The Fool's Journey Through Sunnydale
By Mary Caelsto
Copyright 2010 by Mary Caelsto
ISBN# 9780982602386
Smashwords edition published by Jupiter Gardens Press at Smashwords
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Introduction: Tarot Beginnings
No one really knows how the tarot began. Rumors claim it may have begun in Egypt, China, or other exotic places. However, most sources agree the tarot originated in Northern Italy early in the fifteenth century. Lavish hand-painted decks from noble courts are the earliest existing tarot cards. These cards depicted the beliefs and styles of their royal creators, giving the cards a decidedly Western, Judeo-Christian focus. However, the symbolism found in the tarot deck is nearly universal, and today, decks cover nearly every religion and topic from Qaballah, Paganism, Native American beliefs, and even baseball.
Our modern 52-card deck of playing cards evolved from the tarot. All the “pip” cards, or the numbered cards, remained intact, and only the Joker survives as a remnant of the Major Arcana. This becomes easy to see when looking at older decks, which only had the picture of the symbol on the pip cards. For example, the Five of Cups, only had pictures of five cups. The suits came down through the ages nearly intact as well, with the swords, staves, cups, and pentacles (coins) becoming spades, clubs, hearts, and diamonds. The joker is synonymous with the Fool card, the first card of the Major Arcana, or first half of the tarot deck. The face cards, King through Jack, are the King, Queen, and Knight of the tarot deck. The Page cards were dropped.
The tarot deck is broken into two halves, the Major Arcana and the Minor Arcana. The Major Arcana contains 22 cards, starting with the Fool and ending with the World. These cards chronicle the journey of the Fool as s/he learns the lessons life offers. Each card of the Major Arcana chronicles some aspect of the personality to be learned (the Star) or trial to be overcome (the Tower). As the cards progress through the Major Arcana, the Fool learns lessons, until he reaches the World, which is complete fulfillment and integration of all aspects of the personality.
The Minor Arcana, the remaining 56 cards, obtained pictures when A.E. White printed the Waite-Smith tarot in 1909. Before this time, the Minor Arcana cards contained only the number of their suit, such as five cups for the Five of Cups. Artist Pamela Coleman Smith contributed her own vision to the cards, especially through the evocative paintings on the Minor Arcana. This fully realized tarot deck became the one thought of when dealing with the tarot. The Rider-Waite deck is a later revision of this same deck.
The tarot didn’t always tell the future, however. Written records tell us the tarot was regularly used to play a card game similar to Bridge. The game was popular throughout much of Europe and is still played in France. It wasn’t until the 1790s when tarot decks became designed with divination in mind. This doesn’t mean that the tarot was never equated with esoteric or occult principles. The time when the tarot originated, the early Italian Renaissance, was a time of great intellectual diversity and activity. Hermeticism, astrology, unorthodox Christian thought, even Pythagorean philosophy, all thrived during this time. It is quite possible that any or all of these ideas made their way into the tarot deck.
While most modern students are familiar with the history of the tarot, very few study it intently. Instead, students look to the symbolism of the tarot to give them insight into their own lives. With the variety of tarot decks on the market, it is easy for a student to pick the deck that suits his or her needs best. It isn’t necessary to know the history of the tarot before diving into its study, but the knowledge does enhance the experience.
The cult television hit Buffy the Vampire Slayer inspires thoughts on many esoteric subjects. The tarot is no different. Within the cast of the entire seven seasons lie the archetypes of the Major Arcana. Matching the divinatory meanings of the cards along with their personality traits, all twenty-two cards of the Major Arcana will be discussed within the context of the series. Starting with the divinatory meanings, then moving onto the aspects expressed by several different characters, and finishing with the one character (or group of characters) who embodies the context of the card, this volume explores the link between the Major Arcana and the world of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
So let’s open the door, and begin the Fool’s Journey through Sunnydale.
Chapter One: The Fool
In The Tarot
The card most reflected by Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the Fool, begins the Major Arcana. Which is appropriate enough, given that the first twenty-two cards of the tarot deck, the Major Arcana, have been called the Fool’s journey. In most tarot decks, the fool is depicted as a young man about to walk off a cliff. He carries a white rose, and a small dog nips at his heels.
The primary attributes of the Fool are innocence and trust. He stands on the edge of a cliff, about to fall over the edge. Yet he doesn’t fear. He knows that he will not be hurt, and if he is, such pain is only temporary. His belief in the divine order of things buoys him from his fall.
Over his shoulder, he carries a deceptively small pack. By carrying little provisions, he believes the universe will provide for his journey. The little details do not worry the Fool. He trusts the basics, food and lodging, of his existence will be provided. He focuses on the esoteric, the spiritual, and the aesthetic. The Fool shows this by wearing fancy clothing. Some decks show him more outlandishly garbed than others.
