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Meridian, Mississippi

Meridian is the eighth most populous city in the U.S. state of Mississippi, with a population of 35,052 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Lauderdale County and the principal city of the Meridian, Mississippi Micropolitan Statistical Area. Along major highways, the city is 93 mi east of Jackson; 154 mi southwest of Birmingham, Alabama; 202 mi northeast of New Orleans, Louisiana; and 231 mi southeast of Memphis, Tennessee.

Established in 1860, at the junction of the Mobile and Ohio Railroad and Southern Railway of Mississippi, Meridian built an economy based on the railways and goods transported on them, and it became a strategic trading center. During the Civil War, General William Tecumseh Sherman burned much of the city to the ground in the Battle of Meridian (February 1864). Rebuilt after the war, the city entered a "Golden Age". It became the largest city in Mississippi between 1890 and 1930, and a leading center for manufacturing in the South, with 44 trains arriving and departing daily. Union Station, built in 1906, is now a multi-modal center, with access to Amtrak and Greyhound Buses averaging 242,360 passengers per year. Although the economy slowed with the decline of the railroad industry, the city has diversified, with healthcare, military, and manufacturing employing the most people in 2010. The population within the city limits, according to 2008 census estimates, is 38,232, but a population of 232,900 in a 45 mi radius and 526,500 in a 65 mi radius, of which 104,600 and 234,200 people respectively are in the labor force, feeds the economy of the city.

The area is served by two military facilities, Naval Air Station Meridian and Key Field, which employ over 4,000 people. NAS Meridian is home to the Regional Counter-Drug Training Academy (RCTA) and the first local Department of Homeland Security in the state. Students in Training Air Wing ONE (Strike Flight Training) train in the T-45C Goshawk training jet. Key Field is named after brothers Fred and Al Key, who set a world endurance flight record in 1935. The field is now home to the 186th Air Refueling Wing of the Air National Guard and a support facility for the 185th Aviation Brigade of the Army National Guard. Rush Foundation Hospital is the largest non-military employer in the region, employing 2,610 people. Among the city's many arts organizations and historic buildings are the Riley Center, the Meridian Museum of Art, Meridian Little Theatre, and the Meridian Symphony Orchestra. Meridian was home to two Carnegie libraries, one for whites and one for African Americans. The Carnegie Branch Library, now demolished, was one of a number of Carnegie libraries built for blacks in the Southern United States during the segregation era.

The Mississippi Arts and Entertainment Experience (the MAX) is located in downtown Meridian. Jimmie Rodgers, the "Father of Country Music", was born in Meridian. Highland Park houses a museum which displays memorabilia of his life and career, as well as railroad equipment from the steam-engine era. The park is also home to the Highland Park Dentzel Carousel, a National Historic Landmark. It is the world's only two-row stationary Dentzel menagerie in existence.

Other notable natives include Miss America 1986 Susan Akin; James Chaney, an activist who was one of three civil rights workers murdered in 1964; singer Paul Davis; and Hartley Peavey, founder of Peavey Electronics headquartered in Meridian. The federal courthouse was the site of the 1966–1967 trial of suspects in the murder of Chaney and two other activists. For the first time, an all-white jury convicted a white official of a civil rights killing.

Early History
Previously inhabited by the Choctaw Native Americans, the area now called Meridian was obtained by the United States under the terms of the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek in 1830 during the period of Indian removal. After the treaty was ratified, European-American settlers began to move into the area.

After receiving a federal land grant of about 2000 acres, Richard McLemore, the first settler of Meridian, began offering free land to newcomers to attract more settlers to the region and develop the area. Most of McLemore's land was bought in 1853 by Lewis A. Ragsdale, a lawyer from Alabama. John T. Ball, a merchant from Kemper County, bought the remaining 80 acre. Ragsdale and Ball, now known as the founders of the city, began laying out lots for new development on their respective land sections.

There was much competition over the proposed name of the settlement. Ball and the more industrial residents of the city supported the name "Meridian," believing the term to be synonymous with "junction"; the more agrarian residents of the city preferred "Sowashee" (meaning "mad river" in Choctaw, from the name of a nearby creek); and Ragsdale proposed "Ragsdale City." Ball erected a station house on the Mobile and Ohio Railroad – the sign on which would alternate between "Meridian" and "Sowashee" each day. Eventually the continued development of the railroads led to an influx of railroad workers who overruled the others in the city and left "Meridian" on the station permanently. The town was officially incorporated as Meridian on February 10, 1860.

