Category Archives: Divination

Who are your people?

May 27, 2013 by Miss Bri
Posted in Divination, Open Petition to the Universe, Spirituality
vintage-Mamaw & Papaw Walters

Two of My People

The title of this article comes from a colloquialism those who have lived in the Deep South will be familiar with; it is used to determine first and foremost one’s place in the world. For example, when I got married the grandmother of one of my oldest and dearest friends was at the wedding. This stately woman had been born and raised and lived her entire life in East Texas-definitely the Deep South-and was concerned about my spouse. She had heard tell that he was from Pennsylvania, The NORTH, a yankee. So, a bit before the wedding she pulled me aside and said, “yes, he’s very handsome and polite, but who are his people?“

 

For those who do not live in the South and don’t have friends who do or did I know how this can sound, it can sound prejudiced in the extreme-but it isn’t. She was simply trying to put my soon to be husband within a context that made sense to her and what is interesting is that she did this by inquiring not about his living family but about his ancestors-those who had been long dead but whose loves, losses, successes, and victories made up his lineage.

 

When I explained that in his case his people were from South Carolina and Georgia there was a sigh of relief–she now had a context for the man I was about to pledge myself to. In knowing “his people” she knew him-even though they had not had much conversation with one another there was an intimate knowing because she knew his history. There are entire cultures that are known to do this-Scotts are notorious upon meeting a fellow countryman to search and seek out through the annals of family history until they find a relative that they have in common or at the very least two relatives who knew each other.

Marguerite Greable Stiehl Kleinman

another one of my people

We are bombarded with advice to figure out this and determine that for ourselves-by ourselves-with no one but ourselves as an authority. This is taxing and I feel that it misses a vital part of our story-which is told by those who came before us. “Your people” tell you where you come from-and if the power of inference is not completely lost on you-they can also tell you where you are going.

 

Your people provide clues about your talents, your mojo, your gifts, and your challenges.

 

Your people do not completely determine you-but they are the warp and weft against which you act-their ambitions, heart breaks, skills, dramas, talents, decisions, and traditions have resulted in at least one concrete being-you. They are your heritage.

 

Your people are like the religion of your birth-the faith traditions your grew up practicing-as you age you will no doubt find fault with these traditions and you may even leave it completely, but its there on a bone deep level-you know it and as far as you may run, you will never full outrun it.

 

This is the blessing and curse of lineage. It is one side of the self-knowledge coin and its why ancestors are honored, celebrated, and most importantly have their stories told-because through knowing them we come to know ourselves.

 

If you know who your people are then you have access to a part of yourself, to what Twyla Tharp calls “your creative DNA”, that is entirely and completely unique to you and your ancestors. If you feel bound by your family and have always wanted to escape them then I will tell you its even more essential to discover who your people are and to listen to their stories-they are your stories too-to tell, to re-tell, or to change up completely.

 

Its Memorial Day. A day when I will be at the graveyard honoring some of my people by cleaning up their graves, leaving flowers, and offerings and talking with them awhile-telling them how they are missed, telling them how they are remembered.

 

My petition for you today? Remember who your people are.

 

 

 

How to bring Divination & Ritual together forever

May 8, 2013 by Miss Bri
Posted in Divination, Sacred How-To, Spirituality, tarot, Things that are true

tarot_500x250

 

There are some things that are just mean to go together: peas and carrots, peanut butter and jelly, ketchup and fries and…divination and ritual.

 

Most people know what divination is-and a growing number of individuals are using tools like tarot cards on a regular basis to gain insight and clarity and where they are now and where they are likely to head in the future.

 

This makes me so happy. I believe that divination tools like tarot cards assist us in tapping into the well of our own inner knowing-a well that goes back to ancient times when divinatory arts were considered sacred and powerful because intuition was recognized as a force that could improve our lives, lead us to better decisions, and ultimately increase our chances for happiness.

 

And yet…if you do play with a divination tool like tarot cards, have you ever found yourself in this situation: you pull some cards for yourself or a friend and the cards you receive indicate that the situation may be blocked or delayed or that the dreams and goals in question may be unlikely to manifest at this point in time?

 

At this point in a reading the question is always the same: what can I do? A skilled reader may be able to point out a few practical tweaks or modifications for you but the cards are what they are. Perhaps its time to throw up your hands-let go and let God OR perhaps its time to get familiar with divination’s twin sister-ritual.