In the Rider-Waite tarot deck, the Fool carries a white rose. The rose symbolizes purity and innocence. He hasn’t yet been corrupted by the world. He still believes in the principles of truth, purity, justice, and all else that is good.
Yet the Fool isn’t a purely altruistic fellow. His naiveté shines through in the lack of provisions he carries. By stepping off the cliff, he blindly believes that either he’ll walk on air or someone/something will catch him if he falls. He doesn’t believe he’ll fall in his pursuit of spiritual truths.
Different tarot decks represent the Fool in other ways. In The Dragon Tarot1, the Fool--a dragon--is depicted on a black and white checked floor like a game board. A dice lays before him, turned to a one. In his hand, he holds the second dice, ready to throw. The four suits of cards hang above his head, further emphasizing the gambling nature of the Fool. However, other facets of the depiction, such as the jester’s head in the figure’s other hand, represent the light-heartedness presence inside the Fool. The cards above his head, actually aces, show us the new beginning of the Fool, and the black and white marks on the floor represent the balance between light and dark.
The Fool represents the inner child of all of us. His trusting nature belies the cynicism we all gain as adults. He holds purity and innocence, two qualities lost as we age. He is the idealistic youth, the dreamer whose dreams know no bounds, and the poet and the artist striving for the perfect work of art. Somewhere, deep inside all of us, lives the Fool.
Just as the Fool represents the best in us, he also represents the worst. He’s irresponsible, going off on a journey without provisions or care. He wears stylish, flamboyant clothing, trying to draw attention to himself. The small animal chasing behind the Fool can either represent the cares and responsibilities he’s leaving behind or the youthful exuberance he embodies.
Like his name may imply, the Fool acts recklessly. Some may even call it foolish. However, what works for one person may not work for another, and thus, the Fool reminds us to listen to our intuition. In his purity, he listens to himself, and thus knows to take the right course of action. Of all the cards in the tarot deck, the Fool represents the choices available to us at any given moment. Do we tie ourselves to the physical, to our routines, to what we perceive as “normal” or do we listen to our instincts and our heart and go off in search of the unknown?
If the Fool begins the journey, then shouldn’t his number be one instead of zero? Modern tarot decks number the Fool card first, starting with zero. This relates back to many associations for the tarot cards. The Qabalah relates the Fool to Kether, or the crown. Kether holds the source for all light, and indeed, many see the Fool as a soul who is ready to be “born” into the world, hence his “journey.” The stepping off the cliff is the Fool’s way of entering the physical realm. Since zero is an egg shape, symbolizing fertility, the cosmic egg, and a perfect circle, this interpretation makes sense.
Yet it complicates matters for the Fool. For if he is the soul ready to enter the world, then why is the small animal (real life concerns) nipping at his heels? Shouldn’t he be foot-loose and carefree as he enters into the physical realm? Such questions have been debated by scholars for centuries and only serve to underline the dual nature of the Fool.
At his heart, the Fool shows us innocence and purity in action. The light-hearted Fool doesn’t let the concerns of life detract from his mission. Instead, with a song in his heart and hope in his eyes, he steps off the cliff, ready for whatever faces him. He trusts that he’ll be protected.
In Sunnydale
The television program, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, provides many opportunities for studying the archetypes of the Major Arcana programs, and none so clearly as the Fool. For the show begins with the characters in high school. Still children, not yet adults, hovering in that ether between dependence and independence, the characters highlight the aspects of the Fool. Each of them at one time or another acted recklessly, even foolish, in pursuit of something he or she wanted. Yet, each character also displayed the purity of belief and the innocence of trust that the Fool embodies as well.
Beginning with the title character, Buffy Summers comes to Sunnydale to start over. Like the Fool, she begins her journey with the hope of putting her past behind her. She trusts that all will work out in her new home, even as her mother, Joyce, worries about making everything “right.” Like the small animal in the tarot card, her duties as a slayer nip at her heels. They threaten to pull her back from the cliff of freedom, which she so desperately hungers.
Yet, even with these worries, Buffy trusts. She trusts herself. The small cross she wears around her neck may be more than vampire repellant. She trusts her skills to keep her safe during her patrols, and trusts she will be able to keep innocent bystanders safe as well. As Joyce worries about opening the gallery, Buffy knows her mother will do well with the new venture. Repeatedly, with the complete trust a child has in a parent, Buffy reassures Joyce.