Civil War and Reconstruction era
At the start of the American Civil War in 1861, Meridian was still a small village. But the Confederates made use of its strategic position at the railroad junction and constructed several military installations there to support the war. During the Battle of Meridian in 1864, Union General William Tecumseh Sherman led troops into the city, destroying the railroads in every direction, as well as an arsenal and immense storehouses; his forces burned many of the buildings to the ground. Sherman is reported to have said afterwards, "Meridian, with its depots, store-houses, arsenal, hospitals, offices, hotels, and cantonments no longer exists." Despite the destruction, workers rapidly repaired the railroad lines and they were back in operation 26 working days after the battle.

Race relations were tense during the Reconstruction era, as whites resisted freedmen being allowed to choose their labor, vote, and have freedom of movement. Following a fire that damaged many businesses, the riot of 1871 erupted, with whites attacking blacks in the community. The black community had expanded after the war, as people moved to the city for more opportunity and to create community away from white supervision.

Golden Age and the Great Depression
The town boomed in the aftermath of the Civil War, and experienced its "Golden Age" from 1880 to 1910. The railroads in the area provided for both passenger transportation and industrial needs, stimulating industry, businesses and a population boom. Related commercial activity increased in the downtown area. Between 1890 and 1930, Meridian was the largest city in Mississippi and a leading center for manufacturing in the South.

The wealth generated by this strong economy resulted in residents constructing many fine buildings, now preserved as historic structures, including the Grand Opera House in 1890, the Wechsler School in 1894, two Carnegie libraries in 1913, and the Threefoot Building, Meridian's tallest skyscraper, in 1929.

The city continued to grow thanks to a commission government's efforts to bring in 90 new industrial plants in 1913 and a booming automobile industry in the 1920s. Even through the stock market crash of 1929 and the following Great Depression, the city continued to attract new businesses. With escapism becoming popular in the culture during the depth of the Depression, the S. H. Kress & Co. building, built to "provide luxury to the common man," opened in downtown Meridian, as did the Temple Theater, which was first used as a movie house. The federal courthouse was built in 1933 as a WPA project.

After a brief slowdown of the economy at the end of the Depression, the country entered World War II, which renewed the importance of railroads. The rails were essential to transport gasoline and scrap metal to build military vehicles, so Meridian became the region's rail center again. This renewed prosperity continued until the 1950s, when the affordability of automobiles and the subsidized Interstate Highway System drew off passengers from the trains. The decline of the railroad industry, which went through considerable restructuring among freight lines as well, caused significant job losses. The city's population declined as workers left for other areas.

Civil Rights movement
the American Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s, Meridian was home to a Council of Federated Organizations (COFO) office and several other activist organizations. James Chaney and other local residents, along with Michael Schwerner, his wife Rita, and Andrew Goodman, volunteers from New York City, worked to create a community center. They held classes during Freedom Summer to help prepare African Americans in the area to prepare to regain their constitutional franchise, after having been excluded from politics since disenfranchisement in 1890. Whites in the area resented the activism, and physically attacked civil rights workers. In June 1964, Chaney, Schwerner, and Goodman went to Neshoba County, Mississippi, to meet with members of a black church that had been bombed and burned. The three disappeared that night on their way back to Meridian. Following a massive FBI investigation, their murdered bodies were found two months later, buried in an earthen dam.

Seven Klansmen, including a deputy sheriff, were convicted by an all-white jury in the federal courthouse in Meridian of "depriving the victims of their civil rights". Three defendants were acquitted in the trial for the murders of Chaney, Goodman, and Schwerner. This was the first time that a white jury had convicted "a white official in a civil rights killing."

In 2005, the state brought charges in the case for the first time. Edgar Ray Killen was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 60 years in prison. Meridian later honored Chaney by renaming a portion of 49th Avenue after him and holding an annual memorial service.

Modern history
Starting in the 1960s and following the construction of highways that made commuting easier, residents began to move away from downtown in favor of new housing subdivisions to the north. After strip commercial interests began to move downtown, the city worked to designate several areas as historic districts in the 1970s and 80s to preserve the architectural character of the city. The Meridian Historic Districts and Landmarks Commission was created in 1979, and the Meridian Main Street program was founded in 1985.