 

Ritual, especially magical rituals have a dubious reputation at best. On one end of the spectrum are our ancient memories which recognize on some level the vitality of performing a ritual act-as a way to change one’s immediate circumstances, as a way to empower oneself, as a way to connect to the Divine, and to honor specific seasons, events, and beings local to where we live, love, and work. On the other hand, magic ritual is all too easily dismissed as a fringe element or even a Satanic practice.

 

We should pay heed to our ancient memories-ritual acts can be simple, straightforward and incredibly powerful reminder of the cosmos and our place in it as well as the divine purpose that Spirit has laid out for us. I like thinking of ritual as a specific act, performed with a set intention, that seeks to attract the attention of Spirit and say “hello, I’m here and trying to nail it-please help!” And ritual and divination have always gone hand in hand.

 

It only makes sense when you think about it-there are many, many ritual forms in every specific cultural and linguistic tradition. There are different forms because rituals address different areas of life-there are ritual acts to bring back a lover, to bless a child, to increase one’s personal wealth, to make a person magnetic, to honor the land, to devote oneself to a spiritual path and on and on. Divination is an art form that for ages was used primarily as a diagnostic tool and part of what a good diviner was able to diagnose was what specific ritual would be appropriate for a given situation.

 

This entire system is predicated on the belief that every one of us has a unique and coherent being-ness and that our beings, while they do have much in common, also greatly partake of nuance and particularity. For instance, two women who come to me suffering from heartbreak are quite unlikely to walk away with the same ritual recommendations because they are two different people, dealing with two very different situations that in turn involve equally different individuals-see what I mean about nuance?

 

This is where the worker who is familiar with both divination and ritual can come in handy-a reader who is also a proficient magical worker can use her tools (whatever they may be) to “diagnose” your specific situation and, if she knows how to work her system correctly, it will give her the information she needs to recommend specific ritual acts to bless, honor, and move things along.

 

Within the world of Sacred Arts divination is one entire branch of study and ritual magic is another-but perhaps because I have seen the benefits personally of bringing these two powerful modes together I advocate for their integration. Its my passion to teach ritualists more about divination and readers more about magical ritual. There are courses you can take (hint, hint, I’m offering one this summer!) But you can also start the practice of integrating ritual with divination at any time.

 

Try this:

Pick an area of your life where you are feeling stuck and pull a tarot card on it. Before you pull a card ask yourself or Spirit “what can I do about this situation?”then pull the card.

Now, study the card, pay attention to the colors, images, and symbols of the card. What do they immediately bring to mind? Are the colors cool and calming or warm and active? Do they bring to mind a specific element like earth, air, fire, or water?

If you are having a hard time write about the card for 10 minutes (set a timer and do not go over this amount of time). Study what you have written. Do you see a pattern emerging? Words, ideas, or an image that you keep circling back to?

Now, create a ritual based off of this card…it could be as simple as lighting a candle or more complicated like taking a spiritual bath. Maybe you walk away feeling that you need a charged talisman or charm bag-build up a ritual for yourself based on the card.

Once you have the ritual in mind procure the items you will need and pick a special day-here is a calendar of notable days this year-and then perform your ritual act.

Note how you feel before, during, and after the ritual. Pay special attention to what you are hoping the ritual will help augment or change and note if and when those changes occur.

From these few simple steps you are well on your way to creating a life full of magic and possibility!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Introducing the Sovereignty Spread!

February 26, 2013 by Miss Bri
Posted in Charms & Enchantments-Ritual Magic, Divination, Spirituality, tarot

Mid week article! You all know these only happen when I am really excited. I woke up around 4:00am central time on 2/25-the day of the Full Moon in Virgo-and this spread was in my mind-as if I had dreamed it up-which I do not remember doing…I played with it for awhile, and decided that it was perfect. I give it to you, dear readers, that you might play and prophet from it!

 

The Sovereignty Spread

The Sovereignty Spread is inspired by the Arthurian tale of Sir Gawain and Lady Ragnell and the variant on that tale told by Chaucer’s Wyfe of Bath. In short, within the story a riddle is posed to a Knight of the Roundtable (or in some cases King Arthur himself)-what is it that a woman desires most? He must provide the answer or forfeit his life. The Answer? Sovereignty.

Sovereignty derives from the Latin word super meaning “above.” To be sovereign is to have a bird’s eye view of the situation-to see one’s place clearly, to be blessed and in turn to be a blessing to others.

