The name of this card is called “l’illusionniste” in French. It can be translated as “the illusionist” in English. If you notice any translation errors in this article, please let us know for our entire community. You can leave your comment at the bottom of this page.
The illusionist could have been called the escamoteuse or bateleuse. She is the queen of street performances, and enlivens the public with her sleight of hand. Through her skilful maneuvers, her speed and her dexterity, she knows how to make objects disappear, mastering perfectly the art of illusion and mentalism. From these good qualities, she sometimes calls on her accomplices for more dangerous tricks, such as throwing knives, disappearing and disappearances. We are gullible big children, faced with its illusions, which are sometimes unsophisticated, but effective. The skidder is a professional. However, these tricks can lead her to cheating, manipulation, usurpation and swindling. Occasionally accompanied by malicious complicity with pride and cynicism, she will attempt to scam the weaker-minded due to need for money, lack of love or excessive ambition.
The illusionist is sometimes an amateur in the matter, she will then ridicule herself by her clownish side, see her buffoonery and therefore her lack of credibility vis-à-vis the public. Sleight of hand is also the art of illusions, and therefore of fleeing from an established reality. If in the Tarot de Marseille, the illusionist is also called juggler is that the broken down word gives what is “bas” “te” “lure”. The illusionist meets the same definition. Illusions lure. In everyday life, our quest for truth always meets with illusions. It all starts with an idea that we thought was right or appealing, and disillusion comes to us at the end of the round. Besides, is the quest for truth an illusion or a fraud? the best version of oneself, fraud or truth? Everything leads us to believe that the illusionist knows perfectly the tricks of his turn and knows the functioning of our psyche. You don’t teach an old monkey to make a face. At the same time, we are beings of emotions, we like animation and what it generates in us, this inner magic that makes us vibrate. Illusions can be wholesome and benevolent.
In the Tarot of Marseilles, the juggler is the first arcana being characterized as the beginning, this is not the case here. The oracle of Marseilles does not take up this idea of beginning, because we are already in the world of illusions. We prefer to leave free will to everyone, since the start can be another mystery.
Cunning
Scam
Imagination
Lure
Complicity
trickery
emotions
Quest
Dimmed reality
Lucidity
Joy
Good mood
Surprise
Unexpected
Leak