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Above all things, know thyself!

ATU I – Beth: The Magus and the Architecture of Consciousness

A Hermetic Elucidation for the Thoth Tarot and the Arcane

The Thoth Magus (ATU I) and the Arcane Magician both reveal the same foundational mystery of the Western Hermetic Qabalah: the Mystery of Beth (ב)—the House, the first container of divine potential, and the sacred architecture by which Spirit descends into comprehension.

In the Qabalistic glyph, Beth forms the Path between Kether (Crown) and Binah (Understanding)—the first movement from the Unknowable toward the Known. This path does not carry passive light; it carries Intent, the primal Will that seeks to become. In this sense, the Magus is not merely a sorcerer: he is the Builder of the House, the first Shaper of the Forces of Creation.

Beth: The Womb of the Word

The secret of Beth is hidden in plain sight. It is the first letter of Bereshith, the Biblical “In the Beginning…”—signaling that manifestation begins not with pure Spirit (Aleph) but with Spirit contained. Beth is enclosure: womb, temple, matrix, dwelling. It receives the primal, undefined radiance of Kether and condenses it into an intentional, intelligible pulse.

Where Aleph is the unspoken Breath, Beth is the Breath shaped into the Word.

Thus:

• Aleph = Spirit before form

• Beth = Spirit forming itself

• The Magus = Spirit speaking itself into Being

Creation begins with the act of articulation. The House is not built of stone—it is built of vibration.

The Magus: Architect of the Inner Temple

On this path, the Magus is the Divine Architect, drawing down the infinite and engineering the structure in which it may dwell. The “House” Beth builds is not merely a vessel—it is the Temple of Consciousness, the psychic architecture through which the Higher Self may operate in the human world.

The four tools of the Magician—wand, cup, sword, disk—are not props. They are:

• Four Elements

• Four Worlds

• Four Cornerstones of the House

• Four modes of the Human Soul

The Magus harmonizes these to produce the Etheric Blueprint of existence. Spirit becomes intelligible because the Magus gives it language, structure, symbol, and form.

Here, the Builder and the House are inseparable.
To build Beth is to build the Self.

Mercury: The Living Logos in Motion

As Mercury, the Magus rules communication, vibration, transmission, synaptic patterning, spellcraft, and the architecture of thought. This is not Mercury of pop astrology—this is Hermes, the primordial Logos, whose speech shapes the worlds.

Logos is not “word” in the linguistic sense—it is pattern-consciousness, the intelligent ordering principle that allows the Infinite to express itself.

Thus:

• The Magus is the Logos acting through the human psyche.

• Beth is the Temple in which Logos dwells.

• The magician is the one who allows the Living Word to shape reality through their Will.

Every utterance becomes a blueprint.
Every thought becomes a stone in the Temple.
Every symbol becomes an instruction to the universe.

The Magus teaches that creation is a linguistic process—spell and speech are one and the same.

Beth on the Tree of Life: Mind as the First Act of Creation

The Path of Beth from Kether to Binah defines the first architecture of comprehension. We often speak of Binah as the “great organizer,” the Mother of Form—but it is Beth that carries the seed-will from Kether to her. This is the phallic lightning-path, directing the raw motive force into the Supernal Womb.

Beth is therefore:

• The first act of focus

• The first boundary drawn around Infinity

• The first temple built from pure intention

• The Mind forming itself to receive the Light

All magick begins here—with the construction of an Inner House capable of holding the Divine Current.

You do not “receive” Spirit passively;
you build the structure that allows it to live within you.

This is the real purpose of the Magus:
The Builder of the House of Awareness.

ATU I: The Initiation of Experimental Consciousness

Both the Thoth Magus and the Arcane Magician introduce the aspirant to the Path of Experimental Learning—the testing of Will, the shaping of creative force, the conscious manipulation of symbols. This path demands:

• Curiosity

• Adaptability

• The courage to shape reality intentionally

• The responsibility that comes with creative authority

The Magus teaches:
“Your House is built by every choice you make, every symbol you accept, every word you speak.”

The magician is not one who escapes reality, but one who architects it from the inside out.

Conclusion: The Magus as Builder of the Self

To meditate upon Beth is to ask:
What kind of House am I building for Spirit to inhabit?

The Magus answers:
“Build deliberately. Build beautifully. Build consciously.”

Beth is the temple, the psyche, the incarnate vessel of the Logos.
The Magus is the one who awakens the knowledge that we are all builders of the House, shaping consciousness into form through Will, Word, and Wonder.