This spread is predicated on the truth that in assessing a situation we cannot accurately and 100% of the time detect how someone else is feeling-nor can we truly and fundamentally change another person (most of the time). But we DO have control over ourselves, our feelings, our thoughts, and we can change our own attitudes to improve a situation-thus gaining Sovereignty over our lives.

And…although the story specifically talks about women-Sovereignty and the self-knowledge and self-authority it implies, is something we ALL need.

I decided to demonstrate this spread by asking about the Milagro Roots Phone Fest-I was feeling stressed out about the event on the morning of the 25th so I asked:

What’s the deal with the phone fests? Are they a good idea? A bad idea? Worth it? Not worth it? Please explain!

The Spread:

We work with 9 cards-9 is a magical number and distills into 3-another magical number.

Begin by shuffling the cards with your question in mind.

Fan the cards out and cut the fan into three stacks.

Pull three cards from the bottom or top of each stack.

The first stack yields cards 1, 2, 3

The second stack yields cards 7, 8, 9

The final stack yields cards 4, 5, 6

Reading the Spread:

Card #1: How Am I Holding the Situation? This card gets down to your fundamental attitude about the situation-your thoughts, feelings, fears, desires-all of it.

For me the card is the Devil-and that is accurate. I had been sick all weekend, work was piling up on Monday, I had final touches to put on the phone fest and I was feeling very chained down to the whole thing-as if I had no freedom as if was enslaves to this idea and not at all sure that was where I wanted to be. Honestly just pulling this card really helped me-with an attitude represented by the Devil no wonder I was second guessing myself!

Card #2: What is the block? This card outlines what the major blocks or obstacles between you and success.

My card was Death (the Devil and Death as my first two cards, awesome.)  Reflecting I realized that the Death card was quite apt. One of the reasons that the phone fest was nagging on me was because it was nested in a whole host of other half finished projects. The Death card was telling me I was neglecting my duty to kill off one project-finish it completely-before moving on to the next. No multitasking-uni-tasking!

Card #3: What is the blessing in this situation-often this is really what is the blessing I am ignoring or not seeing in the situation?

My card was the 4 of Wands-and how apt! The Four of Wands celebrates union, collaboration, and community support. The Blessing are the clients and people who show up for a phone fest-the folks who want to listen and learn-all of you guys-you are the blessing.

Card #4: What is a hidden factor effecting this situation that I need to be aware of?

For me this card is signified by the Hanged Man. I could take a very lofty interpretation of this and say-well I have sacrificed parts of myself for knowledge before-I should reflect on those experiences and mine them for information on how to rock this project. OR I could be very practical and say-this is one of your hang ups Bri-you always take on too much and have a habit of not finishing one thing before moving onto another one-check yourself girl!

Card #5: What is the most likely outcome if I do nothing? The Sun-the phone fest will still rock, you will still help people, settle down and open up to your own radiance. Not too shabby.

Card #6: What will be revealed in the near future that might help me? This can also be a who question-as in what person (or spirit or ally) will show up to assist?

The card I received is the Page of Coins-this could mean a specific person, like my amazing VA, or it could mean something more abstract-like a really sweet email from a student or client telling me how much they love the phone fests and how awesome they-thereby encouraging me to keep moving forward-in an earth manner that finishes one thing before starting something else!

Card #7: What specific attitude do I need to change & how should I do it? 

For me this is symbolized by the 4 of Swords-as a Air sun sign the first thing the earthy structure of the number four says to me is…ground it baby. Ground these ideas-give them structure and presence. This card resonates directly with the Death card I pulled as my obstacle-it features a coffin for heaven’s sake! The attitude to change is the flighty, ungrounded, anxiety that comes from doing too much at once. The antidote is to finish one thing off completely and put it in its proper resting place (in this case a PDF file program) before turning your attention to the next thing. Words to live by.

Card #8: If things go as well as they can what is the Best outcome I can expect to achieve from this situation? The Magician-more magic, alchemy, union and the creation of something greater than ourselves. Pretty damn good-committing to the phone fests is looking better and better.

Card #9: What Ritual act is required to achieve the Exalted Outcome?-What do I need to do, say, think, pray, believe, in order to achieve the exalted outcome?