When her Watcher, Giles, enters the picture, Buffy shows another side of the Fool. In the episode, “Never Kill a Boy on a First Date,” Buffy makes the foolish decision to bring Owen (a prospective boyfriend) to a funeral home. There, a vampire rises, and Buffy needs to protect not only her Watcher, thrown into Buffy’s role as protector by her unwise decision to date, but also her friends and Owen. She risks all their lives because of her decision to date like a “normal” girl. This episode gives rise to one of the show’s most memorable quotes: “If the apocalypse comes, beep me.” This quote highlights the foolish nature of the first card in the Major Arcana. When Buffy utters this phrase, she isn’t scared. She figures nothing bad will happen, and thus, her date will proceed without interruptions.
Buffy’s relationship with Angel, the vampire with a soul, also shows the foolish nature of the Fool. At first, she sees him as a fellow warrior in the fight against evil. When he becomes wounded in a fight against some vampires, she brings him back to her house and tends to his wounds. He ends up spending the night in her bedroom, sleeping on the floor like a gentleman. She learns, however, after a kiss, that Angel isn’t just an ordinary boy. He’s a vampire, and when Giles finds records of the atrocities committed by Angel in some old books, Buffy still doesn’t immediately denounce her feelings for Angel. They haunt her. Although she and Angel agree the relationship isn’t good for either of them, she still clings to the feelings she has for the vampire.
Her tenuous grip on the love she feels for Angel highlights most clearly the work of the Fool. Heedless of consequences, she holds the love for this vampire in her heart. Sure, he has a soul now and fights on the side of good; however, not that long ago he killed and tortured his way across Europe. While the relationship of Buffy and Angel goes through many transformations, this early interaction clearly shows the stamp of the Fool.
Angel himself also clearly plays the role of the Fool in the early episodes. We learn a demon named Whistler showed him Buffy as a way out of his self-loathing and a way to do good. Angel falls in love with Buffy then, not as a slayer who can fight by his side, but as a fifteen-year old cheerleader standing in the sun. This idealistic love epitomizes the naive nature of the Fool. His rush into a relationship with Buffy, although he is the older, and presumably wiser party, also characterizes the headlong rush into pleasure embodied by the Fool. He could walk away. He’s been walking away from temptation for over a century with his soul, and yet, he doesn’t walk away from Buffy.
Yet, Angel also embodies some of the stronger qualities of the Fool. He believes in a higher power and that by fighting evil with Buffy, and later on his own in Los Angeles, he is working towards salvation. The Shanshu prophecy, where a vampire with a soul can become human, gives him hope. He believes if he does enough good, then the prophecy might be his. Clearly, he trusts the higher power.
Angel leaps off the cliff many times in his pursuit of good. When Whistler first showed him Buffy, he took the leap, knowing he could make a difference in the life of the young slayer. He jumped again with his love, trusting it would work out. And when he left Sunnydale at the end of Season 3, he stepped off the cliff again, trusting his new life in Los Angeles would bring him the salvation he desired.
Although in the beginning of the series, Giles projects the image of the restrained, calm librarian, he, too, embodies some aspects of the Fool, both good and bad. His devotion to the Watcher’s Council and his duties show the trusting aspect of the Fool. Giles acts as a Watcher even when his new charge, Buffy, goes against his wishes. She tests his will and doesn’t act at all like a proper slayer should. He still holds true to his believes and teachings, trying to keep her on the path.
In fact, he’s so devoted to his cause that when Buffy decides to go on a date instead of to a funeral home, he goes instead. This foolish endeavor on his part to find out more about a prophecy nearly gets him killed. Here, he manifests the darker side of the Fool.
In Season Two, with the addition of computer teacher Jenny Calendar, Giles has an opportunity to show a bit more of his character. We do not see him rush headfirst into love as Buffy and Angel did. Instead, he eases into it with caution. The care he shows contrasts sharply with the falling and in and out of love that teenagers do.
Although in the beginning of the series we see little of Cordelia Chase, except for the high-class socialite, as her character evolves, she, too, shows more aspects of the Fool. For example, when she finally admits her attraction for Xander, she has total trust. It doesn’t matter whether her friends will think her “lame” or that Xander is beneath her social class. She gives in to her feelings to form a relationship with him.
The way Cordelia pitches in with the Scooby Gang also shows that she knows at an instinctive level what Buffy and her friends are doing is right. She believes in their cause, even if she doesn’t agree with their fashion sense. When Cordy leaves Sunnydale for Los Angeles and meets up with Angel, again she believes she is doing the right thing. And once given visions from the Powers that Be by Doyle, she knows she is fighting on the side of good and will do anything to remain fighting on that side, even if it means turning away from Angel. The Season Three episode “Birthday,” in which Cordelia learns her visions might be killing her, epitomizes her desire to fight the good fight. In this episode, she learns her visions are killing her and gets to experience an alternate universe where she is the movie star she always wanted to be. And yet, the address from the vision she experienced haunts her, so in spite of having fame, fortune, and everything material she wants, she goes to save the girl, only to learn Angel has gained the visions. In an emotional turn of events, she takes the visions back upon herself, knowing full well the consequences. This supreme act of love shows not only Cordy’s belief in her work, but also the act of stepping off the cliff, knowing the “powers that be” will cushion the fall.