The Supernal Triangle and the

Interwoven Mysteries of the Fool and the Magus

The Upper Trinity of Atziluth

Within the World of Atziluth—the Archetypal World, the realm of Divine Fire—the first three Sephiroth form what is traditionally called the Supernal Triangle: Kether, Chokmah, and Binah. These are not “states” in the ordinary sense, but phases of the same eternal emanation, distinguished only by the slightest variation in vibratory tone. Their Tarot reflections—the Fool (Aleph), the Magus (Beth), and the High Priestess (Gimel)—are therefore not separate identities but three angles of one unbroken primordial flash.

Because the activity within Atziluth is unified, the “difference” between these cards is not separative—it is directional. Each expresses a specific orientation of the same divine current.

The Fool: The First Breath Before Becoming

The Fool, attributed to Aleph, is the unconditioned breath of Spirit—the spontaneous, limitless life-force that emanates directly from Kether. It is pure potential, undefinable, unstructured, and without limitation.

Yet it is not static.
The Fool is infinite motion, a ceaseless, joyous surge of vitality.

This reinvigorating current flows from Kether’s passivity—the stillness of Zero before One—into the dynamic initiation of Chokmah. In this way, the Fool operates as the living wind that stirs the silent crown of Being into the first impulse of expression.

In other words:
The Fool is the first flutter of divine intention.

The Magus: The Light-Switch of Manifestation

Where the Fool is motion without definition, the Magus is definition entering motion.

Beth, the House, is the first container the Fool’s wind rushes into. The Magus stands between Kether and Binah, receiving the undirected radiance of Aleph and shaping it into the first act of Will.

If the Fool is the Breath,
the Magus is the Word that breath becomes.

If the Fool is the spark,
the Magus is the directed beam of that spark.

If the Fool is the Infinite,
the Magus is the first finite gesture of creation.

This is why the Magus is traditionally seen as the Logos, the architect, the initiator of the House of Being. The “switch” is not mechanical—it is the moment Spirit decides to become intelligible.

Chokmah: The Electric Pulse Awakened by the Fool

The path of the Fool (Aleph) pours directly from Kether into Chokmah, the dynamic, masculine, projective Sephirah. Chokmah is the “lightning flash’s first outward expression.” It is motion, vitality, the primal surge of the fire-electric impulse.

Thus, the relationship becomes:

• Kether – Passive Infinity

• Aleph (Fool) – Current flowing outward

• Chokmah – The first active polarity

Chokmah does not generate this motion; it receives it. It is awakened by the Fool, not the other way around.

This is why Crowley wrote that the Fool is the “crown” and also the “root of Air”—because it is the moving breath through which the highest point of existence first expresses itself.

Why the Fool and the Magus Are Practically Indivisible

Within the Supernal Triangle, differentiation is symbolic, not literal.
The Fool and the Magus share the same essential substance:

• The Fool is the undirected life-force,

• The Magus is the directed life-force.

One is pure possibility; the other is the first choice.
One is the infinite breath; the other is the spoken word.
One is the lightning; the other is the channel the lightning follows.

In Atziluth, these are not separate occurrences but sequential aspects of one unified act of emanation.

Thus, the Fool and the Magus form a radiant dyad:

Aleph → Beth
Pure Spirit → Articulated Spirit
Breath → Word
Potential → Will

They are the two wings of the same archetypal Fire—one beating outward from the Crown, the other shaping that beat into intention.

The Greater Self Beyond Gender: Electric and Magnetic Polarity in the Upper Tree of Life

In the Western Hermetic Qabalah, the term Being does not refer to a biological organism or a personality. A Being—especially on the Upper Tree—is an Immortal Intelligent Energy, a Sephirothic emanation, a mode of Divine Consciousness. A physical body may be termed an entity or vehicle, but in Atziluth and Briah, a Being is pure function, pure awareness, pure power.

Because of this, the Greater Self—the One Great Being from which all lesser selves derive—is not gendered in any biological or species-specific sense. Gender, as known to incarnate life, is a physical manifestation, part of the densification of spirit into matter. It appears only in the lower worlds because physical polarity must represent itself in form.

However, in the Supernal Triangle and across the Upper Tree, what is often symbolized as “male” or “female” is not physical, emotional, or cultural. It is energetic polarity, the two primordial manners in which the One expresses its motion:

• Electric expression (Active / Projective / Yang / Force / “Male”)

• Magnetic expression (Receptive / Formative / Yin / Field / “Female”)

These terms come from physics, not biology.
They indicate how energy behaves, not what identity it possesses.

Why Energetic Polarity Is Mistaken for Gender

In Hermetic metaphysics, sexual symbolism is used because human language has no other available vocabulary to describe the twofold dynamic of creation:

• One pole projects (electric)

• One pole receives and shapes (magnetic)

But this is not sexual identity.
It is functional polarity, the same polarity seen in:

• Electricity and magnetism

• Expansion and contraction

• Impulse and pattern

• Motion and containment

• Fire and water

• Chokmah and Binah

When the Qabalists describe Chokmah as “male” and Binah as “female,” they refer to how the energy expresses its role, not to any anatomical or cultural form.