Here I got the 10 of Cups-this is a card that for me is about home, family, spending time with my kiddo, and spending time blessing the land around my home, also a time of connecting with my beloved-basically the message here was-don’t work so damn hard-you are chaining yourself to the Devil, yo! Go outside, play, have fun, listen to good music, plant some stuff, build an altar to honor the full moon–chill-ax.  Love it when that is my ritual prescription!

Feel free to use this for yourself or clients-if you do I only ask that you give proper attribution to it by citing me and this blog post!

What is Root Magic?

January 10, 2013 by Miss Bri
Posted in Divination, Spirituality, tarot, Things that are true, Working the Roots

root magic

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I thought it would be a good idea to say hello to some of the new readers of the blog by writing about one of the terms that I use frequently on my site-and that I still consider to be one of the best descriptors of what it is that I do-Root Magic.

Now you can probably tell from the name of my business that I like roots. A root fixes a plant in place providing nourishment to all the parts of the plant in order for the rest of the plant to grow, spread out, and flourish exactly as it is meant to do. I believe our own roots-our family traditions, ancestor knowledge, and folk ways do the same things for us in our lives and so first and foremost root magic pays attention to those things-the traditions you grew up with, the beliefs and little rituals that you learned from your kind of crazy aunt or your loquacious grandmother. In some cases family ties are not so tight but individuals still feel pulled to a specific tradition or set of beliefs-often that is ancestral knowledge pulsing through your blood and should be heeded.

Root magic could also be called folk magic, green magic, or “low” magic. It is not so much a system as a tapestry that weaves together faerie tales, folk lore, superstitions, divination techniques and ritual work to create a sumptuous image. Root magic is a kind of folk magic because it is derived from specific folk traditions-these vary culture to culture and religion to religion-but there are thematic beliefs that hold the same across cultures and these are often emphasized in root magic. Green magic and Root Magic are often confused because they both make use of the natural world-herbs, roots, leaves, flowers, berries, zoological curios, and every day items like honey, salt, pepper, nails, and pins make up much of the materia magica in this style of ritual work. A root woman such as myself is most happy when she can cultivate, grow, and harvest many of the plants and herbs used in ritual work-I do this and it makes my work deeper and closer to the bone of things. Just as alchemy gave birth to chemistry, root magic developed in hand with early medical techniques which focused on the use of herbs and roots in treatment and which of course gave rise to medicine as its practiced today. Root magic might be referred to as “low” magic because it concerns itself with practical concerns regarding love, money, marriages, babies, and protection and as a system it calls upon the power of the natural world as opposed to “high” forms of magic which concern themselves with angels, demons, and the formation of relationships within the celestial and subterranean realms. I use root magic in a general sense-it has become for me a kind of umbrella term that encompasses several different styles of folk magic that I practice, including Southern-style Hoodoo or Conjure and British-Scottish Cunning Arts. Every tradition is cohesive in and of itself-and usually you can find areas where traditions overlap and/or have the same take on a subject, however its crucial to understand the dangers of cultural appropriation-site and credit what you learn and who you have learned it from and of course do not share things you are not permitted to share!

Finally, root magic pays special attention to place-as in the specific place where you live, right now. The weather patterns, local flora and fauna, local land wights, and the beings that share your little physical place on earth with you are often your greatest teachers. For this reason, in my own experience and in the experience of some of my colleagues root magic can open the way to the otherworld, faerie land, where local spirits may be found flourishing and thriving by those with eyes to see and ears to hear. Root magic is earthy-much of the ritual work is done in the kitchen or in the garden, stories are told over fires and at family gatherings-the lines between myth, reality, and magic are thin indeed and the able magician dances through them gleefully. It is important to note that Root magic is a practice and really, a lifestyle, as opposed to a religion. Its equally important to understand that many fantastic root women and cunning men practice the faith of their day and family (often, if European in origin, that means Christianity or Judaism) while subscribing to beliefs that now are often labeled “pagan”.

Can you learn root magic? Of course! The best place to start in my opinion is with your own bloodline-what traditions, stories, faerie tales, and beliefs are found among your people and/or among the lands in which you live and love? Usually talking to older people and children can provide really good information-or at least leads on these questions. Two other excellent places to look are traditional healing/medicinal remedies and food recipes/traditions that have been handed down. If you are interested in an eclectic approach to root magic and spirituality then you may also want to check out The Miracle Tree Sessions-my year and a day training program!

