Overview: The Magician & The Aces

The first step towards gaining a deeper understanding of the Tarot, and something a lot of people forget to do, is to break down the 56 minor arcana cards into 14 groups - the aces, the twos, threes, and so on. So instead of having 56 cards, you only have one set of 14 cards, each with four different suits, coupled with a card from the major arcana as an influence of those cards. In a previous post we discussed the suits and the difference aspect they symbolise, now it's just a matter or leaning the 14 different groups of cards, and their relationship with their "parent" major arcana.

In this lesson, we shall be discussing the aces. In Tarot the aces are the number ones, they relate to the Magician from the major arcana.

The Magician & The Aces

The Magician

The Magician stands behind his alter with all of the suits in front of him, we see the swords, wands, cups and pentacles. Why? It is because the Magician is the creator of idea and thought. He is the one through which everything begins. This is not the physical creation - (that's the Empress) - this isn't about the breathing of life into ideas, but the very inception of them within the human mind. The aces are the root, or the beginning of every suit, as such it should be pretty intuitive that they symbolize the very first kernel of a new beginning in some aspect of the querant's life. Not the beginning of work, but the very first inkling of a thought that perhaps something of change, perhaps for the better. The Magician is the one who conjures ideas and inspiration from our mind, as if by magic. To me, there is something weird about this idea, and it's really hard to explain. So focus carefully here. The Magician will conjure a thought, for you, and he asks the impossible question: what type of new thought would you like to receive? What theme should I plant in your mind? Well... how can you answer that? Obviously, you can't. The aces represent these types of beginnings that come from some strange, fuzzier, hazy place in our mind that we are scarcely aware of. They are the exposure in the beginning of adoption of a new idea, way of being, or thinking.

The Ace of Swords

The ace of swords represents awakening, a beginning to new large challenges. There may be an awareness of the querant that there's a new challenge or a new goal of epic proportions that is ahead of them. They may just be beginning to see the challenge, or the may have just begun to work towards or away from this occurrence, radically altering their action in light of this new idea or influence.

The Ace of Wands

The ace of wands represents a new passion, it could be religious, philosophical, relating to career about which they're passionate. It could be a new journey, a new battle to overcome, or a new love in their life. Remember, a new love is about passion. As we already know wands relate to that which we're passionate about. Ace of wands represent a new passion somewhere in the querant's life.

The Ace of Cups

The ace of cups represents a new love. This could be romantic love, or a deep passion for an endeavour or idea. They are intrigued, and excited. They are looking forward to the new, not just with their eyes but with their hearts. They feel the pull towards something new and exciting, it captures their imagination and dreams.

The Ace of Pentacles

 The ace of pentacles represents new luck, new luck, new prosperity. It's not flashy or ostentatious, nothing short lived or elusive. The ace of pentacles represents new but solid gains to be made in one's physical self, or the physical world around them. These are long lasting changes such as new friendship, new prosperity or new found health.