The Upper Tree Is Pre-Sexual, Pre-Form, Pre-Gender

In the Supernal regions—Kether, Chokmah, Binah—spirit has not yet descended into any domain where species exist. No organisms, bodies, hormones, binary structures, or reproductive mechanics exist here.

These Sephiroth operate before:

• Form

• Structure

• Species

• Identity

• Biology

• Personality

• Time

Thus, “sexual expression” in the Supernals means:

• The Electric impulse of Chokmah (Force)

• The Magnetic containment of Binah (Form)

• Rushing forth and holding still

• Vibrating outward and resonating inward

These are the foundational polarities of creation, not the dualities of gender.

The Greater Self as Androgyne of Energy

Because the One Being (Greater Self, Yechidah, or Adam Kadmon) contains all potential:

• It is both electric and magnetic.

• It is neither male nor female.

• It holds all polarities in dynamic equilibrium.

Thus, the “Divine Androgyne” of Hermetic texts is not a third gender—it is the union of energetic poles before differentiation. A perfect stillness in perpetual motion.
A unity that contains infinite expressions.

When that unity emanates into polarity, the Magus (Beth), the High Priestess (Gimel), and the entire structure of the Tree come into being—each expressing a facet of the One in vibration.

Why This Matters for Magick and Qabalah

Understanding this prevents the metaphoric language of gender from being confused with literal identity. The adept who grasps this begins to see:

• The “masculine” and “feminine” in the Tarot are functional dynamics, not people.

• The Soul is not a man or a woman; it is a field of intelligent energy.

• Every human being contains both electric and magnetic modes of expression.

• The Hermetic Marriage is an inner alchemical union, not a physical romance.

• The path to enlightenment is the integration of polarities, not the adoption of a role.

In the Upper Tree, you are not “male” or “female.”
You are the One Consciousness learning how to shape itself through polarity.

0=2, the Lemniscus, and the Ouroboros: How Beth Activates the Infinite Fool

One of the most elegant teachings in the Western Hermetic Qabalah is the formula 0 = 2—the truth that the Infinite (Zero) becomes Two in order to be perceived. The undivided No-Thing must emanate polarity in order for existence to arise. This is not division as we know it; this is Self-reflection, the One creating an inner mirror by which It may experience Itself.

Two ancient symbols express this process perfectly:

• The horizontal figure-eight (the lemniscus)

• The Ouroboros, the serpent swallowing its tail

Both images represent a closed circuit of One Energy, eternally flowing, eternally feeding itself, eternally returning to its own origin. They show that what appears to be “two” is only the turning of the One in upon Itself.

This is the metaphysical foundation of the Fool (Aleph) and the Magus (Be

Aleph (0) and Beth (1): The First Movement of Creation

In the Thoth Tarot:

• The Fool (Aleph) is Zero—unconditioned Spirit, the boundless, eternal, undivided potential.

• The Magus (Beth) is One—the first act of definition, the first gesture of directed Will, the first movement that stirs the Infinite into expression.

Thus, Beth is “One acting upon Zero.”
It is the Point awakening the Circle.
It is Force activating Field.

When Crowley writes “0 = 2,” he points to the fact that:

• The Infinite (0) emanates

• Through the first creative impulse (1)

• Into duality (2),

• Which is merely the Infinite seeing itself from two perspectives.

The Fool is the raw infinite energy.
The Magus is the first defining impulse that begins to shape that energy.

Together they form the energetic ouroboric loop.

The Lemniscus: The Magus Turning Spirit Back Upon Itself

The horizontal figure-eight—seen hovering over many traditional Magician cards—symbolizes the unbroken continuity of Spirit. In Hermetic terms, it is the cycle of emanation and return:

1. Spirit flows outward from Zero

2. Spirit bends back in reflection

3. Spirit re-enters its own nature

4. The loop continues infinitely

This is the rhythm of creation, the breath of Atziluth.

The Magus stands at the hinge-point of this loop:
where the unformed Fool-current is caught, shaped, and directed.

Beth acts as the switch that focuses Aleph’s limitless radiance into deliberate motion.
This is why the Magus is assigned Mercury—the Logos who articulates the Infinite.

The lemniscus over the Magician’s head is the visual reminder that all creative acts are circulatory, that Will flows in a loop:

From Spirit → Into Form → Back to Spirit.

The Ouroboros: The Serpent of Eternal Becoming

The Ouroboros, the serpent devouring its own tail, predates written language and encapsulates the entire doctrine of 0=2. It symbolizes:

• Self-creation

• Self-destruction

• Self-renewal

• Self-reflection

• Eternal return

It is the One Energy feeding upon itself, generating polarity within unity.
It shows that beginning and ending are the same point—
just as the Fool (0) and the Magus (1) are not separate beings but two movements of the same divine force.