Of all the Scooby Gang, Willow seems to be the most levelheaded next to Giles. The spunky intellectual prefers study and books, but doesn’t mind the occasional fight. She tries to look before she leaps, and she seems to take things in stride. Yet, even she can epitomize the Fool.
Her willingness to go along with Xander, for example when he tells Buffy that he and Willow would like to double date in “Never Kill a Boy on the First Date” highlights the innocence of the Fool. She believes in doing good and saving the world, even if it means possibly getting hurt or killed. Her belief in not only Buffy’s powers, but also the goodness of the universe, allows her to step forward in a very powerful capacity as a member of the Scooby Gang.
In the end of Season Two, when she returns Angel’s soul to him, she steps forward to use her own powers for good. Injured and still in the hospital, the state of her physical body doesn’t bother her. Instead, she takes the magical knowledge she has learned and applies it to the spell, succeeding in re-ensouling Angel for the good of her friend. Her later uses of magic, such as when she and Tara shove a vending machine against a wall to protect against evil, also demonstrate this power. Willow has an instinctual knowledge of her own magical powers and the will to use them for good. This belief in herself harmonizes with the Fool.
Any discussion of the Fool wouldn’t be complete without Spike. His mortal life began as William, the poet, whose poetry was so "bloody" awful he earned the moniker "William the Bloody." His poetry embodied the spirit of youthful love, basing actions on emotions, not logic, and the more rash actions people call foolish. He went to parties where the beautiful Cecily would be present. He wrote poetry to her and became her faithful servant. It was her rejection, which sent him into the arms of Drusilla, who turned him into a vampire. In the Season Five episode, “Fool for Love,” when Buffy goes to Spike to learn how he was able to kill two slayers, the viewer receives a glimpse into his past, and sees that it truly was love -- love of the hunt, love for Drusilla, love for blood -- that made him into the vampire we all know and love.
Following his heart, sometimes foolishly, often lands Spike in trouble. Later in Season Five, “Intervention” shows Spike receiving a “Buffybot” programmed only to love him. The presence of his Buffybot ends up getting Spike kidnapped by Glory, a goddess bent on opening up a portal to unleash literal Hell on Earth. Spike is tortured and subsequently freed by Buffy, herself. Yet by following his heart and taking the initiative to obtain the Buffybot, he earns respect, if not affection from Buffy, when she finds out he wouldn’t tell Glory that Buffy’s sister Dawn was integral to the goddess’ plans. He wouldn’t be able to live with himself if hurt Buffy in such a manner. Like the proverbial cat that always lands on its feet, Spike, too, leapt off the cliff and believed that he would be supported by his faith.
In early Season Six, with Buffy dead, her respect and affection for Spike is repaid when he watches over her younger sister, Dawn, in her big sister’s absence. Again, he takes on a role, that of “protector”, which he hasn’t always played, trusting that it would help ease the pain of Buffy’s loss, as well as prove him worthy in her eyes, even if she is already dead.
Yet unlike the Fool, it isn’t the higher powers that hold Spike’s trust. He trusts in himself, in others around him. When it comes to prophecies and other mystical things, Spike remains firmly grounded. To Spike, he is his own higher power. And thus, when he acts in a matter like the Fool, it is himself, which he feels will protect him as he leaps off the cliff. He’s a self-sufficient Fool.
We see the interaction of the positive and negative sides of the Fool in all the characters. The balance between the two can be likened to the balance between yin and yang. The two swirl around each other in an ever-present hope for equality. Yet there is one person in Sunnydale who embodies the fool: Xander.
In the beginning, Alexander Harris, a.k.a. Xander, is known as a geek. He’s an unassuming boy, clearly not popular, and best friends with Willow Rosenberg, a brainy young woman. It’s clear the two have been best friends forever, or at least since kindergarten. And when Willow befriends Buffy Summers, Xander follows along. He knows Willow is a good person and trusts her ability to find other good people. He finds Buffy attractive, would like to date her, and sees how quickly she and Willow become friends. In fact, Xander and Willow quickly become part of Buffy’s evil-fighting team.
In “Never Kill a Boy on the First Date,” Willow and Xander create a “double date” with Buffy and Owen to go to the funeral home. When Buffy has to go off in search of possible vampires, Xander and Willow take charge of Owen, trying to keep him safe. These selfless acts without regard for their own safety could be called foolish. Yet, in trusting that everything will be all right, they trust the higher powers that all is as it should be.
