1 The Red King

The Red King…such a compelling gentleman, isn’t he?  He holds within his hands a flask containing the essence of the red rose (magic in earthly form); he is crowned by the fiery golden rays of the sun, the cosmic expression of his spirit.

The Red King is the first numbered trump of the Incidental Tarot, thus he is equated with the Magician of traditional Tarot decks.  The Red King is a magician; simultaneously an alchemist and the incarnation of his Work.  He embodies the alchemical phase of rubedo, or manifestation.

Rubedo is the phase of alchemical work associated with the transmutation of the spirit into purified physical form.  Metaphorically, we can view this as the union of body and soul: the quintessential dream of Immortality.  The full work of alchemy is infinitely complex (to modern scholars) and layered with spiritual allegory, but the archetype of the Red King in simplest terms signifies the union of spirit with matter.  The Red King represents the ability to manifest the intangible energy of the unseen world; to bring forth and manipulate its power on earth with a knowing hand.  He is associated with the element of fire, sulfur, the Sun and the masculine active principle of energy.  The Red King of the Incidental Tarot represents magic made manifest.

Magic, in its purest form is spirit.  It is the energy unseen which permeates all of creation, waiting to be tapped and channeled into whatever form the magician denotes.  The Red King is the conductor of this energy, a master of magic; he himself has risen from the darkness of chaos, been purified into spirit and then born (with this knowledge) into the physical reality of this world.  He is both the magician, and magic made tangible in the world of the elements.

The Red King denotes mastery over the forces of the unseen.  He has constructed his world steadily and carefully through the phases of the Work, all the while striving to harmonize his own higher purpose with the role he has been given in the greater Cosmic Work.  He understands the consequences of foolish pursuits, and directs his personal action with the same purpose that he channels the greater energies of the unseen world.  His spiritual work is in perfect harmony with the work he directs in the physical world; thus he is a master of both.

In a reading, the Red King represents great potential in the hands of the querent.  He or she is poised to be a direct channel of Magic, and to become a powerful conduit between the unnamed, unseen forces of the universe and those that function in the physical world.  This is a position not to be taken lightly; it is a role that requires balance, responsibility and conscience, for the work of the Red King affects the destinies of all those whose lives he touches.  The querent is in a position of great advantage, with all the tools necessary to succeed in the Work, and can proceed with confidence, strength and a sense of empowered responsibility.  Action is the key to this card; the magic is already in you and need only be tapped.

To define the Red King in a word:  MANIFEST.

REVERSED.  Misuse of power, arrogance, spiritual weakness, squandering of resources.  Inability to assume authority, irresponsible action.  Manipulation without conscience.