The Ouroboros is the living formula:

0 becomes 1
1 unfolds into 2
2 resolves back into 0
—and the cycle repeats forever.

This is the engine of the Tree of Life.

Why This Matters for the Magician’s Path

To understand the Ouroboros and the lemniscus in the context of Beth and Aleph is to understand how magic actually works:

• The magician does not “add” anything to the universe.

• The magician redirects the flow of the infinite circuit.

• Every spell, every intent, every utterance is a slight shift in the 0→1→2 loop.

Beth allows the adept to interact with the Ouroboric current consciously.
The Magus becomes the architect of the flow, not its unconscious vessel.

Thus, ATU I is not simply a beginner’s card—it is the lever that sets the entire system of creation in motion.

Upright key words: manifestation-potential

Arcane Tarot – Key 1: The Magician

The Master of Directed Will and Manifestation

In the Arcane Tarot, Key 1 – The Magician appears in his traditional posture as the conduit between the Heavens and the Earth. One hand points upward toward the invisible realm of potential, while the other extends toward the reader—signaling that the power he channels is not abstract, but meant to be used.

He stands confidently with a fan of tarot cards in one hand, demonstrating mastery of symbolic language, pattern, and archetype. Around him, the four suits—Wands, Cups, Swords, and Pentacles—represent the four elements, the four tools, and the four modes of human expression.

In this card, the Magician is not merely a performer of tricks.
 

He is the Hermetic Architect, the one who shapes intention into form, drawing the currents of Spirit into the world of action. His potential is limitless because he stands at the gateway where belief becomes power and thought becomes event.

Upright Meaning: Active Manifestation & Creative Authority

When the Magician appears upright, the message is direct and empowering:

You already possess everything required to achieve your goal.

The tools, skills, resources, and inner authority are present—the time to act is now. Key 1 signals the moment when potential is ready to become movement.

This card encourages:

• Belief in your own ability

• Taking decisive steps forward

• Trusting your skills and intuition

• Initiating projects with confidence

• Turning ideas into structured reality

In career or creative endeavors, the Magician marks the beginning of success born from intentional action. You are not waiting for opportunity—you are creating it.

In relationships, the Magician invites you to manifest the connection you desire.

This may mean:

• Calling in a new partner

• Rekindling passion in an existing bond

• Communicating your needs clearly

• Aligning intention with action

It is a card of self-directed love, where the power to shape intimacy lies in your willingness to act with clarity and intention.

Reversed Meaning: Misalignment of Power or Self-Doubt

When reversed, the Magician warns that the flow of Will is obstructed.

Self-doubt can cloud your power.

You may underestimate your abilities, feel unprepared, or hesitate to step into your own authority. The reversed Magician suggests that you are far more capable than you believe, but the belief has not yet aligned with the action.

It can also indicate:

• Procrastination

• Fear of failure

• Unfocused energy

• Difficulty accessing your own potential

On the shadow side, this reversal can reveal manipulation.

Someone—whether yourself or another—may be twisting truth, misusing influence, or attempting to force a situation rather than co-create with it.

In relationships, reversed Magician can point to:

• Mixed messages

• False intentions

• Someone “saying the right things” but not standing behind their words

• Emotional or psychological sleight-of-hand

The remedy is returning to integrity:
clarity of intention, honesty with oneself, and the proper use of Will.

The Magus as the Emanator of Will: The Wand, the Phallus, and the Supernal Circuit

In the language of Western Hermetic Qabalah, “sexual” symbolism at the Supernal level has nothing to do with biological sexuality. It refers instead to energetic polarities, the exchange between the Electric (Force) and Magnetic (Form) aspects of the One Energy.

Thus, when we speak of the Magus as “ejaculator of Will,” we are referencing the projective function of consciousness, the outward surge of directed intention that flows from the Divine into the formative womb of Binah.

The entire Supernal Triangle—Kether, Chokmah, and Binah—is the Divine Phallus and Womb in their archetypal energetic modes:

• Chokmah as the Electric, projective, overflowing current

• Binah as the Magnetic, receptive, shaping matrix

• Kether as the still, infinite source from which both emanate

Energy must flow between polarities for creation to occur. Thus, Will must be projected in order to be received and formed.

This process is symbolized throughout magical traditions as the Phallus and the Womb, but these are metaphors for Force and Form, not gendered beings.

The Wand as the Symbol of Transmitted Will

In the Rider–Waite–Smith Magician, the Wand raised to the heavens is the classic emblem of Will extended and directed. It stands for:

• The channeling of Divine Will into the world

• The conscious projection of intention

• The axis between Above and Below

• The “ray” of focused magical force

The wand is not merely a tool—it is the symbol of the Magus’s function as the transmitter of the Greater Will of the Supernal Trinity. The magician does not create power; he conducts it.