Xander begins to pick up traits from Buffy he never knew he possessed, such as courage. In “The Pack,” Xander follows a group of “cool” kids into an off-limits hyena exhibit to retrieve a notebook belonging to Lance, a shy classmate. He does so without regard for his own safety because it is the right thing to do. Although Xander falls under the control of the preternatural hyenas, in this episode he begins to formulate the ground rules of his ethics and beliefs. Foremost among them is his trust in a higher power--which sometimes happens to be Buffy--that everything will come out all right.
The viewer watches Xander evolve into an important member of the Scooby Gang, so much so that he saves Buffy’s life in “Prophecy Girl,” the season finale for Season One. Xander and Angel race into the Master’s lair to hopefully help her defeat the Master, an old, evil vampire. Instead, they find her face down in a puddle, from which Angel quickly rescues her. Only it’s too late. Xander goes to where Angel and Buffy are.
XANDER: No. She's not dead.
ANGEL: She's not breathing.
XANDER: But if she drowned, uh, there's a shot! CPR!
ANGEL: You have to do it. I have no breath.
Xander takes off his jacket and lays it over her. He kneels down by her
face and looks at her a moment, then puts his mouth on hers and blows
into her lungs. He lets go and begins to pump her chest.2
Xander quickly shows why he is the “heart” of the Scooby Gang by performing CPR on Buffy and bringing her back to life.
Season Two, with the gang still in high school, profiles Xander in a bit more foolish role. He falls for Empada, a Peruvian foreign exchange student, who turns out to be an ancient mummy. “Inca Mummy Girl” isn’t the first episode where love gets Xander in trouble. In “Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered,” Xander becomes the object of a love spell where not only do his classmates, but also other women--including Joyce, Buffy’s mother--fall hopelessly in love with him. He has to fight off the adoring women.
Yet even when Xander is acting the most foolish, he comes through as a strong character. Season Three brings us “The Zeppo.” Xander believes he brings nothing to the Scooby Gang, except for some comic relief and a penchant for fetching donuts. In this episode, he gets involved with some unsavory characters and ends up saving the school, and the gang, without their even knowing it. Yet, while a lesser person might have used it to berate or somehow better his relationship within the group, Xander lets it go. He simply accepts his role, as a member of the Scoobies, is more valued than others may think.
The ending of Season Four, with Xander, Willow and Giles joining their essence with Buffy truly highlights how Xander epitomizes aspects of the Fool. The Fool trusts. He leaps off the cliff with the firm belief he will be buoyed to safety. When a joking suggestion, “what you need is a little bit of all of us,” turns into reality, we find Xander forms the heart of the group. The spell takes the best from everyone, Giles’ knowledge, Willow’s magic, and Xander’s heart. It is his love not only for each individual member of the group, but also for the Scooby Gang’s ultimate purpose, that holds them together. It may be with a wisecrack or it may be by fetching food. Either way, he keeps the unit a cohesive whole with his love and his trust.
The remaining seasons build upon this. Season Five, when Buffy’s relationship with Riley is ending, has a plainspoken Xander telling Buffy the truth. He’s leaping off the cliff because someone he cares about is hurting, and he doesn’t want to see her hurt anymore. He might get hurt. Right before this exchange he watched her dust a pack of vampires. But Xander doesn’t care.
BUFFY: What am I supposed to do?
Beg him to stay?
XANDER: (in disbelief) Why wouldn't you? To keep
Riley here-
BUFFY: I don't even know who he is any more. I mean, I
thought he was ... dependable.
XANDER: Dependable? What is he,
State Farm?
BUFFY: You know what I mean.
XANDER: Yeah. I think
you mean convenient. I think you took it for granted that he was
gonna show up when you wanted him to, and take off when you
didn't.
BUFFY: Look who's talking. Look who has Anya following him
around like a lovesick puppy.
XANDER: Oh boy, is this *not* about
me.
BUFFY: Is she more than a convenience? 'Cause that would kinda
be a surprise.
XANDER: (angrily) If you don't wanna hear what I
have to say, I'll shut up right now.
BUFFY: Good, 'cause I don't.
She starts to walk off. Xander intercepts her.
XANDER: I lied. See, what I
think, you got burned with Angel, then Riley shows up.
BUFFY: I
know the story, Xander.
XANDER: But you miss the point. You shut
down, Buffy. And you've been treating Riley like the rebound guy.
When he's the one that comes along once in a lifetime. (Buffy looks
dismayed) He's never held back with you. He's risked everything. And
you're about to let him fly because you don't like ultimatums?
Buffy's eyes begin to water as Xander's words finally get through.
XANDER: If he's not the guy, if what he needs from you just isn't there, (shakes head) let him go. Break his heart, and make it a clean break. But if you really think you can love this guy ... I'm talking scary, messy, no-emotions-barred need ... if you're ready for that ... then think about what you're about to lose.