Meridian Main Street organized several projects to revitalize downtown. This included construction of a new Amtrak Station in 1997, based on the design of the historic train station used during Meridian's Golden Age; it had been demolished. Other projects included renovation of the Rosenbaum Building in 2001 and Weidmann's Restaurant in 2002, as well as support for integrated urban design. Meridian Main Street, along with The Riley Foundation, helped renovate and adapt the historic Grand Opera House in 2006 for use as the "Mississippi State University Riley Center for Education and the Performing Arts."

After ownership of the Meridian Main Street was transferred to the Alliance for Downtown Meridian in late 2007, the two organizations, along with the Meridian Downtown Association, spearheaded the downtown revitalization effort. The Alliance serves as an umbrella organization, allowing the other two organizations to use its support staff and housing, and in turn the Alliance serves as a liaison between the organizations. Plans were underway to renovate the Threefoot Building, but newly elected Mayor Cheri Barry killed the plans in early 2010. Today, the Alliance helps to promote further development and restoration downtown; its goal is to assist businesses such as specialty shops, restaurants, and bars because these help downtown become more active during the day and at night. The Meridian Downtown Association is primarily focused on increasing foot traffic downtown by organizing special events, and the Meridian Main Street program supports existing businesses downtown.

Hotels
Given Meridian's site as a railroad junction, its travelers have attracted the development of many hotels. Even before Meridian reached its "Golden Age," several large hotels, including the Great Southern and the Grand Avenue hotels, were built before the start of the 20th century. With the growth of the railroads and the construction of the original Union Station in 1906, many hotels were constructed for passengers and workers. The Elmira Hotel was constructed in 1905, and the Terminal Hotel was constructed in 1910. Hotel Meridian was constructed in 1907, and Union Hotel was built in 1908. Union Hotel was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979, and both Hotel Meridian and Grand Avenue Hotel were listed as contributing properties to the Meridian Urban Center Historic District.

As the city grew, the hotels reflected ambitions of the strong economy, as evidenced by the 11-story skyscraper Lamar Hotel built in 1927. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979, the Lamar Hotel was adapted for use as a county annex building. In 1988 it was listed as a Mississippi Landmark. The E.F. Young Hotel was built in 1931. A staple in the African-American business district that developed west of the city's core, the hotel was one of the only places in the city during the years of segregation where a traveling African American could find a room.

As the city suburbs developed in the 1960s and '70s, most hotels moved outside of downtown. Rehabilitation of the Riley Center in 2006 has increased demand and a push for a new downtown hotel. The Threefoot Building has been proposed for redevelopment for this purpose, but restoration efforts stalled with a change in city administrations. The Threefoot Preservation Society was formed in 2013 to raise public awareness and support for the building's renovation, featuring tours of the first floor and anniversary events.

Historic districts
Meridian has nine historic districts that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Meridian Downtown Historic District is a combination of two older districts, the Meridian Urban Center Historic District and the Union Station Historic District. Many architectural styles are present in the districts, most from the late 19th and early 20th centuries, including Queen Anne, Colonial Revival, Italianate, Art Deco, Late Victorian, and bungalow. The districts are:

East End Historic District – roughly bounded by 18th St, 11th Ave, 14th St, 14th Ave, 5th St, and 17th Ave.

Highlands Historic District – roughly bounded by 15th St, 34th Ave, 19th St, and 36th Ave.

Meridian Downtown Historic District – runs from the former Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Railroad north to 6th St between 18th and 26th Ave, excluding Ragsdale Survey Block 71.

 * Meridian Urban Center Historic District – roughly bounded by 21st and 25th Aves, 6th St, and the railroad.

 * Union Station Historic District – roughly bounded by 18th and 19th Aves, 5th St, and the railroad.

Merrehope Historic District – roughly bounded by 33rd Ave, 30th Ave, 14th St, and 8th St.

Mid-Town Historic District – roughly bounded by 23rd Ave, 15th St, 28th Ave, and 22nd St.

Poplar Springs Road Historic District – roughly bounded by 29th St, 23rd Ave, 22nd St, and 29th Ave.

West End Historic District – roughly bounded by 7th St, 28th Ave, Shearer's Branch, and 5th St.