This is why the wand is absent from the hand of the Thoth Magus:
his entire body is the wand.

Crowley and Harris portrayed the Magus as a being whose form itself is the conduit of Divine Will. Every gesture, every vibration, every angle of his posture reflects the streaming of Aleph into Beth—Spirit becoming Word.

The Medieval Feathers Tarot, like the Thoth, also omits the handheld wand, recognizing that a true Magus is the instrument.

The Human Body as the Wand of the Soul

Just as the Thoth Magus embodies the wand, so too does the human initiate become the wand of their own Higher Self.

Your body—nervous system, breath, posture, voice—becomes the physical transmitter for the Will of the Soul. The magician’s body is the instrument through which higher intention descends into action, speech, gesture, and manifestation.

This is the real teaching behind “as above, so below” in ritual magic:

• The Soul holds the Will

• The Body becomes the Wand

• Life becomes the Act of Magick

Thus:

• To speak with intention is an act of magick.

• To act with clarity is an act of magick.

• To move your body in alignment with your Higher Self is an act of magick.

• To live consciously is to wield the wand, for you are the wand.

The Magus is the architect not because he manipulates external tools, but because he embodies the tool of Will itself.

In the earliest known European Tarot decks—such as the Visconti-Sforza and Tarot of Marseille—the figure of the Magician (Le Bateleur) and the Arcane Magician appears more as a street performer than a spiritual master. He is often depicted behind a table, juggling cups, coins, knives, and other tools of his craft (cards)—seemingly little more than a con artist or entertainer, a juggler of mundane illusions.

Yet within this outer illusion lies a seed of Hermetic truth: the Magician’s sleight of hand is a veil over deeper metaphysical legerdemain. What once appeared as trickery is, in the language of esotericism, a symbolic gesture toward the mysteries of perception, language, and manifestation.

The Exoteric Illusionist: Master of Appearances

Historically, this “Bateleur” was indeed a performer of legerdemain—light of hand, dexterous and deceptive. But Hermeticism always recognizes the mask as a doorway. The outer deception contains the inner revelation, if one has the eyes to see.

The medieval magician was a mimic of the Divine Creator, using distraction, illusion, and attention to manipulate perception. This directly parallels the Hermetic law that all reality is Mind, and what is believed becomes what is perceived. Thus, even the early image—seemingly mundane—is a teaching tool of the Inner School.

As above, so below. As within, so without.
The trickster is the forerunner of the transmuter.
The illusionist is the apprentice of the Logos.

The Esoteric Magus: Architect of Reality

By the time we reach Aleister Crowley's Thoth Tarot, the Magician has fully evolved into the Magus, the true Adept of the Logos. He is no longer deceiving the crowd but is instead manipulating the very substructure of reality. The tools of his craft—wand, cup, sword, and disk—are no longer props but elemental archetypes, representing the Four Worlds and Four Elements.

The Magus’ sleight of hand is now seen for what it truly is: the act of concentration, focus, and will, allowing him to align the microcosm with the macrocosm. He is the one who utters the creative Word and thereby "builds the House" (Beth), shaping consciousness itself into forms perceptible by the soul.

Just as Mercury (his planetary ruler) is both a god of thieves and a god of divine messages, the Magus straddles two worlds: that of illusion and that of illumination. He knows that the world is Maya, and that mastery comes not from rejecting illusion—but from understanding how to shape it.

Legerdemain as Logos: The Divine Sleight of Hand

What was once the hand that tricks the eye is now the Hand of the Divine, crafting symbols, invoking names, and gesturing ritual to direct energy across planes. In Western Hermetic Qabalah, this is the Logos acting through the Self, where "speech" is vibration, "gesture" is focus, and the "stage" is the inner astral temple.

The modern Magus has inherited the tricks of his former guise, but now they serve a greater aim: to draw down the divine fire of Kether into the structures of Binah and beyond. His sleight of hand is no longer deception, but a ritual articulation of Will, a sacred manipulation of form to reveal the formless.

The attribution of the four universal elements in Tarot and Western Hermetic Mysteries to the Greek philosopher Pythagoras is deeply rooted in the metaphysical and esoteric traditions that Pythagoras helped shape. While Pythagoras himself did not directly formulate the Tarot as we know it today, his philosophies on numbers, the cosmos, and elements have influenced Western esoteric traditions that have integrated his ideas.

Here’s a breakdown of the connection:

1. The Four Elements:

In both Tarot and Hermetic traditions, the four classical elements are fundamental:

• Fire
• Water
• Air
• Earth

These elements symbolize various aspects of existence, including physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual planes. They are seen in the four suits of the Minor Arcana in Tarot (Wands, Cups, Swords, Pentacles/Disks), and play a key role in Hermetic teachings and Western Qabalah.