Saturday Review: Throwing the Bones by catherine yronwode

August 25, 2012 by Miss Bri
Posted in Divination, Saturday Review, Spirituality

Throwing the Bones: How to Foretell the future with bones, shells, and nuts

By: catherine yronwode

Published: Lucky Mojo Curio Co 2012

Order from Lucky Mojo

I have been astounded by the popularity of bones and bone collecting in magical communities these days. Its pretty par for course to go to a popular magical blog and see gorgeous pictures of altars decked out with bones of various creatures, to find clear and precise descriptions on how to take apart and harvest the bones from road kill for magical purposes, and to hear more and more folks requesting bone curios and talismans. When I was younger this kind of magic was practiced (as it has been for millenia) but it was not talked about, blogged about or photographed nearly as much as it is now. Coming out of a family of magical practitioners harvest bones, fur, feather, and claw is nothing new to me and I have enjoyed reading the accounts of others-but one aspect of bone magic feels like its consistently missing from these sumptuous accounts-divination with bones.

So thank goodness that my friend and mentor catherine yronwode published her short but packed treatise on divination through the use of bones, shells, & nuts. Throwing the Bones is a beautiful book and I think its important to note that first off, because I like books-I like the touch, feel, and smell of them and this one is nice. Ms. yronwode’s work clocks in a 96 pages and they are pages PACKED with information covering Slaughter Bone Oracles, Mathematical Bone Reading Systems, Sortilage with Bones, and Spirit-led Interpretive Bone Reading. In her direct, clear spoken, and minutely detailed fashion, catherine gives us the history of bone reading from a number of different angles and presents her reader with some of the most popular forms of bone reading today. Known for her extensive work and scholarship in the field of Hoodoo, the turn to divination through bones and other natural objects does not leave Hoodoo behind entirely but it does go out into new and exciting magical territory from the ancient Tortoise shell reading practice of the Chinese to the Sangoma bone throwers in Africa. Catherine also surveys other systems related to bone throwing such as Obi, and gives a wonderful list of symbols and common interpretations as to their meaning as well.

As Ms. yronwode readily acknowledges-bone reading and divination with bones, nuts, or shells is not for everyone. It is especially not for those who come from tradition(s) or practice(s) that have strong taboos around the dead and/or forbid consultation & communication with the dead. For those of us who possess strong mediumship skills, divination with bones can be a powerful experience indeed and also provide much information. For those who are drawn to the path of bone, fur, claw, and feather and do not have a divination tool or are seeking another divination tool, reading this book and then trying your hand at divination through bones is a wonderful place to start! I feel that as our relationship to nature grows more tenuous with each passing day, those who give high honor to plants, animals, and ancient folkways will continue to cultivate bones and other zoological curios for magical and ritual use. Throwing the Bones gives ample ideas and perspectives on the fading art of divination with such curios and we are lucky to have it before the information is lost forever.

Dia de los Muertos 1

Dead Can Dance

October 31, 2011 by Miss Bri
Posted in Divination, Divine Figures, Spirituality

Happy All Hallows, Blessed Samhain, and Feliz Dia de los Muertos!

If all goes according to plan this will be the LAST post I make on this blog as a brand new website and blog are launching on THURSDAY! MONDAY  On top of the usual load of candles, ritual work, and intuitive consultations, I have been busy, busy, busy getting the website up to snuff! I can’t wait until you all check it out!Couple of quick notes for those who don’t follow Twitter~Momma Hen’s floor wash–this stuff is selling like hot cakes. Once its gone, its gone so get some pronto!

Question & Action Video Series-is a new monthly series that will be posted at the blog at in my newsletter. I answer questions on divination, conjure, magic, and provide workable and immediate actions to put advice into ACTION. So, have a burning question? Go ahead and shoot me an email.

In the meantime, feast your eyes on some images of our day of the dead altar!

“Death borders upon our birth, and our cradle stands in the grave.”-Joseph Hall

“I had seen birth and death but had thought they were different.”–T.S. Eliot

“Our dead are never dead to us, until we have forgotten them.“–George Eliot

Making Magic Happen-The Magician in the Tarot

September 29, 2011 by Miss Bri
Posted in Divination, Shuffling the Deck: Tarot Musings, tarot

The following article is reposted here from my monthly newsletter! Want to learn more awesome stuff and get some freebies while you are at it? Check out the newsletter and sign up!

