The Magician Archetype

How to Use the Magician Archetype

Before we get into the Magician Archetype, I want to provide guidance on how to use this information. Because after all, knowledge is useless if not applied. On this site, we’re in the business of inner and outer alchemy. What is alchemy? Alchemy is turning lead into gold. We are the lead becoming gold. We use our various faculties to learn and apply this in order to enrich our lives.

When exploring the male archetypes, remember to connect them to your personal life. Remember the movies you’ve watched, the books you’ve read, the people you’ve met, your father, your brother, your coworkers, and all of those that come to mind when the material touches a chord in your mind or your heart. 

Start seeing patterns within your life,what are your favorite characters? What archetype(s) do they exhibit strongest? Do you see a pattern forming? Why do these characters stand out to you?

Even better yet, who are your favorite people? Do men like Winston Churchill or David Goggins inspire you? Or do you gravitate towards the wizardry of Nikola Tesla?

These questions will steer you into the inner depths of your psyche when connecting to the masculine archetypes. At the crux of it, which archetypes are strongest in your life? 

The Magician is ever present in our lives. When we were boys we craved adventure, we wanted to be explorers and inventors. We were enthralled by magic tricks and supernatural camp stories. This is the work of the Magician energy and it never leaves us. 

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What Is the Magician Archetype?

The Magician Archetype is the energy that possesses mastery over “secret” knowledge which he then uses to transform his world. He seeks power through knowledge and is the master of technology. 

Magician Archetype examples are the roles of shaman, prophets, witch doctors, holy men, ritual elders, inventors, doctors, technicians, and so on. These are the men that hone in on their craft, become masters of this specific knowledge, and act their knowledge out in the world. The Magician also serves to fulfill the function of “ritual elder”, who guides the transformation process within and without through initiation. 

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“The Magician is an initiate of secret and hidden knowledge of all kinds.” (King, Warrior, Magician, Lover p. 90)

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While the Magician can be extremely esoteric in nature, this archetypal energy also encompasses the knowledge that comes with degrees, certifications, or any field that requires education. It takes work and diligence to become a master of that craft. The Magician energy doesn’t discriminate between the shaman and an electrician. 

Another important role is that of understanding the link between the Unseen world, or the divine, and the human world. Because he understands the nature of the universe and its deep unconscious forces, he becomes a master of containment and channeling of that power. Note, the Magician understands the unconscious forces while the Lover Archetype feels the unconscious forces. 

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Where Does the Magician Energy Go?

There are two forces that the Magician is concerned with. The force of knowledge and technological advancement in the material world and the force behind personal transformation and spiritual initiatory process. In the modern world we have dominated with the material force of the Magician but we are lacking the initiation into deeper, wiser masculine identities.

The Manipulator

The face of the Magician in his Manipulator active shadow pole is one of misinformation, cynicism, selfishness, greed, and superiority. The results of the Manipulator can be seen in the modern day with our mastery over nature. Because of our extensive knowledge we dominate the planet with technology that pollutes our waters with toxic waste, that clear cuts lush rainforests, that forces animals to perish into extinction. With no end in sight because the Manipulator values greed above life. These clear effects are a result of the shadow Magician. 

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The Manipulator knows that he conceals “secret” knowledge such as in the form of law or medicine. He delights in having this power over others, using it for his own selfish desire and greed he charges exorbitant amounts for the minimal help. 

The Manipulator isn’t concerned with the well-being of others, only himself and what feeds his bottomless complex. He uses his knowledge because he knows he is incapable of living out a fulfilled, happy life. Caught up in his own labyrinthine mind, he becomes afraid to live and is stuck in his own mind. Since he is so afraid to make a wrong decision, he cannot cherish the life he has before him. As a consequence, he takes out his bitterness on the world by withholding his precious knowledge. Weaponizing his knowledge to belittle and control others to elevate his status, he alienates himself and damages his own being in the process. The Manipulator simultaneously hurts himself and others who could benefit from his wisdom. 

Denying “Innocent” One

The passive shadow pole of the Magician is referred to as the “Innocent” One. This pole is a lot harder to detect than the active shadow pole, since he plays on being naive and innocent as a manipulation tactic. 

The Innocent wants power and status but doesn’t want to put in the elbow grease of becoming a master in his field. This shadow Magician doesn’t want any of the responsibility associated with the healthy Magician, nor does he want to help others in their initiation process. He lacks the vitality of becoming skilled at channeling power and developing himself. 

However, because he lacks this vitality within himself he is envious of those who do access the Magician energy. He cannot stand seeing others succeed in their field. So he learns enough to thwart their efforts. He’d rather obscure the truth in order to maintain his own status. This is the man that throws snide and deflating remarks, not to tackle their grandiosity, but rather to harm the other. The Innocent hides his motives very well by pretending to be naive. 

We see this type of man who gets excited about a business model or a certain hobby or project and gives up as quickly as he started because it was too difficult. Yet when he sees someone else pick up the hobby and become really good, he feels the need to talk badly about that person or bring them down himself in covert ways. This is the classic “hater” that we see, they cannot stand to see someone else do well because they are full of envy. He does everything he can to diminish others’ accomplishments because he is too lazy and undisciplined himself. 

The Magician in His Fullness

In psychology, accessing the Magician in His Fullness is the capacity to govern “the observing Ego”. The Ego is vital for our survival since it functions as the unit that makes important life decisions. With its consciousness it’s able to observe, analyze, and execute life’s many necessary tasks. An ego’s proper function is only thwarted when possessed by another archetype (called a “complex"), such as the Sadist. Besides that the observing ego is the silent observer within, simply watching what is unfolding.

The Magician’s role in this is to work along with the observing ego to regulate the psyche. The Magician has the knowledge to know when archetypal possession may occur, it knows how to channel the powerful divine energy into an appropriate container with maximum benefit. Harnessing the power of the “sun” within, the Magician regulates the internal energy of the various archetypes for our benefit. 

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“It is the mathematician and the engineer in each of us that regulates the life functions of the psyche as a whole. It knows the enormous force of the psyche’s inner dynamics and how to channel them for maximum benefit.” (King, Warrior, Magician, Lover p. 99)

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Turning raw power into a channeled creation in the domain of the Magician energy. Men who appropriately access this archetype are the inventors and wise men of their societies, ranging from the modern research scientist to the shaman of a tribe. 

What these men all have in common is their centeredness, stability, and emotional detachment in order to come to their wisdom. Magicians represent introspection in order to come to deeper truths. Many times men have had to be in stillness and silence to “find” an inner truth that illuminates their paths. “Quiet the mind, and the soul will speak,” as spoken by Ma Jaya Sati Bhagavati, echoes this notion. 

When guided to introspection by the Magician energy, there is a need for “sacred space”. I know for myself when I am in the throes of a difficult situation, I desire space and time away from everything. I naturally create a “sacred space” for my contemplation. As you read this, I want you to think of all the times you craved a sabbatical, felt a need to take a break, or desired silence. Perhaps in those instances what you felt was a pull towards that Magician energy. Something within intuitively understood that creating a “sacred space” for yourself would benefit you immensely, that perhaps you would find a truth about yourself or your life that would benefit your path. 

There are many ways men create sacred space. As Robert Moore puts it, 

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“They enter this space by listening to certain musical pieces, by tending to a hobby, by taking long walks in the woods, by meditating on certain themes and mental pictures, and by many other methods. When they enter this sacred space within they can be in touch with the Magician; they can emerge from the inner space seeing what they need to do about a problem and knowing how to do it.”

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The Magician in His Fullness is compassionate and ultimately applies his power and knowledge to restore and guide the world into a better direction.