Buffy looks up at him, then looks around anxiously. There are tears in her eyes.
BUFFY: Xander...
XANDER:
Run.
Even in the midst of such profound insight, Xander still displays the darker side of the fool. In the musical episode, “Once More with Feeling,” Xander confesses he summoned Sweet, a demon that makes people sing until they spontaneously combust from the force of their emotion. Why did he do it? Because he wanted the relationship he shares with Anya to have a happy ending--a song and dance number where they kiss in the end and everything is all right. Sweet declines the traditional price of having the one who summoned him come to the underworld as his bride, leaving Xander still firmly on Earth and very much hurt because of his actions.
After everything that happens from Xander’s admission of summoning Sweet to his leaving Anya at the altar, he still can summon enough courage to do the right thing. When Willow, his best friend, intends to destroy the world in “Grave”, he faces her. Scared and certain he will lose his life, he faces Willow and tells her that he loves her. Not only does he love the Willow who broke the yellow crayon in kindergarten, but then was too scared to tell anyone, he loves Willow when she’s just plain old Willow. His admission touches the spark of humanity left inside Willow, and as the episode winds down, she cries in his arms.
Season Seven brings us the essence of Xander’s character distilled into a conversation with Dawn during the episode, “Potential.”
XANDER: They'll never know how tough it is, Dawnie, to be the one who isn't chosen. To live so near to the spotlight and never step in it. But I know. I see more than anybody realizes because nobody's watching me. I saw you last night. I see you working here today. You're not special. You're extraordinary. (stands, kisses her forehead, stands to walk out of the room)
DAWN: Maybe that's your power.
XANDER: What?
DAWN: Seeing. Knowing.
But what Dawn doesn’t say is that Xander’s power is in his heart. In fact, when Xander loses an eye in “Dirty Girls,” he still goes on fighting the good fight. He leaps off that cliff every single time because he believes in those around him, in a higher power, and in himself.
The Fool contains a dichotomy only resolved within the character of Xander Harris. Xander shows us the silly things the fool can do, such as falling for a teacher who turns into a praying mantis or summoning a demon so his relationship can be happy as a song. But he also shows us the profound spiritual truth of the Fool. He is the heart of the Scoobies, and even without an eye, he still sees their truths because he knows their hearts. With innocence and trust belying his upbringing, Xander gives to those around him.
Chapter Two: The Magician Knows
In The Tarot
The second card of the Major Arcana, the Magician, shows a man standing behind some kind of table. On the table, the “tools of his trade” are spread before him, generally a sword, a cup, a wand, and a pentacle or coin. He holds one hand aloft, sometimes filled with a scepter, sometimes with a scroll, and his other hand points down towards the ground. A sideways figure eight, the symbol for infinity, is somewhere above the character’s head. In the Rider-Waite tarot deck, the Magician has a bush of roses growing before him, and vines come down from the top of the card, symbolizing the growth and potential for growth the Magician holds.
I find it interesting to note that very few tarot decks depict the Magician as an old man. In the Lord of the Rings Tarot, Gandalf stands as the magician, as makes sense given the books. However, even then, he isn’t dignified as Galdalf the Grey or Gandalf the White. He simply is Gandalf.
The Magician is the card of knowledge. The implements on the table before him represent this. All four elements are represented: earth, air, water, and fire. This represents balance and mastery, two things the Magician has in abundance. The raised and lowered hands also represent mastery. The old saying, “as above, so below” applies here. The Magician tells us the same laws apply in both the spiritual and the earthly realms. The bird and the whale may live in different locations, but it’s the same rules that govern their life. The cycles of birth, death, and rebirth, symbolized by the infinity symbol, occur on all levels in all times.
Where the Fool believes, the Magician knows. His knowledge is his power, a weapon he is not afraid to use, not when it comes to his causes. Books are a Magician’s friends. Solid, material things he can see and touch and smell. No nebulous beliefs for him, no thank you.
The Magician is likened to an alchemist. He can transmute the powers of earth, air, fire, and water, into something physical. This transmutation occurs because of his knowledge. Without his knowledge, it simply wouldn’t happen.
In discussing a theory with the Magician, he might say “prove it.” Or, he might to go a book and look it up for himself. On the Fool’s journey, the Magician grounds the Fool. He takes the “head in the clouds” Fool, shows him some knowledge and provides him with tools to go live his life.
The Magician is one of the most practical of the Tarot symbols. He represents the powers we each possess to create meaning and purpose in our lives. With one hand pointed toward the heavens, the other pointing downward, The Magician tells us that this creative power resides both within and outside ourselves - but always within reach.3
It is this gift the Magician gives to the Fool - the first instruction of his journey. He tells the Fool not to blindly believe (an aspect of the Fool which is positive and negative), but to ensure he has all the facts before he steps off the cliff.