When I was a cheerleader we did a yell that reminds me of the Magician card-it went like this: “Action, action, we want action! A-C-T-I-O-N!!!” This was accompanied by a lot of spirit fingers and spasmatic arm motions that I think we are all better off forgetting. But the yell was used when our team was flagging in energy and strength and needed to do something magical and miraculous to get the game back on our terms and this idea is not too far from the Magician.

When we look at the card we notice a somewhat androgynous looking male figure dressed in red and white. The lemniscate or infinity symbol is floating above his head, his right arm is raised to the sky, his right hand holds a double ended wand and his left hand points down to the earth. Above his head is a swag of roses, around his feet and legs we find more roses and white lilies. An altar is in front of him with 4 items precisely arranged: cup, gold coin or pentacle, dagger, and wand. In ceremonial magical traditions and some Wiccan traditions the knife and cup may be referred to as an athame and chalice respectively. And of course I am referring to the card as we find it in the Rider Waite Smith deck. The background of the Magician is bright yellow-the exact same shade we find as the backdrop for the Fool card and this indicates to us that in some way the Magician is an extension or an outgrowth of the Fool. But of course, there are also differences. For starters, the Magician is much more organized and orderly than the Fool–there are no ripped clothes or barking dogs in this card! There is intention, energy, and ritual purpose in the place of the fool’s abandon, wild faith, and courage/foolhardiness. The Magician has channeled the Fool’s raw enthusiasm (deriving from the Greek words en Theos meaning “filled with God) and is going to DO something with it.

The tools of his trade are arrayed in front of him indicating that he has all of the resources he requires to do the work he needs to do right at his fingertips. His arms and hands are the most stylized aspect of the card and also the most symbolic–one points up with a double ended wand to heaven–as if summoning or pulling down divine and heavenly energy. The second hand points down towards the earth, as if pulling up the earthly energy of manifestation. These two apparent opposites meet within the core of the magician’s body, instilling him with the power to create real change. The center of the lemniscate rests directly above the Magician’s head and reminds us of the Word logos descending upon the head of Christ in the form of a sacred dove so that the Word could be made Flesh. The Magician stands at the center of the infinity symbol, able to see what has come before, what comes after, and where his specific place is within the mystery and magic of life. The wise Magician accepts his position and does his work for the greater good of all and for the Truth. The unwise Magician refuses to accept his place, jostles for power, prestige, and control.

Then we have the color play in the card. Our mage is cloaked in red and white and this theme is echoed in the roses and lilies around his feet and legs. The color red is strongly associated the the feminine since ancient times and white is just as strongly associated with men. Roses are associated with the ladies and lilies are associated with men-specifically again Jesus Christ. The colors and the masculine and feminine attributes that they symbolize call our attention to 2 other pairs of opposites we find in the card-heaven and earth, transcendence and immanence. This indicates that the Magician is able to take aspects, energies, and elements that are in some ways naturally in opposition to one another and blend them, creating unity from division. And that in turn brings us to another important feature of the card, the number. In all traditional decks the Magician is assigned the first position, card number one. Unity and unification are the themes behind this numeral. The number one  points to a sense of something higher, eternal, and unified going beyond the apparent duality we see in the world and symbolized by the infinity symbol above the Magician’s head.

To recap: The Magician deals with magic and the magical process of transformation. He stands in a unique position where he can view what has come before, what comes after and where his place within this cycle stands. The inner character of the Magician determines how he works with and uses this knowledge–is it for his own personal gain or to be of service to others. He is unique in his ability to unify apparent opposites and he is resourceful and intent upon his work. Connected to both the heavens and the earthly realm, the Magician stands as a Christ figure-suspended between the 2 and serving both.

In divination the Magician card can indicate any combination or all of the following:
–someone involved in the querant’s situation may be working in a magical or ritual context to either help or harm the querant
–the querant may do well to seek out the aid of a professional who does perform magical+ritual work
–the querant has magical ability themselves that could be developed
–the querant needs to be aware of someone who is creating an illusion or using their ability to sell illusions to put the querant in a difficult situation (for instance, a con artist could be represented by the Magician card in some readings)
–the querant or someone that the querant is asking about may be leaning too far in one direction and needs to harness the opposite forces in their lives in order to get the picture, book, deal, (fill in the blank with your project here) manifested and solidly real.
Remember in divination that the Magician is ALWAYS an alchemist. His work is to take one thing and through the power of nature and the power of his intellect and will transform it into something else. In some cases this is an improvement, in other cases it is not, but transformation is key.