Weapons of the Magician
Alice Scarlet Death
Perhaps you have stumbled upon the Magician card in the famous Rider-Waite Tarot deck and noticed that upon the table sits a disk, a sword, a wand, and a cup. These represent the four elements.
Aleister Crowley once wrote that “Every intentional act is a magical act.” These “weapons” help you focus your intention. You don’t necessarily need fancy rituals or elaborate invocations to be a magician. Rather, you just need to utilize your own brain using these symbolic weapons to lead a more magical life.
Sword
The sword represents intellect. The element associated with the sword is air.
Cup
The cup represents emotion. The element associated with the cup is water. It isn’t just emotion though, it’s also one’s receptiveness to new ideas. A cup is meant to be filled up with liquid.
Wand
The wand represents assertiveness and decisive action. The element associated with the wand is fire.
Disk
The disk represents physical universe. The element associated with the disk is earth.
The Four Powers of the Sphinx
You are a magical vessel, but like many vessels you aren’t comprised of just one material. A ship is made of wood, plastic, metal, and its crew. Just like that ship, there are many components to human nature. The four powers of the sphinx are Knowledge, Will, Courage, and Silence. These also correlate to the Sword, Cup, Wand, and Disk.
To live a magical life, you utilize these aspects of your psyche and keep them in check. A captain doesn’t let the wood burn, or the plastic melt. He keeps his crew happy.
If every intentional act is a magical act, then you must focus and form your intention to the best of your ability. The method by which you do this is an art form. Everyone lives and acts out their intentions in a unique way. That is why it’s called the “magical arts.”
Art takes practice to get better at. You don’t just pick up a paint brush and become the next Picasso. First, you have to realize what colors are even on your palette to paint with, and that is the four weapons of the magician.