2. Pythagoras’ Influence:

Pythagoras is famous for his contributions to mathematics, especially the theory of numbers, but he also had a cosmological view that saw the universe as ordered and harmonious. In Pythagorean thought, the elements were tied to the fundamental building blocks of reality:

• Fire represented energy, transformation, and spirit.
• Water symbolized emotions, intuition, and fluidity.
• Air stood for intellect, reason, and communication.
• Earth was tied to stability, materiality, and physicality.

His philosophy of the "Tetractys" (a triangular figure consisting of 10 points arranged in four rows) symbolized the progression from unity to multiplicity and encapsulated the idea of the four elements and their importance in structuring reality.

3. The Hermetic Tradition:

Later, Hermeticism adopted and expanded upon many Pythagorean ideas. The Hermetic maxim "As above, so below" echoes Pythagoras’ belief in the harmony and interconnection between numbers, the cosmos, and the elements. The elements were seen as different expressions of divine energy, and understanding them was considered essential for unlocking the mysteries of the universe.

• Tarot: The Tarot, especially in its esoteric interpretation, also integrated this elemental framework. The Minor Arcana, for instance, corresponds to these four elements. Wands (Fire), Cups (Water), Swords (Air), and Pentacles (Earth) reflect the energies and symbolic meanings that Pythagoras' elemental theories set in motion.

• Western Hermetic Qabalah: In the Qabalistic Tree of Life, the four elements correspond to the four worlds (Atziluth, Briah, Yetzirah, Assiah), with Fire at the highest level (divine emanation) and Earth at the lowest (manifestation in the material world).

4. Numerical and Elemental Correspondences:

Pythagoras’ view of numbers as sacred and foundational to the structure of reality plays a role in how esoteric traditions view Tarot. Numbers are more than quantitative—they have qualitative properties that correspond to metaphysical principles. The four elements, each associated with certain numbers, help explain different aspects of reality.

For example, in the Minor Arcana:

• Wands (Fire) often correspond to energy, action, and creative potential.
• Cups (Water) relate to emotional, intuitive, and psychic aspects.
• Swords (Air) are linked with thought, conflict, and intellectual challenges.
• Pentacles (Earth) represent material concerns, prosperity, and the physical realm.

In summary, Pythagoras contributed a foundational philosophical framework that was later woven into the esoteric fabric of the Tarot and Western Hermeticism. The four classical elements he helped popularize became symbolic pillars in these traditions, guiding practitioners in understanding both the physical world and higher metaphysical realities.

As stated the Roman, Mercury, is the Greek Hermes (shown with erect phallus which later became the Magician's wand) and the Egyptian- Thoth, all represent the same deity, the amalgamation of their qualities having become inseparable in modern esoteric literature. 

Hermes, as was Thoth, was always associated with words. This makes sense as a messenger must simply state the cause of the one who has sent him. Then there is the Egyptian- Ibis headed Thoth, who created the hieroglyphs, which developed the necessary means by which a message could be transmitted and recorded. He was considered an Alien Astronaut Scientist/Engineer (Anunnaki-"Those who from the heavens came to earth") who taught mankind in Shumer (Sumer) and Egypt science, architecture, mathematics, and language, among other forms of technology. As in the Medieval Feathers Tarot-1-The Magician, he is often shown with a monkey which implied the mischievous trickery of words.

The companion of Thoth/Hermes, was shown as a dog-headed Ape (Cynocephalus), representing words themselves, and their potential for deception and misunderstanding. Hence, we have Cynocephalus, included in both the Thoth Deck card and Le Bateleur card laying at the feet of the Magus/Magician in the same way that the Magus/Magician transmits the Willed idea of Self-Creation of the One -Kether and/or The I AM.

The Transmitted idea of I AM (God name of Eheieh-I Will Be), from The Magus, Fertilizes the ONE Womb (Understanding) that is the Great Mother Binah (The Creatrix of Consciousness) just as words fertilize Consciousness! Thus, the power of Words, is about stimulating the birthing of unconscious ideas into conscious images of Understanding, by the Power of Expression, but not necessarily the Truth of Creation. The Truth is "I AM" what that "I AM" is- produces only assumptions.

Therefore, Truth Must Be Made Manifest (THE PRIESTESS) as Knowledge. Before knowledge there is data/information, but information does not become knowledge before it can be intimately experienced. Hence, "Truth is made manifest", implies one must have a body on the Tenth Sephiroth- Malkuth-"a Me", the goal of the "I AM" before information can become knowledge.