The Witches Tarot4 associates the planet Mercury with this tarot card. Mercury, the planet of community, provides an ideal companion for the Magician, for he must communicate his knowledge. He finds the creative forces both within and outside of himself, and proceeds to use those for the greater good. Mercury is not only a planet, but also an element, a metal. Yet, it’s a formless metal, shaped by whatever container in which it resides. Same here, knowledge is simply that, knowledge, until it is poured into a vessel. Then it can be used. Therefore, while the Magician could represent the pursuit of knowledge for knowledge’s sake, he more accurately represents the pursuit of useful knowledge.
The age of the Magician can be misleading. When one thinks of knowledge, usually professors come to mind, shuttered within their ivory towers, pontificating on things unimportant to the world at large. But perhaps instead of Magician, we can think of a teacher. For most children, a teacher can seem old, especially with a bit of gray at the temples. However, the truth is, while some teachers may be well into middle age, a good number of them are younger than our parents. Thus, we see the Magician portrayed in the cards without a full head of gray hair. Instead, he looks to be older yes, possibly even into his thirties or forties, but certainly not ancient.
However, the magician has negative aspects as well. He represents the stifling fear we have when we know what the right decision is, but are too afraid to do the right thing. He is uncertainty that we don’t really know what we’re doing, and life is just a ridiculous charade. This fear can lead to blockages. Writer’s block, where the writer is afraid nothing he or she writes is good, even though the writer knows better is one manifestation of the negative energies of the Magician. The creative energies are blocked from fear. “It’ll never be good enough,” the negative Magician says, “so why should I even try?”
Conversely, one of the negative aspects of the Magician is the “know it all,” the person who thinks he or she has all the right answers, but really doesn’t. A negative Magician will tell you how to run your life right into the ground, and then claim it’s your entire fault for not doing it “properly.” This aspect will flaunt his knowledge in your face. “I told you so” are the four favorite words of this aspect of the negative Magician.
Overall, the Magician is an empowering card within the tarot. For good or bad, whatever is signified by the surrounding cards in a reading, when we get the Magician, we know that we have the knowledge to fix whatever is wrong. It just may take us a while to realize that fact.
In Sunnydale
At one time or another, all the characters showed the unique abilities of the Magician. After all, part of what made the Scooby Gang so great was the fact that each member brought unique talents to the table along with friendship. Yet, there are specific actions, or maybe lack of action, that define various moments during the series. We’ll start by taking a look at the positive aspects of the Magician.
As the title character, Buffy Summers had to have knowledge. If she didn’t, well, frankly there wouldn’t be a show. However, it can be said Giles imparted most of her arcane knowledge. That’s his job. He’s a Watcher. Yet, Buffy had instinctual knowledge, and she knew she knew it. Her fighting skills may have been honed, but the initial agility and grace were there. She knew her limitations. When it came to how to defeat the demons and monsters, there wasn’t anyone more equipped in Sunnydale than Buffy. With her quick impetus to action, she held the strengths of the Magician. The Magician knows what he knows and acts accordingly without hesitation or self-doubt. Here, Buffy excelled.
Sure, there were times, such as the aforementioned episode, “Never Kill a Boy on the First Date,” where she acted rash, more like the Fool than the Magician. However, in the season ending episode of Season 2, “Becoming Part 2,” when Buffy plunges the sword through Angel, sending him to the hell dimension, she knows exactly what she is doing. Even though by this point Angel had regained his soul, Buffy “kills” him for the good of the world. It breaks her heart, but she has no choice. With the knowledge about how to save the world, she sends the man she loves to hell. She doesn’t look back. She doesn’t falter. She acts.
Willow, too, takes action. Although in the earlier seasons we see her as a shy, innocent young girl, she carries knowledge. Her computer expertise, whether it is hacking into police systems or simply using search engines, gives the Scooby Gang invaluable research to fight evil. Her skills in that arena are unparalleled, even by Jenny Calendar the Computer Science teacher, and she uses her knowledge as needed, never holding back. Her computer knowledge, along with her intellectual gifts, builds on her self-confidence. She’s proud of knowing what she knows, even if she questions her position as Buffy’s “sidekick.”
Throughout the course of the series, Willow acquires magical knowledge as well. In “Becoming Part 2,” it is Willow, hurt and in the hospital, who performs the spell required to restore Angel’s soul. Though the others worry it taxes her, she completes it. In the Season Four episode, “Hush,” she tests her burgeoning powers by connecting with Tara and shoving a vending machine against the door to protect her and Tara from the Gentlemen. She latches onto Tara’s hand to augment her own powers, and she succeeds in saving both of their lives. Not only that, but she does this without saying a word. Here, too, Tara shows the Magician’s will in knowing exactly what Willow needed and acting accordingly.
