The Magician Archetype: Warrior Mind Podcast #411
Over four years and going strong! With over 800,000 downloads from over 9 countries and 5 continents’…. this is the Warrior Mind Podcast.
In this episode of the Warrior Mind Podcast I’m going to continue in a series on becoming a realized mature and aware male and look at the Magician Archetype.
Optimize Everything!
Get the most of yourself mentally and physically checkout http://warriorgenius.com. Use CODE GREGG10 to receive a 10% discount.
As an initiate of secret, hidden knowledge, The Magician must undergo special training to acquire Magician energy. Whether you are an apprentice training to be an electrician or a medical student learning the intricacies of the human body, you are the same as an apprentice shaman or witch doctor. Both worlds spend large amounts of time and energy to be initiated in to realms with secret power.
The Magician Archetype
Intellectually Curious/The Holder of Hidden Knowledge
“The Magician is the knower,” as Robert Moore says. How would he know this? This may sound as if it is esoteric, and often it can be, but Moore is referring to knowledge that is not easy to obtain. This could be any knowledge. Like, knowledge earned from degrees. To earn a degree one must exert great effort and remain diligent in the pursuit. The reward of such hard work is being able to dwell in a realm of sorts that the average person does not have access to. Moore explains this:
“All knowledge that takes special training to acquire is the province of the Magician energy. Whether you are an apprentice training to become a master electrician and unraveling the mysteries of high voltage; or a medical student, grinding away night and day, studying the secrets of the human body and using available technologies to help your patients; or a would-be stockbroker or a student of high finance; or a trainee in one of the psychoanalytic schools, you are in exactly the same position as the apprentice shaman or witch doctor in tribal societies. You are spending large amount of time, energy, and money in order to be initiated into rarefied realms of secret power. You are undergoing an ordeal testing your capabilities to become a master of this power. And, as is true in all initiations, there is no guarantee of success.”
Enjoy this podcast on The Magician Archetype
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (11.7MB)
Subscribe: RSS
A Deeper Look into The Magician Architype
Your normal day-to-day activities of studying or the duties of your profession may not feel as if you are a member of a “realm of secret power”. Although, if you take a moment and consider your knowledge and abilities, where it is repairing an engine or performing brain surgery, you are probably able to do things that others consider advanced or mysterious.
A Master of Technology
Arthur C. Clarke’s third rule states that “any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic”. Indeed, this proves that the Magician is a “master of technology”. When the hidden knowledge of how the world works is learned and those concepts are used to harness the laws, energies and forces of the world to manipulate these things into practical tools and systems, Magician energy is being accessed. Inventors, scientists and engineers of great examples of technology masters. Our most famous inventors are claimed to have almost supernatural abilities. Thomas Edison was named “The Wizard of Menlo Park” by newspapers. Nikola Tesla had legends spring up about his power over technology. Steve Job called his creations “almost magical”.
We are not required to know how to invent devices like the iPad to become a Master of Technology. We need to be able to create, simply. In the Western esoteric tradition of Hermeticism there is a goal that one should live by the principle of “as above, so below”. This concept is similar to the Lord’s prayer in Christian beliefs “to make on earth as it is in heaven”. There are several interpretations for “as above, so below”, however, the interpretation that resonates with me is that it means making our thoughts and dreams an obtainable reality. To accomplish this, we must use all of the knowledge and tools that are at our disposal. Simply put, we must become Master of Technology.
Reflective
The Warrior is the archetype of action, but he receives his orders of marching from the Magician. This powers healthy introspection. The Magician powers the decision-making skills it takes to navigate a difficult situation. Like an experience chess player, the Magician’s power comes from thoughtful reflection and meditation. The more experiences and studies he has, the more he is able to see life as a chess board and envision possible moves with accurate predictions of where these moves will take him. The quick decisions made in times of crisis or gut feelings is derives from this ability.
Reticent
People expect all knowledge to be accessible, as information has been democratized in today’s society. If you were to tell someone that some knowledge is too advanced or secret for them, they typically will take offense and assume that you are being suspicious. However, throughout history, great teachers understood that truth and knowledge must be taught with the concept of “precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little”. Learning effectively muse happen in degrees. Every advancement must be earned by mastering the previous step. Concepts build upon each other, until knowledge is obtained by someone.
Jumping in to the deep end without swimming experience will cause drowning. This same reason is why those with Magician energy are reticent with the knowledge they possess and share only with the earnest pupil who proves their worth for the knowledge they desire.
Alchemist of Life
The alchemists of antiquity looked to discover a way to turn baser elements in to gold. This inclination to turn nothing in to something is vital to the energy of a Magician. When a man becomes a Magician he searches for ways to turn setbacks in to opportunities of learning and growth. He uses these situations to become a better man.
Spiritual Mediator
The Magician, as Moore explains it, “understands the link between the unseen world of the spirits-the Divine World-and the world of human beings and nature”. The Magician is able to harness the ability of explaining complex spiritual ideas so that others can understand, as the mediator between the two worlds. If you have ever had someone use a simple explanation to resolve your worries, that is an example of the Magician energy at work.
Initiation and the Modern Obstacle to Accessing Magician Energy
To initiate and to be the initiator, are two main roles that the Magician energy takes on. In other words it is to be the mentee and the mentor simultaneously.
As discussed, the drive to obtain hidden knowledge is Magician energy. Although, contrary to popular sayings about professional magicians and how they never reveal their tricks, someone who is truly a Magician will share the knowledge that they have obtained with others freely. The Magician desires to teach the earnest learner to their level.
The heart of issues that many men are facing today stems from the lack of Magician energy in society. The initiation in to manhood has declined as the absence of mature men who have experienced a rite of passage into manhood are not around to teach others the “secret knowledge” of manhood. A lot of men have grown without the presence of a mentor, like fathers and grandfathers, to teach them how to dress and behave like a man. As a result, these men feel directionless and lost.
This applies to the profession paths of men as well. In modern society, guilds, trade schools and intimate apprenticeships have fallen from popularity. Instead, men are now in serious competition, having to look out only for themselves and not each other. This leads to no one willing to initiate a man in to his path. Internships being replaced by apprenticeships is telling of what has become at stake. Instead of being initiated in to a job, an intern is made to do the dirty work for others and is disposed of once the temporary position is no longer needed.