Okay, this concept may be so subjective, that it may be difficult to understand, but try scrying the card. Your meditative observation will open your consciousness to the flow from your Solar/Soul Self where greater knowledge is stored. For when an idea is Understood, it becomes information. Information, received, expressed, and then experienced, becomes knowledge. Therefore, what is to become knowledge must be proven by in-form-action. Making the experience as a living being sacred to Spirit.

To reiterate: THE MAGUS is the Path of Beth (right side of book), and it transmits the idea of Self-Creation of the One from above-known as Kether (Crown). A spoken word is a sound that carries an idea, so the Magus (traditional Magician) is associated with the First Vibration or Word of God from the God Name of Kether, which is described by the Hebrew as Eheieh-"I Will BE". This First Vibration encloses Spirit, the Will that holds all things together, beginning the process of creation, thus encompassing All That Is. This Will is expressed through Mercury/Magician/Magus, whose symbol is shown on the left-bottom side of the Magus. As you can see, both symbol and Hebrew letter are shown on the bottom of the Thoth Magus card.

In the Golden Dawn papers, this idea was conveyed by relating the Mercury symbol (planetary sign) to all the Sephiroth, except for Kether/Eheieh. You may note that the Horns spring from Daath, often called the invisible Sephiroth but really it is the conjunction of Chokmah (Great Father and Binah (Great Mother), a face-to-face union-(the path of the door- Empress), that creates what is called the Divine Hermaphrodite -"The Priestess" who in turn is the invisible Sephiroth Daath from which emerges The Divine Child (The Soul).

I Am is the name of the Divine Creative and it is our inherited name of the Soul. I Am/Establishment of Existence, begins all ideas of Self. (I Am healthy, I Am Sick, I Am wealthy, I Am impoverished, I Am Joy, I Am Sadness, I AM Life, I Am Magick,. I Am human... etc.). We cast all our magick manifestation (identity) with the beginning command of "I AM".

This ability to define yourself is pure magick and freedom of choice! So, beware how you use your power of "I AM", for here dwells Demons as well as Saints! For Example: To say, "I Am sick and tired...." will invite demons of sickness and weariness into your day! To Say "I AM the Will and the Way. I own the Day", gives one a day of powerful magick.

You may wonder why the Western Hermetics spell the word "magic" as "magick. There is a very powerful reason for this. Of this I will attempt to explain.

The spelling of the word "magic" as "magick" by modern Hermeticists, especially following the work of Aleister Crowley, carries a distinct philosophical and esoteric meaning. Crowley intentionally used "magick" to distinguish the spiritual, transformative practice from mere stage illusions or entertainment. His definition of "magick" focused on its deeper connection to the will, the divine, and the realization of higher states of consciousness. Here’s a detailed explanation:

1. Magick vs. Magic:

• Magic (without the "k") is commonly associated with tricks, illusions, and performances meant to entertain an audience. This usage became widespread in the 19th and early 20th centuries, and it referred to acts of sleight-of-hand and spectacle. Crowley and other Hermeticists sought to clearly differentiate their spiritual practices from this form of entertainment.

• Magick (with a "k") is a term used in esoteric and occult traditions to refer to the art and science of causing change in accordance with the practitioner’s True Will—the divine purpose or higher self, as understood in Crowley’s Thelema.

2. Crowley’s Definition of Magick:

Aleister Crowley famously defined magick as "the Science and Art of causing Change to occur in conformity with Will." For Crowley, True Will represented a higher, divine purpose that each individual possesses but must discover and align with.

• Magick in this sense is not just about performing rituals to create changes in the physical world (such as wealth, love, or protection), but is fundamentally about transforming the self, achieving spiritual enlightenment, and realizing one’s divine potential.
• Crowley’s addition of the "k" also signified a return to the older, more traditional understanding of magick as a sacred art, deeply intertwined with philosophy, mysticism, and spiritual development.

3. The Symbolism of the Letter "K":

The letter "K" in "magick" was not chosen randomly. It holds symbolic significance in several ways:

• Numerology: In the Qabalistic system of Gematria, where letters are assigned numerical values, the letter K corresponds to the number 11. Crowley considered 11 to be a powerful number, symbolizing the union of the divine and the human. He called it the "number of magick itself," representing the interaction between the microcosm (human) and the macrocosm (divine).

  • In particular, 11 stands between 10 (symbolizing completion, such as in the 10 Sephiroth on the Tree of Life) and higher numbers that indicate transcendence. It signifies a form of bridging power between the material and spiritual realms.

• Thelemic Symbolism: Crowley’s philosophy of Thelema is centered on the concept of Will—specifically, the True Will, which is the individual’s alignment with divine purpose. The addition of the "k" represents this link to the individual's power to manifest their Will in the world.

• Kether: In the Western Qabalistic tradition, K is also the first letter of Kether, the highest Sephirah on the Tree of Life. Kether represents divine consciousness or the unmanifest source of all things. By incorporating the letter "K," Crowley may have been making a subtle allusion to the connection between magick and the ultimate divine source.

