Magician
(1)

Pronouns: They, them

+ An informed choice; flexing skill; the alchemist, building something out of seemingly nothing; clever and skillful negotiation 

– Logic and skill based profession or personality; regulator; controller; the used car sales-person of the tarot; knows how to manipulate things to their own advantage; a failed experiment

Regardless of how the card is aspected know this, the Magician is not someone to fuck with. They know what they are doing and their actions are intentional. 

The Magician has all the elements of each suit laid out in front of them and can wield these items as they see fit. Since this deck features characters from across the horror genre in each of the suits, mastery over these supernatural elements requires a level of acumen that is appallingly powerful and one mistake can result in catastrophe. They don’t seem to sweat it though. 

Those familiar with the Rider-Waite’s Magician will note the positioning of the hands, one gestures up adjusting their glasses and the other clutching the scissors pointing down, “As Above, So Below”— everything has a counterbalance and everything comes back around. Those scissors and the red jumpsuit are a direct reference to Jordan Peele’s second film, Us and his consistent use of doubling, counterbalance, and deception within the film. 

Like each of the Major Arcana cards the Magician can be a person or be applied to a situation. If this card comes up as part of the unconscious aspect of a reading, it could refer to something or someone pulling strings behind the scenes or unintentionally being controlling. It’s hard not to see this as a negative thing but sometimes someone has to step up to the plate and do something. It’s called “being the adult in the room”. The Magician is a doer and unapologetically so.

August 30, 2022 — Genevieve Barbee-Turner