1. The Magician
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Welcome to Soulchology’s worksheets, your starter-kit into an intuitive self-enquiry using tarot and astrology. I write these in my usual dry humour, which reflects the tone of my sessions too, because learning is intense enough without stripping it of humanity. A little wit makes the wisdom easier to digest!
Anyway, while full sessions include numerology, Lenormand, and therapeutic layers, these worksheets are your solo starter kit designed to get you going without frying your nervous system.
Grab your deck, take a breath and don’t overthink it. No altar required. You can read these on your lap, mid-commute, or in bed with questionable lighting. If you know current transits, great, add them in. If not, the cards still work because they’re generous like that.
And, if you shuffle really fast, they love to fling out like you’re live in an episode of Ghosts and Trevor is standing next to you.
Each sheet prompts you to connect the cards with your real life, that is, not your aspirational, one-day-when-I-journal-daily life. Pay attention to the artwork, colours, symbols, and emotional tone because tarot is layered, not linear. Study only what leaps out, don’t go looking for clues.
This isn’t about mystical perfection, it’s about noticing yourself. Your thoughts, your choices, your patterns. If you’re new to tarot and feeling twitchy about it, you might want to read my piece on Substack that gently dismantles the pressure.
My advice is to pull (or fling) your card at the end of the day, not first thing. That way, you’re reflecting and not pre-loading your brain with vague forecasts. It’s a faster way to build intuitive confidence and a more honest way to learn what the cards actually mean to you.
i.The Nutshell
Upright
The Magician shows up when you’ve got tools on the table, charm in your pocket and just enough planetary endorsement to pull something off without completely winging it. Ruled by Mercury, the planet of sharp minds and even sharper tongues, he’s the deck’s resident alchemist; the guy who insists he can turn an idea, a vague plan and a secondhand wand into something cool-as.
But don’t be fooled by the confident posture and neatly arranged tools. The Magician’s magic only works if intention and action are on speaking terms. Otherwise, you’re just a very enthusiastic Hogwart student hoping no one notices you don’t know what half the stuff does. The Magician reminds us that we need to know how to use what we’re given by aligning our skill with intention and values. Otherwise, we're just waving a wand around in a cloak hoping no one asks follow-up questions.
Keywords: Willpower, manifestation, inspired action, resources, focus, action, resourcefulness
Translation: Stop procrastinating. You already have what you need.
Reversed
Now we’re entering illusion, manipulation or the classic "talk a big game, deliver a shrug" energy that we see unpopular occupations. Either you’re bluffing your way through something, or someone else is, and it’s time to call the Magician out for using slight of hand when integrity would’ve been a better choice. Reversed, this card also hints at self-doubt or imposter syndrome. You’ve got the tools, but you're staring at them like they came through the post and the instructions are in Hieroglyphics.
Keywords: Deception, under-utilised skills, scattered energy, trickery and manipulation
Translation: Either you're faking it too hard, or not faking it enough to even try.
ii. Illus-traits
A quick glance at The Magician’s symbolic traits in the Rider-Waite-Smith deck - what's hidden in plain sight?
Infinity Symbol – Limitless potential, but only when consciously focused.
One Hand Up, One Down – Channeling higher power into grounded action.
Tools on the Table – Mastery of all suits. Nothing missing, just waiting to be used.
Red and White Robes – Passion balanced by purity. Will and intention in partnership.
Garden of Flowers – Manifestation in bloom. What you tend to, grows.
iii. Influences
Planetary: The Magician is Mercury’s golden child; clever, quick, occasionally slippery and never caught without a clever comeback or a complicated plan. Mercury rules communication, intelligence, curiosity and the fine art of making things up as you go along. It’s the planet of “fake it till you make it,” but make it look intentional. This card channels Mercury’s talent for multitasking, manifesting and occasionally manipulating the room for “educational purposes.” Mars also gives the push, turning ideas into action without waiting for the perfect moment.
Natal House(s): The Third House, naturally ruled by Mercury, is the Magician’s home. It’s all about mental processing, messages, short trips both physical and mental, and whether or not you’re overthinking your to-do list again. The Sixth House also shows up here when the Magician decides to put their skills to use: think daily rituals, duty, refined craft and pretending purple highlighted manifestation lists are spiritual. Both houses deal in details, systems and how to look competent even when you’re spiritually winging it. The First House, ruled by Mars, adds boldness and self-assertion to the mix, giving the Magician a confidence boost to make things happen.
Astrological Sign(s): Gemini and Virgo both answer the Magician’s texts. Gemini brings the sparkle, chaos and compulsive over-communicating, while Virgo brings those perfectly curated lists, edits and existential dread about not being useful enough. Together, they reflect the Magician’s need to know everything and apply it. Expect wit, wordplay and a suspicious amount of “just trust me.” Aries, the fiery first sign of the zodiac, is the perfect match for the Magician’s bold energy in being ready to take action, charge ahead and make things happen before even asking, "Is this a good idea?"
Numerologically: One is the number of beginnings, willpower and solo acts that don’t wait for permission. The Magician, like the number one, is less about democracy and more about personal autonomy, i.e. conjuring reality using sheer belief and a time management system held together by vibes and Post-its. One reminds you that you already have what you need. One is independent, pioneering and ready to lead the way. One creates trends and turns your innovative ideas into reality with a level of confidence.
