Editing The Magician (tarot card) (section)

==Symbolism==
===Rider–Waite===
The Magician is depicted with one hand pointing upwards towards the sky and the other pointing down to the earth, interpreted widely as an "[[as above, so below]]" reference to the spiritual and physical realms. On the table before him are a wand, a pentacle, a sword, and a cup, representing the four suits of the [[Minor Arcana]].<ref name="Esselmont" /> Such symbols signify the [[classical elements]] of fire, earth, air, and water, "which lie like counters before the adept, and he adapts them as he wills".{{sfnp|Waite|1979}} The Magician's right hand, pointed upwards, holds a double-ended white wand; the ends are interpreted much like the hand gestures, in that they represent the Magician's status as conduit between the spiritual and the physical. His robe is similarly also white, a symbol of purity yet also of inexperience, while his red [[Mantle (clothing)|mantle]] is understood through the lens of red's wildly polarised colour symbolism—both a representative of willpower and passion, and one of egotism, rage, and revenge.{{citation needed|date=May 2024}} In front of the Magician is a garden of [[Rose of Sharon]] and [[lily of the valley]]{{NoteTag|These are described by Waite as ''flos campi'' and ''lilium convallium'', in an apparent allusion to the biblical [[Song of Songs]].{{sfnp|Waite|1979}}}} demonstrating the "culture of aspiration", or the Magician's ability to cultivate and fulfill potential.{{sfnp|Waite|1979}}

The Magician is associated with the planet [[Mercury (planet)|Mercury]], and hence the signs of [[Gemini (astrology)|Gemini]] and [[Virgo (astrology)|Virgo]] in astrology.{{sfnp|McCann|1999}}

===Marseilles===
Although the [[Rider–Waite Tarot deck]] is the most often used in occult contexts, other decks such as the [[Tarot of Marseilles]] usually used for game-playing have also been read through a symbolic lens. [[Alejandro Jodorowsky]]'s reading of the Magician as ''Le Bateleur'' draws attention to individual details of the Marseilles card, such as the fingers, table, and depiction of the plants, in addition to the elements shared between the Rider–Waite and Marseilles decks.{{sfnp|Jodorowsky|Costa|2009|p=90}} The Magician in the Marseilles deck is depicted with [[Polydactyly|six fingers]] on his left hand{{NoteTag|The Magician holds his wand in his left hand in the Marseilles deck, as opposed to his right in Rider–Waite.}} rather than five, which Jodorowsky interprets as a symbol of manipulating and reorganizing reality. Similarly, the table he stands behind has three legs rather than four; the fourth leg is interpreted as being outside the card, a [[metafictional]] statement that "[i]t is by going beyond the stage of possibilities and moving  into the reality of action and choice that The Magician gives concrete expression to his situation".{{sfnp|Jodorowsky|Costa|2009|pp=90–91}}

Rather than flowers, the Magician of the Marseilles deck is depicted with a small plant between his feet. The plant has a [[yonic]] appearance and has been interpreted as the sex organs of either a personal mother or the abstract concept of [[Mother Nature]].{{sfnp|Jodorowsky|Costa|2009|pp=90–91}}