August 18, 2012
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The magician and the fool
The magician and the fool
Tarot contemplations
The principle of duality comes to the front in so many spiritual traditions. The Tao begins with the heavens and the earth, Genesis begins with the heavens and the earth and so one can start to see in many traditions how the idea of the above and below formulated in the minds of people. This concept again struck me as I continued to study the Quabalistic Tarot.
My renewed interest sparked by the Spanish Tarot deck that was recently given to me as a gift. Many books can be written about the heavens and the earth but it manifest in an interesting manner in the Tarot. When the Taro practitioners joined dots between the Tarot and the Kabbalah they linked the major arcana cards with the paths between the sephira. Right at the top of the tree of life is the Sefirot Keter or the crown – the point from where all existence and essence flows from. The two paths from Keter is associated with the fool going to the right of the tree and the magician going to the left of the tree.
I hypothesize that the magician reflects earth and the mastery of physical life while the fool represents spirit and the mastery of spiritual life. The fool is the spirit descending into the material world while the magician is manifesting the spiritual by mastering the material world. The one is the equal and opposite of the other. This is universal archetypes that represents man’s situation with both his spiritual and material natures clearly highlighted. Through both the magician and the fool there is a simultaneous process of man manifesting the divine in this life while material is refined to be of greater spiritual value. This is for me a deep understanding of how the world works for me. In my own terms the magician represents conscious skill and discipline needed for mastery of life while the fool represents the movement and flow of conscience to allow the spiritual to become manifest in life. When we follow the path of the fool there is no action just being without expectation while the path of the magician is the path of action and realization.
Significant to this insight is that we do not take the one or the other but that we need both to manifest. The hidden secret to be grounded while simultaneously growing our wings to fly.
Source:
http://www.rodurago.net/en/index.php?site=tree-of-life#treetop
The fool liberates materiality into the spiritual and connects to the path of wisdom. Heaven flowing towards earth.
The magician manifests spirituality into reality and connects with the path of understanding. Earth pushing upwards to heaven.
Comments (9)
Interesting thoughts. We need both to manifest. That last line is something I struggle with…being grounded but trying to find my wings to fly!
As always, interesting and thought provoking! I am grounded deeply like the roots of a strong tree, I’m always growing, stretching forward, upward, expanding. Yet I remain the same tree
Each year, each experience adds another ring (circle) to my core, and becomes a part of me. I’ll never fly, but I will always be changing, adjusting, becoming..
Blessings & hugs, Rhonda
@songoftheheart - I do hope that you will find your wings because I have seen them reading your blog.
@AradiaRose - Have you read my entry about life being like a tree. I love the image you created to bring more clarity to what I tried to write about, thank you..it is a gift.
@Zeal4living - somewhere I did the same thing! {writing about the tree/life comparison}
We certainly do have a lot of similarities
I’ll have to read yours now that you mention it
One of my favorite sayings is, “In all things, there must be balance.” I’ve always equated the Magician and the Fool with the Tree of Life. The branches reaching upward for knowledge and wisdom and the roots burrowing and grounding steadfast in the earth. I wear a symbol of the Tree of Life around my neck to remind me to focus on both and not get caught up in one or the other. Wisdom and knowledge is so freeing and such a wonderful feeling but one must be grounded and attuned as to how and what that knowledge and wisdom should be used for in the material world. The material world could be such an ugly, scary place without the light, colors and love in knowledge. As above, so below.
@Moonlit_Lass - Balance and harmony – those are the the characteristics of harmony
Interesting! I have been dabbling a bit in I Ching lately and that seems to be giving my a little window here and there. Really a good insight though!
@Strange_Chaos - Would love to talk to you about the I-Ching as well. It is a good topic to for discussion.
@Zeal4Living, you should elaborate on this, allotting more context for each point. There are many twin stories, imagries, and teachings in all of the religions I’ve studied. Tao, Buddhism & Hinduism mirror Quabala, Christianity & Muslim teachings … yet all are opposed to each other on the latter group. There is a twist of irony, in that I see your magician and fool playing out in these groupings as well. Nice read.