Geography
Meridian is located in the East Central Hills region of Mississippi in Lauderdale County. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 54.50 sqmi, of which 53.74 sqmi are land and 0.76 sqmi, or 1.40%, are water. Along major highways, the city is 93 mi east of Jackson, Mississippi; 154 mi west of Birmingham, Alabama; 202 mi northeast of New Orleans, Louisiana; 231 mi southeast of Memphis, Tennessee; and 297 mi west of Atlanta, Georgia. The area surrounding the city is covered with oak and pine forests, and its topography consists of clay hills and the bottom lands of the head waters of the Chickasawhay River.

The natural terrain of the area has been modified in the urban core of the city by grading, but maintains its gentle rolling character in the outlying areas. Numerous small creeks are found throughout the city, and small lakes and woodlands lie in the northern and southern portions of the city. Sowashee Creek runs through the southern portion of the city and is fed by Gallagher's Creek, which flows through the center of the city. Loper's Creek runs through the far-western part of the city, while smaller creeks including Shearer's Branch, Magnolia Creek, and Robbins Creek are dispersed throughout the city.

Climate
Meridian is in the humid subtropical climate zone. The average high temperature during summer (June through August) is around 90 °F and the average low is around 70 °F. In winter (December through February) the average maximum is around 60 °F and minimum 35 °F. The warmest month is July, with an average high of 92.9 °F, and the coldest month of the year is January with an average low of 34.7 °F.

The average annual precipitation in the city is 58.65 in. Rainfall is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year, and the wettest month of the year is March, in which an average of 6.93 in of rain falls. Much rainfall is delivered by thunderstorms which are common during the summer months but occur throughout the year. Severe thunderstorms – which can produce damaging winds and/or large hail in addition to the usual hazards of lightning and heavy rain – occasionally occur. These are most common during the spring months with a secondary peak during the fall months. These storms also bring the risk of tornadoes.

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States Census, there were 35,052 people, 15,947 households, and 9,285 families residing in the city.

The city's growth has reflected the push and pull of many social and economic factors. The total population increased in each census from the city's founding until 1970, although varying from rates as high as 165% to as low as 0.2%. In the 1970 census the population decreased, then slightly increased by 1980, after which the population slowly declined, increasing again since the turn of the 21st century. Between 1980 and 2000, the population declined more than 14%. As of the census of 2000, the city's population was 39,968, and the population density was 885.9 PD/sqmi. In 2008, the city was the sixth largest in the state. The population increased as of 2010.

Meridian is the principal city in the Meridian micropolitan area, which as of 2009 consisted of three counties – Clarke, Kemper, and Lauderdale – and had a population of 106,139. There is a population of 232,900 in a 45 mi radius and 526,500 in a 65 mi radius.

While the overall population growth of the city has varied, there has been a steady growth in the number and percentage of non-white residents. The only decline in this group was between 1960 and 1970, when the city's overall population declined markedly. In the 2010 Census, the racial makeup of the city was 61.55% African American, 35.71% White, 0.9% Asian, 0.2% Native American, <0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.59% from other races, and 0.89% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.75% of the population.

According to the 2000 Census, of the 17,890 housing units inside city limits, 15,966 were occupied, 10,033 of them by families. 31.1% of occupied households had children under the age of 18, 36.2% were married couples living together, 23.3% consisted of a female householder with no husband present, and 37.2% were non-families. 33.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 3.06. The average household size has steadily decreased since 1970, when it was 3.04. Meridian's median age has increased from 30.4 in 1970 to 34.6 in 2000.

The median income for a household in the city was $25,085, and the median income for a family was $31,062. Males had a median income of $29,404 versus $19,702 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,255. About 24.6% of families and 28.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 40.8% of those under age 18 and 22.0% of those age 65 or over.

Religion
The population of Meridian and its surrounds is fairly observant, with 65.2% of Lauderdale County affiliated with some type of religious congregation, compared to the national average of 50.2%. Of the affiliated in 2000, 30,068 (59.0%) were in the Southern Baptist Convention, 9,469 (18.6%) were with the United Methodist Church, and 1,872 (3.7%) were associated with the Catholic Church.

Immigrant Jews from Germany and eastern Europe were influential in commercial development of the city, building businesses and services. Congregation Beth Israel was founded in 1868, just before the city's "Golden Age." Meridian once had the largest Jewish community in the state, with 575 Jewish people living in the city in 1927. Today, fewer than 40 Jews live in Meridian, most of whom are elderly. Romani people also call Meridian home, including Kelly Mitchell, Queen of the Gipsy Nation, from whom the city may have derived the nickname "Queen City".