4. Magick as a Spiritual Discipline:

The use of "magick" signifies that it is a disciplined and systematic practice that goes beyond the casting of spells or working of rituals for mundane purposes. Crowley’s magick involved the entire framework of Western Hermeticism, which includes:

• The Qabalah: Magick is deeply tied to the Tree of Life, the Sephiroth, and the relationships between the divine and the material worlds.
• Astrology: Understanding the celestial influences and their impact on magickal workings is a core part of the Hermetic tradition.
• Alchemy: The spiritual process of transmutation (both of matter and of the self) is a key metaphor in magick, representing the purification and refinement of the soul.
• Rituals and Symbols: These are used not just to affect external reality but to engage the practitioner in a journey of self-realization, spiritual awakening, and alignment with divine forces.

5. Magick and Thelema:

Crowley’s system of Thelema (the Greek word for "Will") is inseparable from his conception of magick. In The Book of the Law (Liber AL vel Legis), the central tenet is: "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law", which Crowley interprets as discovering and following one’s True Will.

• Magick, in this framework, is the process of discovering that True Will and acting in harmony with it. This involves not just external change but an inner transformation, aligning oneself with cosmic forces.
• For Crowley, magick is ultimately about achieving the Knowledge and Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel, a central goal in the Hermetic and Thelemic systems. This is the realization of the divine self and the union with one’s higher spiritual purpose.

6. Modern Hermeticism:

Modern Hermeticists continue to use "magick" to emphasize that it is a spiritual path with ancient roots, distinct from casual or superficial associations with magic as illusion or parlor tricks. In this sense, "magick" is part of a greater tradition that integrates Hermeticism, Qabalah, alchemy, astrology, and ceremonial ritual to achieve both personal and cosmic transformation.

• Ceremonial Magick: In many modern Hermetic practices, magick involves detailed rituals, invocation of deities or divine forces, and working with complex symbols like pentagrams, hexagrams, and the Tree of Life to bring about spiritual and material results.
• High Magick vs. Low Magic: Often, "magick" is associated with high magick, which involves spiritual goals and theurgy (working with divine powers), whereas "low magic" (often just spelled "magic") refers to more practical, everyday concerns like love spells or protection charms.

7. Conclusion:

Crowley’s adoption of "magick" as a distinct spelling was a way to reclaim the sacred, ancient, and transformative aspects of the practice, distancing it from the more profane or mundane connotations of "magic" as entertainment. For Crowley and modern Hermeticists, magick is about the realization of the True Will, spiritual enlightenment, and the fulfillment of the Great Work, making it a profound and disciplined path of inner and outer transformation.

When THE MAGUS/MAGICIAN is thrown during a reading, it implies:

• Communication and timing and that all things are possible, with applied Will and understanding.
• There is an implication of the magic of Universal Vital Force traveling through the human body making one in-tune with the most creative and powerful aspects of your-Self; As above, so below.
• Changing the structure of your living situation by focused action.
•   Will and focused consciousness.  
•  An awareness of Power, and possession and communication of the Powers (Focused will that fertilizes creativity in oneself and others) and Gifts of Spirit (Divine senses).
• Power.
• Strength.
• Being in control of one's life.
• Transforming old situations, bringing in new ones. 
• A burst of energy. 
• Focused Will. 
• Study and control. 
• Manifesting the Masculine divine.
• Auspicious card for beginning something new.
• Archaic revival.
• All resources are available to you.

If ill defined by the surrounding cards:

• Blocked natural expression of energy.
• Inner resistance.
• Arrogance.
• Misuse of personal power. 
• Over confidence and/or an unchecked ego.

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Experience Tarot Readings with a Magus of the Thoth Tarot

Most people think Tarot is about fortune-telling, party tricks, or vague “mystical” predictions you’ve seen in Hollywood films. But the Tarot of Thoth—when read by a trained Magus—is something far more profound.

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How My Readings Differ

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• Direct Resonance: My one-on-one sessions are not mechanical. I attune to your presence and read both the seen and unseen currents shaping your life.

• Hermetic Depth: As a Magus, I integrate the Tarot with the Tree of Life, planetary forces, and the Divine Archetypes that govern transformation. This opens insights that ordinary readings simply cannot access.

• Empowerment, not Dependency: My goal is not to trap you in predictions, but to empower you with vision—so you can consciously co-create your path.

Why Choose a Magus Reading?

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Discover the Tarot not as superstition, but as a sacred key to self-sovereignty, clarity, and transformation.

May you live long and prosper.

For more information about Tarot, Thoth Tarot Readings and/or Thoth Master Tarot Classes, or to find out what layouts you need to choose. Click on below on Eli's Thoth Tarot Guide. Thank you.

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