the help of tools to influence the macrocosm - the whole World (XXI). However, I would like to dwell in more detail on the interpretations of the 4 instruments, because as we know, they also mean the suits of the Tarot themselves. This means that by considering each element separately (the ace or the root of elemental power), we can also better understand all the other Tarot cards in the deck, at least all the minor arcana. For this reason, let’s take a closer look at each instrument.
First, let's remember the wonderful section on the site dedicated to magical tools. As was said earlier, you can use these tools at different levels, wield them only with the help of will or at the level of the astral temple, acquire physical ones and charge them, combine the first and second - as you like. However, correct and truly proactive use of the instrument is the astral level. The magician does not need to constantly carry a knife and wand with a chalise; these things may be in your altar - but this does not mean that without them you are not capable of anything.
Let's start with the Wand/Wizardy staff. It is known to represent the element of fire, our spine (also known as Vas-scepters in Egypt). Life force is directly related to fire, flexibility of the spine, the element of will and overcoming, as well as libido. Fire is the most subtle and mobile element of the elements, it is closest to the Ether and for this reason it is also called Spring, Bacchic, Basilisk. Mastering the “first secret fire” is where all the occult work of Magnum Opus begins. It is precisely because of the importance of this element that so much attention is given to it in The Joy of Satan. Fire is directly involved in overcoming our blocks, for the success of magic, strengthening ourselves in all respects. People who do not have a sufficient level of astral fire do not have enough energy for proactive activities. As High Priestess Maxine wrote, it is necessary to always maintain the astral temperature in the soul (in alchemical texts this is called “the heat of the crucible”). The most advanced level of mastering the fire element within oneself is the direct “mastery of the Dragon/Snake” - that is, the rise of the Kundalini Serpent. This is symbolized by the flowering rod, as well as the full Caduceus.
According to some magical treatises of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance (from where they were later mercilessly stolen and appropriated by all sorts of “kabbalists” and “(((magicians))) of the golden dawn”) - The Four Tools of the Magician correlate with 4 mottos, as well as hermetic maxims of the qualities of the Magician. A magician must have 4 powers (4 elements) within himself in order to succeed in this path. Knowledge is symbolized by Air, Desire by Water, Intention by Fire, and Silence by Earth.
In this sense, the Staff is willpower/intention. It is the internal energy of the Tree that makes it bloom. In the same way, in us, the power of the spine within the soul revives the unmanifested to life. In this sense, we really “resurrect on a tree” as in the Myths of Wotan(Satan), where the tree symbolizes the energy of the soul and nadi. Note that in this medieval image of Wotan, he holds a Staff in his left hand and a Sword in his right.
Intention is actually what moves us towards immortality. The fire within us is a decision, a decision to become a Satanist, to follow the path of initiation, to use will/magic in our lives. No one can ever force you to do this if you do not have your own fire/will for these actions. In this sense, Fire and Magician (which is also sometimes correlated with Aries in the zodiac) is about the power of the “magic wand” taken from this very internal energy. Let's move on to the next steps.
The next tool of the Magician is the Sword. The general tradition of interpretation is the connection between knowledge, the power of the mind, the power of CONCENTRATION necessary for meditation and magic - all this is represented by the Sword and the element of Air. It is the Sword of Reason that is given to initiates. The military symbolism of the sword implies the Power of the Magician with the help of his own mind over everything unreasonable. Using Knowledge, the power of MIND AND CONCENTRATION, the Magician achieves his goals, commands the “sword of the mind” over the aggressive environment of the outside world. It is by using reason that the Magician achieves control over circumstances. In India, the yoga of the mind was called Raja (Royal) yoga. This also has to do with mastering emptiness meditation, the strength to control one’s own thoughts and, as needed, adjust one’s own Mental body to what is needed. Knowledge/Sword is necessary to protect us on the path of Magnum Opus. I’ll just say, how long would we all last here if it weren’t for the Knowledge of the Gods, and the Knowledge, for example, how to build your own aura of protection?
The concept of knowledge of the Magician is also expressed in the astrological symbolism of Mercury. In astrology, Mercury rules our mind and thoughts; one of the signs of its control is Gemini, which is also associated with the element of air. This is an opportunity to exchange ideas (Mercury was the Messenger of the Gods) between worlds, take inspiration (receive it in your own mind/or outside it), work mentally, study and be trained. Without these elements, the ability to succeed in the path of alchemy will be difficult. Knowledge and Will must be in balance since they are two electrical (active/male) elements of the Soul. Without Will/Fire, Knowledge will remain only a theory and a dead concept. Without Knowledge, Fire/Will will only be a mad attempt to impose oneself on the world, at best as an actor/athlete. Many people have the element of Fire without Air, and this is basically a useless activity for the higher purposes of the world and these people in particular.
