1 — Magician/ Miko no Umugai-hine
1 — Magician
…. humility and skill in the face of the gods …
It is said that the veil between the worlds, that is this world of the organic and material and that world of the otherworldly and spiritual, is thin in certain places and for certain people. These people act as radio transmitters; having the ability to "tune in" to the world of Spirit at certain times, usually through the aide of meditation or prayer (for many, it seems, they are one and the same). These people can act as channels, go-betweens, conduits, leaving their bodies behind to travel to transcendental lands. At other times they can focus their energies to let Spirit work through them for a period of time. These individuals have played intricate roles in their community, being both highly respected and vilified in many cultures around the world. The name they are most commonly referred to as is that of Shaman … except in the Tarot universe, where they are called Magician.
I find it curious that the word "shaman" is understood by both the scientific and religious communities as to be a conduit for the Spirit world, whereas the term "magician" has more similarity in this day and age with over-priced Las Vegas slight of hand tricksters. But we must look beyond that. If the Fool is starting out on his or her journey in a state of Zen-like nothingness, then, in the Rider-Waite deck at least, the Magician possesses the essential tools to continue that journey. They are laid out in front of him on the table, corresponding to both the four suits of the Minor Arcana and the four elements the Tarot works off of. They are the Disks (earth), the Wands (fire), the Cups (water) and the Swords (air). Or, to look at it from a more psychological approach, if the Fool is the embodiment of our youthful curiosity then the Magician is our ego and our struggle with the total surrender of the self we find we must make when confronted with Spirit.
Not everyone can, or indeed, wants do this. It implies not only a belief in Spirit but a willingness to listen to what it has to say. The more we attempt to assert ourselves and our will in these matters the farther we find ourselves shut off from that source of communication. When people talk to me about their inability to believe in Spirit (usually expressed by saying that they have had no first hand experience, have not heard anything), what I think many of them are trying to say is that they are disinclined, unable or unwilling to open themselves up in order to begin to listen. To open ourselves up is to be defenseless, vulnerable, powerless in the face of things bigger than our concept of ourselves and our egos. This is the job of the shaman and the magician.
***
The Card
On a hilltop overlooking a shoreline, a young girl in a long-sleeved white top and red skirt sweeps leaves in front of a Japanese shrine for Umugai-hine, the goddess of clams, low tides and clam diggers. While humble in appearance the girl is actually a sanctisoned shaman, beginning her life-long career in service to Umugai-hine. She is a Miko.
While the world of shamanism is wide and broad and there were many different types to choose from, shamans who deal with the sea and waters are few and far between. To complicate matters, the Magician, as I interpret the card, is a child in the world of spiritual matters. They may have the tools to communicate, but they have just started out on their Hero's Journey into the dark.1 That is why a Japanese shrine maiden, a Miko, seemed the best choice for this card. A Miko is "[a] virgin who is assigned to the lifelong service of a Japanese deity. These maidens are chosen from specific traditional families. The kamiko ('child of the deity') girls have to assist the Shinto priests with certain rituals." (Knappert, 188)
In Shinto belief, Umugai-hine2 is the "Clam Princess" (Ann, 134). Those who work the beaches at low tide to gather clams pray to her for safety and abundance. Behind the girl the temple to the goddess stands, representing the customs and laws her people must obey to insure a good harvest come low tide (Swords) and in her hand she holds a broom (Wands) symbolizing her ability to control the energies around her and use them to her advantage. Umugai-hine herself is represented on a little banner at the gate of the shrine (Cups) tied off with a shimenawa or sacred rope. Behind the Miko lies the beaches her people work at for a livelihood (Disks). When seen altogether, the Miko becomes an intricate part of her community. However, even though she is a conduit to the divine, she must also remain humble; for even shrine maidens need to eat and when she is not taking care of her goddess and her shrine she is down at the beach with her community, digging clams.
Magician/ Miko no Umugai-hine in a Reading
Your skills and self-confidence are needed if the Miko appears in your reading. Put your ego aside not only to allow you to access the world of Spirit but so you can help your community as well, for that is the role of the Magician. You must trust your own creativity and judgment. With all the elements of the Tarot and the world at your disposal, why do you fall back on conceit, bravado, vanity? Vanity is, of course, a form of self-doubt, and since the Miko is master of her craft, there is no need for such dramatics. Humility is your aide and success is measured not in terms of money or power but in how easy you can access your inner world, the world of Spirit. Be like the Miko, disciplined in your training, yet unpretentious in your goals.
If the Magician/ Miko appears reversed in your reading, ask yourself what you are doing to hinder your ability to communicate? Do you feel humility is a form of disgrace? If so, why? The Miko is unified to the higher power she serves. What is preventing you from this unity? What is stopping you from serving your community?
***
Look at that woeful ocean! My Lady
does not like such ghastliness, she adores
the joys of a chambered shell. A carefree
kingdom hidden a foot under the shores'
sand. Her few worshipers are not sailors,
children of sailors, weeping and wailing
for their souls. No, a clam digger implores
only for long, low tides. A good digging
stick and perhaps a deep bucket. Climbing
the hill to this hilltop shrine, they crave. My
Lady likes cravings. It is humbling
yet rapt all at once. So do not ask why
a Clam Princess? A Shore Princess? A Wave
Princess? Is it enough to pray to crave?
***
Works Cited
Ann, Martha and Dorothy Imel. Goddesses in World Mythology. Santa Barbara, CA.: ABC-CLIO. (1993)
Campbell, Joseph. The Way of the Animal Powers. London: Times. (1984)
Knappert, Jan. Pacific Mythology. Hammersmith, London: Diamond Books (1995)
- Many scholars and readers liken the progression of each card in the deck, one building off the one before it, to Joseph Campbell's concept of the Hero's Journey, discussed in The Way of the Animal Powers. The book deals with the myths of Paleolithic hunter-gatherers, focusing on their shamanism and animal totem beliefs. As the child-Hero progresses through each stage of his or her dark Journey, growing, developing, maturing, they finally emerge into the light as full fledged adults. I like that idea; the leap from an emotional quest to a spiritual one is small. [back]
- I have also found the spelling as Umugaihime, depending on the translation. [back]