When it comes to Willow’s magic, the outcome of the spell may not be as positive as she would like, and at times her spells backfire. However, she very rarely hesitates to use her knowledge. In several instances, she uses her magic to save her friends, and in the Season Six season opener, “Bargaining Part 1 and 2,” she uses her knowledge to bring Buffy back to life.
Jenny Calendar, the Computer Science teacher in Season Two, is self-confidant with knowledge. She attempts to drag Giles, kicking and screaming, into the twentieth century. It’s her knowledge, as a member of the Kalderash gypsy clan, that translates the spell to give Angel back his soul. Although having this knowledge brings about her death, she doesn’t waver in her purpose to give this knowledge to the Scooby Gang.
Jenny fosters Willow’s knowledge of computers, just as Giles encourages Buffy’s knowledge of slaying. Jenny also acts upon her knowledge of Giles’ affections for her. She initiates the dinner date by asking him out for supper.5 She asks him to go to the football game with her. Although attraction may not seem to be knowledge like books or computers, it is inner knowledge nonetheless. Jenny could have done nothing and waited for Giles to make the first move. But she doesn’t. She is confidant with her self-knowledge. This confidence allows her to begin a relationship with the taciturn librarian.
Buffy’s nemeses in Season Six, “The Trio,” also displays positive actions of the Magician. For being willing to use knowledge, no matter the cost, Warren masterminds all the trio’s actions. However, all three members do bear equal responsibility for the havoc and destruction wreaked by the Trio. And, although they use their knowledge for personal gain, I liken the Trio’s actions to the alchemist in his lab, working away at formulas and experiments until he gets it right. The Magician is not about moral judgments. Given the presence of the four elements, and the raised and lowered hand saying, “as above, so below,” it could be inferred that The Magician is a moral card. Yet those who seek to do harm or work for personal gain, such as the Trio, see their actions as only those in the part of a greater scheme of things. Using comic books and movies, the Trio justifies their worldview, so when the time comes to use their knowledge, they do not hesitate. Just as Buffy, a force of good, justifies her actions based on her own worldview. The Magician is not about making moral judgments. It is simply taking in all the knowledge that you can and using it. Morality comes later in the Major Arcana.
Thus, Warren, whether is building a freeze ray or an invisibility ray, does not hesitate to use the Trio’s accumulated knowledge. He acts decisively, sometimes even in the heat of the moment when he decides to frame Buffy for the death of his girlfriend. He makes plans. He acts upon his plans, and he doesn’t look back.
Yet the Trio also showcases the negative aspects of the Magician. Jonathan and Andrew become unwitting accomplices to Warren’s plans. First Jonathan, then Andrew (in Season Seven) figures out the great “Trio” is nothing more than being Warren’s flunkies. Here, we see the lack of action from no self-confidence manifesting. For nearly every plan, Andrew or Jonathan would raise objections, only to be persuaded by Warren. They weren’t strong enough to make the break. Jonathan tried, but too late, and he found himself in jail for murdering Tara and the attempted murder of Buffy. Throughout most of Season Six, we watch as Jonathan and Andrew find themselves drawn deeper and deeper into Warren’s misogynic plans, until it’s too late to extract themselves. Their inaction, driven by their lack of self-confidence, makes them remain in a negative situation. Thus, we see the flip side of the Magician at work.
Another character good at expressing the self-doubt of the Magician is Xander. Although we see his self-confidence mature as he does, in the earlier seasons Xander is full of self-doubt. He knows he brings little in the way of extra skills to the Scooby Gang, and even in a fight, he’s better off ducking and running. His lack of self-confidence leads him to act. In the fifth season episode, “The Replacement,” where a demon impersonates Xander, we see him nearly not go for help because the other Xander is living such a wonderful life. His lack of self-confidence hampers him.
Earlier in the series, Angel exhibits another characteristic of the negative Magician card -- thinking he knows more than he really does. At the end of Season Two, when Buffy sent Angel to hell, she did so to save the world. It hurt, and when he came back, it was with the knowledge he’d spent countless years in a hell dimension. He knows he cannot love Buffy as a “normal” man. The physical relationship both of them crave only leads to one thing, the loss of Angel’s soul. Instead of discussing the situation with Buffy and trying to find an amicable solution, he does what he thinks is best and leaves.
Of course his leaving opened up the doors to his own spin-off series; however, he acted because he “thought” he knew what was “best” for Buffy. It hurt him deeply to leave, just as it hurt Buffy. Yet, he thought the pain now would be less than the pain they might cause each other later. And instead of discussing it with Buffy, he simply takes it upon himself to leave.