Blog Entry 6: Reflection

    

The magician archetype represents a seeking of wisdom and transformation. According to Pearson’s heroic archetype system, the magician quest is not to do magic, but to be magic, to bring transformation and transforms itself.  Mystery is also associated with the magician as well as symbols, tools and objects of power.

       For its significant power and mystery the magician may be feared and also fear himself and his potential to do harm. Key words to understand this archetype are, intuition, knowledge, confidence, action, creation and mystery. More else clear examples of magician characters are Merlin from druidic legends, Gandalf and Saruman from Tolkien, Lord of the Rings saga, J.K Rowling main character Harry Potter and Neo of the Matrix trilogy.
      The five sub types of the archetype include, the "catalyst" or change agent, who provides impetus for substantial transformation. The "envosioner"who sees possibilities and develops a clear view of the future. The "healer" who creates effects that heals individuals or groups. The "intuitive" who knows synchronicity and uses serendipity to set a course and finally the "wizard" who has a natural talent for the unexpected and for what we do not know. Embodying the five subtypes, perhaps the ultimate aim of a magician is to transform itself and reach a higher plane of existence.
      The image I chose is a modern version of the tarot card. I chose this card for several reasons, first of all, a dark halo embodies a magician with a dark look that could symbolize the unconscious and the unknown which is feared and the look adds to this interpretation providing a sense of transformation into something that is not human anymore. The hair, upraised also adds to the interpretation in a sense of an state of trance and power. Second of all, the hands are pointing up and down, which can symbolize a balance in polarities and the alchemist law " as above so below" meaning a transcendence of polarities. Following, we find the magic wand, symbolizing a power tool that unites the spiritual realm with the physical and materialistic plane, in a more practical way it symbolizes the manifestation of wisdom or the realm of the mind into the material actions.
     The cup is a symbol of gathering and holding liquid which symbolizes emotions and the dagger can symbolize purification, metaphorically a tool to cut ignorance and destroy what is not longer needed. Both the cup and the dagger symbolize active and passive principles. The piece of gold symbolizes something valuable, gold is known to be a valuable metal that is a transitional, one that can symbolize flexibility and malleability while staying grounded. The three symbols in the table or in "life" represent harmony of a trinity that can be interpreted in several ways like body, emotions mind, or positive, negative and neutral, meaning that the magician must use the three principles with his magic want or perhaps wisdom and intellect to achieve transformation.
     In "The huger games" movie and book, the magician archetype would most likely fit the charcter of Haymitch Abernathy .The character of Hymitch Abernaty is of a tutor and someone with pain inside of him. At the start he resembles someone to be feared and someone with a mysterious past but after a while he is the one who transforms he main characters by his tutoring and advices that resemble the wisdom of a magician, however he also resembles a swordmaster.