The MAGICIAN card of the Tarot is seen in the stars of Lyra as Hermes. The Romans knew Hermes as Mercury. Hermes was the son of Zeus and Maia. He grew up amazingly fast and soon became very hungry.While still a child, he ventured out of his cave on Mount Cyllene in Arcadia and found a tortoise which he killed and gutted. By stringing some sheep intestines over the tortoise half shell he invented the lyre, which was an ancient musical instrument. He taught himself to play music on the seven strings, but by nightfall he was bored.

Venturing out of the cave again, he went to Pieria where the gods grazed their cattle. He thereupon stole fifty head of cattle belonging to his brother Apollo and swept his trail back with branches. He went to Alpheius and invented fire by rubbing sticks together and sacrificed two cattle to the twelve great gods. He then returned home to his cave, put on his swaddling clothes and crawled into his cradle. His mother Maia suspected his devious deeds and warned him that the gods would be angry.

Apollo consulted an oracle and headed for the cave at Cyllene. Apollo confronted Hermes with the theft, but Hermes said that he did not even know what cattle were and that he was innocent. They agreed to refer their case to Zeus, the king of the gods, who ordered Hermes to give the cattle back, which Hermes agreed to do. Hermes returned to his cave, followed by Apollo. Hermes picked up his lyre and began to play, and Apollo, who had never heard music before, offered his cattle for the lyre and the title of the "Divine Keeper of the Herds." Hermes wanted more and was given the talent to divine the future by throwing pebbles. (A herm is a pile of rocks.)

Hermes was often represented as a handsome young man with a petasos, or broad-brimmed hat, worn by travelers. He wore winged sandals and carried the caduceus or herald's wand. He is credited with the invention of astronomy and was the patron of merchants, travelers, athletes and thieves. He was the god of contests and games and was known as "Hermes the Helper"

At one time in the distant past the stars of lyra were at the celestial north pole because of the precession of the pole. The north pole was once known as a pile of rocks, with the stars being rocks. The ancient Greeks called this pile of rocks a "herm", as in the name "Hermes".

The Tortoise was once seen in the stars of Lyra. The first Lyre was made from a tortoise shell. Many ancient peoples believed that the tortoise supported the world or the heavens on it's back because all of the stars revolved around Lyra in ancient times like they do around Polaris today. The ancients thought of a tree, pillar, post, pole or column to convey the idea of the polar axis. The pole star was at the top of the world.

Some ancient peoples believed that the heavens were supported by a column. The column was once revered as a representation of the center of creation. The constellation Lyra was once at the celestial North Pole, which was the pivot of the celestial sphere around which the stars revolve. The universe spun around the cosmic column. It rests solidly upon the earth and is known as a symbol of power, safety, support and security. The column connects heaven and earth. A column is phallic and suggests male sexuality. In Pre-Homeric mythologies, the column was usually associated with the godhead, and was a sacred symbol. There is only one visible side on a column, and that side is continuous around the cylindrical shape. The bottom is rooted to the earth, and the top is high above the heavens.

The Magician represents the cosmos by standing upright. He stands vertically and is like a column connecting the earth below and heaven above, thereby being a channel for the interchange of energies between them. The Magician is like a circuit that conducts universal energy.

His wand is a symbol of the great tree that connects the pole of the earth with the pole of the sky. Some mythologies regard the great tree with reverence and see the stars as leaves and the constellations as branches. The tree in the Garden of Eden may be a reference to the Celestial Tree.

The Magician is a focus for cosmic forces. The willpower and inventiveness of the Magician cause inspired changes in the world. The Magician is in a position of power. The Magician is ready to do great deeds of destiny. As an agent of the infinite, the Magician coordinates the workings of the world. Hermes was the messenger and herald of the gods and protector of travelers.