Element – all the elements, especially Air: The Magician represents all elements: earth, air, fire, and water, balanced by breath and thought. Air shapes ideas. How can you turn your thoughts into action? What resources do you have to create something real?
iv. A Day in the Life of The Magician
Well That Escalated Quickly
You try to manifest rent money with a candle and a playlist, then end up texting your ex asking for a “temporary loan” and emotional closure. Or you spend all day building a website for your Big Idea… and forget what the idea actually was.
Adjusting the Knobs
You talk yourself into buying a domain name at 1:11am for a business you may or may not start, or you confidently pitch a project at work using words you just learned five minutes ago from a TikTok.
Unsubscribed from Self-Sabotage
You rearrange your desk to “optimise flow,” or spend the morning in a YouTube rabbit hole learning how to scry.
Writing the TED Talk
You connect the dots, nail that delivery, charm the room, and walk away with everything you asked for… and one bonus thing you didn’t but now claim was part of the plan all along.
v. Working with these Energies
Balancing Inspired Action with Actual Follow-Through
The Magician isn’t here to wait for a sign because he is the sign. Singing Alanis Morissette, he’s got one hand in the ethers and the other rummaging through his pocket of potential, turning random paperclips into a business plan. But, just because you can doesn’t mean you should. And when the Magician isn’t feeling all that magical? You can feel all talk and no manifestation, like buying seven planners just to look at, or using your talent to manipulate outcomes instead of matching them with your values. If you’ve been manifesting chaos and calling it “aligned action,” it might be time to revisit your user manual.
1. Get clear, then get going
– When was the last time you backed your big idea with actual effort?
– Are you calling it “divine timing” when it’s actually procrastination dressed in spiritual bypassing?
– Where in your life are you poised to start something but need to commit?
2. Claim your tools and use them responsibly
– What’s in your metaphorical toolbox and are you actually using it or just admiring it on the shelf?
– Have you been casting spells with a dead battery or worse, someone else’s vision?
– How can you take one intentional action this week to embody what you say you want?
3. Work with Mercury’s brains and Mars’ boldness
– Where is your mind racing ahead of your energy, or vice versa?
– Are you moving with precision, or just fast?
– What would it look like to combine the mental clarity of Mercury with the strategic action of Mars?
4. Recalibrate your intentions
– When have you recently leaned into cleverness over clarity?
– Are you wanting to influence or inspire?
– How would the Magician remind you to align your motives before hitting send?
5. Start something meaningful
– Pick one idea, just one, and make a small move on it this week
– How does it feel to do rather than just think about doing?
– Can you commit to creative momentum without needing the full map?
vi. Building Skills
Presence, Perception, and the Power of Intention
The Magician reminds you that your power lies in focused presence, i.e. knowing where your attention goes and how that shapes your reality. Presence involves seeing things clearly before acting.
Consider this: Sit quietly with your eyes closed. Without counting or using any cues, estimate when you think one full minute has passed. When you feel the moment has arrived, open your eyes and check your watch.
Were you early? Late? Surprised?
Notice what this tells you about your internal pacing. Do you tend to rush through moments or stretch them out? How does your perception of time affect your energy, choices, or how in control you feel?
The Magician card teaches that personal power is about attunement. Mastery begins when you slow down enough to notice where you actually are instead of where you think you should be.
Practice presence. The tools are already in your hands.
vii. Embodiment
Tarot is a language, but it’s also a felt experience. Embodiment is how you move it from the page into your body, your senses, your real life. This presence over performance. Before you try and memorise what The Magician means, feel its meaning.
When you learn a card through sensation, i.e. what it smells like, where it lands in your body and how it shows up in your day, you create a personal, unforgettable map. Try these to embody The Magician today:
Smell: If The Magician were a scent, what would it be? Spiced incense? Fresh ink? Ozone before a storm?
Body: Where do you feel it when you think about focus, willpower, or manifestation; your hands, your spine, your head?
Soundtrack: What song feels like The Magician’s energy right now?
Action: What could you do today that feels intentional, aligned, or like turning a spark into something real?
Nature cue: Step outside. What around you reflects Magician energy? A lightning bolt branch? A tool lying in the grass? A clear horizon?
Notice what shifts: The goal is to feel directed, present and awake.
viii. Your Impressions
Look at The Magician card in your own deck if possible. Take a moment to observe without overthinking.
What stands out to you most?
How does this card feel in your body or mood: focused, energised, intense, inspired?
If this card literally spoke to you what would it say?
ix. Intuitive Meaning
Use this space to reflect on what The Magician means to you personally
When have you stepped into your power and surprised yourself?
Where do you talk about doing but haven’t yet started doing?
What would it mean to trust that you already have what you need to begin?
Applied insight with a three-card reading using The Magician as your anchor:
What power or resource am I not using?
What intention needs to be made clear?
What action will align me with that intention?
Pull cards. Note your feelings. Don’t rush the answers and let them unfold.
Write your own Keywords
Write three words that personally relate to your current situation:
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x. Closing Reflection: Track Your Evolving Lens
Your relationship with each card will grow over time because it’s meant to shaped by your life. Consider the prompts below to revisit and reflect.
What I thought this card meant when I first pulled it: —————————————————
A recent experience that changed how I see it: —————————————————
How I feel about it now, in my body or life: —————————————————
What surprised me as this card kept showing up: —————————————————
One way this card is living in my life right now: —————————————————
If this card visited me today as a guide, what would it want me to remember? —————————————————
Revisit these after a week, a moon phase, or a meaningful moment. Let the card evolve as you do.
If you feel a quiet sense of recognition, curiosity and want to explore it, browse the sessions page for what feels right.