The sword as an instrument is also found in other Arcana of the Tarot, primarily in Justice, as well as in all Court cards of the Swords suit. This is the power of the law of mind over matter. How the more subtle (mental layer) controls and systematizes the Chaos/Entropy of this world. Knowledge is what helped us create civilization. Many Gods in myths also explain and give magical Swords, weapons that have magical properties. Another important feature of the Sword as an instrument of Knowledge and war is that it is directly related to spiritual warfare. All Spiritual Warfare rituals use knowledge at their core. The power of the enemy was achieved by destroying the “swords” of all pagans, turning knowledge into their own hands, for example in the Vatican. The most ancient repositories of knowledge, such as the Library of Alexandria, were destroyed, others were forgotten and stolen. And all for the sake of spiritual warfare. In this sense, our swords are now knowledge of the Joy of Satan in general.
The next tool in line for analysis will be the Chalice. As already written on The Joy of Satan, desire is an important element of magic, with the help of which we ATTRACT and RECEIVE what we want. Not to have desires is to be like dehydrated Christian hermits. To be “outside sin” is to do nothing and want nothing. A distilled and fat-free society where all “desires” are vices and sins. What happened in medieval Europe, before the geniuses of the Renaissance rediscovered ancient knowledge and began to apply it. Water is correlated with a Mirror (the mirror surface of the chalice and the black obsidian mirror is also water). This is our Queen, the Moon chakra (the Moon also controls the water element, ebbs and flows, as well as the subconscious) - all this symbolism is already embedded in the symbolism of water. It is through the cup that we perceive predictions, moods, and read the environment with the help of our FEELINGS. The bowl tool teaches us mastery of the element of water for all of these abilities.
An overabundance of the Water element can be dangerous and make a person very sensitive/melancholy. Just like the Moon, moving from sign to sign, changes our mood, affecting the water element within us. Water is a MAGNETIC element, which means that it can “color” itself into what it perceives, causing empathy and extrasensory perception. When we perceive something, we relate to it to some extent. And in the same way, we cannot perceive in others anything that we ourselves are deprived of. This is the surface of the Mirror, which serves as a projection of perception. Modern science knows mirror neurons, which are responsible for perceiving the emotions of others and empathy. In the ritual, a sip from the Chalice follows after expressing one's desire into the universe. Mastery of the power to correctly desire and receive and feel the “currents” of astral energies refers to mastery of this instrument.
At an advanced level, the Cup is the "source of the water of life", namely the feminine elixir in our brain. Making and mixing elixirs is a Magnum Opus step and is very advanced. Every energy can be represented as light, but also as fluid flow or smell. In the Chalice section we learn to distinguish and grasp the subtlest. This is why we have desires, they come from a person’s personal preferences, even at the level of tastes in food/clothing, but also at a higher level, we have a certain preference and vision of our life. These are dreams that we make happen with the help of magic.
The symbolism of the Cup is so important and deep that the enemy stole it into his “legend of the Grail with the blood of Christ.” Which in itself only refers us to ancient pagan legends.
The fourth and final instrument considered will be the Pentacle, or Coin. The Earth element is extremely important as a balancing element, associated with the root chakra and Saturn on the one hand, as well as with the alchemical Sun and Gold on the other. This double symbol is expressed primarily as two turns of the Pentacle, which, like any coin, has a reverse and an obverse. This is the dual nature of our world, which contains the front and back sides. "Darkness is light turned inside out - Baalzebul."
The symbolism of the Pentacle is extremely important; it is essentially an instruction - a universal diagram of the World and Magnum Opus. By transforming Saturn into the Sun, or base metals into Gold, we receive instructions for transforming any sphere of life into the Golden Sat Era. The pentacle in this sense can be different. This is any "magical scheme", ranging from the Tarot cards themselves, ending with a solid and applicable universal law, instruction, message and expression of knowledge in material form. On the other way, the Pentacle as a representation of the element of the Earth teaches us the most practical things. Control over the body, behavior, strengthening oneself, mastering practical skills, work. All this is what Saturn teaches.
Keeping Silence in the sense of the Pentacle is the vow of the secret of initiation. What is written on the Joy of Satan as keeping the Secret from outsiders, not revealing oneself. Previously, initiates risked their lives every day practicing alchemy and could be exposed and killed on charges of Heresy. Times are different now, but silence is still an extremely important factor in our business. The Gods respect those who keep Their secrets. This also has to do with the purely “guild” keeping the secrets of initiation from the profane; each next level of initiation must be achieved in practice and proven in the form of power and knowledge. And not revealed on paper in the form of ready-made answers. Then the knowledge has meaning and can be applied.
______
Finally, the main element of the Ether, includes all of the above as the “Background” containing them. But also generating space (in the east they say that the element of ether corresponds to Sound and Space). The Magician himself is Ether, instruments are nothing without the Conscious principle that controls them.