Economy
Early on, the economy depended greatly upon the railroads in the area. The city was the largest in Mississippi around the start of the 20th century, with five major rail lines and 44 trains coming in and out daily. The city's economy not only depended on the rails but the goods, such as timber and cotton, transported on them. With these rail-based industries, the city was a great economic power in the state and region from about 1890 through 1930. Though its economy slowed with the decline of the railroading industry in the 1950s, the city has adapted, moving from a largely rail-based economy to a more diversified one, with healthcare, military, and manufacturing employing the most people.

Along with Lauderdale County and the city of Marion, Meridian is served by the East Mississippi Business Development Corporation, which was formed in 1996 by a group of business leaders from the area. While as of April 2010, the city's civilian labor force was only 15,420 people, there is a population of 232,900 in a 45 mi radius and 526,500 in a 65 mi radius, of which 104,600 and 234,200 people respectively are in the labor force. The city thus serves as a hub of employment, retail, health care, and culture activities. Eighty percent of Lauderdale County's workers reside in the county while 90% live within 45 miles.

In April 2020, there were 5,101 people employed in the healthcare field in Lauderdale County. Rush Health Systems is the largest healthcare organization in the region, employing 2,465 people, followed by Anderson Regional Health System with 1,343 and East Mississippi State Hospital with 943. There are two hospitals in Meridian, as well as many other healthcare-related facilities. Anderson Regional Medical Center provides cardiovascular surgery, a Level II newborn intensive-care unit, and a health and fitness center. In December 2010, Anderson bought Riley Hospital and absorbed its employees and stroke treatment center and rehabilitation services. Rush Foundation Hospital and the related Rush Health Systems operate a Specialty Hospital of Meridian, which offers long-term care for non-permanent patients who require more recovery time in a hospital setting. Other healthcare facilities in Meridian include the Alliance Health Center and East Mississippi State Hospital, the latter of which has been in operation since 1882.

Retail is another major employer in the county, with 5,280 people employed in April 2010. Nearly $2 billion annually is spent on retail purchases in the city. The 633685 sqft Uptown Meridian offers over one hundred shopping venues, including department stores, specialty shops, restaurants, eateries, and United Artists Theatres. Phase I of the construction of Meridian Crossroads, a 375000 sqft shopping center in the Bonita Lakes area, was completed in November 2007, providing a major boost to retail in the area. Also, the shopping district on North Hills Street has continued to expand, and in March 2007, additional retail and office space was opened near the Highway 19 Walmart Supercenter.

The area is also served by two military facilities, Naval Air Station Meridian and Key Field, which supply over 4,000 jobs to residents of the surrounding area. NAS Meridian provides training for naval carrier pilots and other enlisted personnel. Also housed at the base is the Regional Counter-Drug Training Academy (RCTA), which provides narcotics training for law enforcement in many southeastern states. Containing the first local Department of Homeland Security in the state, the city is the leader in a nine county regional response team and a twenty-nine county regional response task force. Key Field is the site of the famous flight by brothers Fred and Al Key, who set a world endurance flight record in 1935. Key Field is now home to the 186th Air Refueling Wing of the Air National Guard and a support facility for the 185th Aviation Brigade of the Army National Guard. The site also contains an exhibit reviewing the history of aviation, and is the home of Meridian's Aviation Museum.

The total manufacturing employment of Lauderdale County in April 2010 was 2,850 people. Peavey Electronics Corporation, which has manufactured guitars, amplifiers, and sound equipment since 1965, operates its headquarters in the city. Other businesses in the area include Avery Dennison, Structural Steel Services, Bimbo Bakeries USA, Tower Automotive, and Teikuro Corporation. The city is also home to four industrial parks.

In downtown, the MSU Riley Center provides revenue from tourism, arts, and entertainment sales. The Riley Center attracts more than 60,000 visitors to downtown Meridian annually for conferences, meetings, and performances. Loeb's Department Store on Front St has remained a Mississippi clothing landmark, having passed through four generations of family ownership. The store has been selling fine men's and women's clothing since 1887, when the store was first opened by Alex Loeb.

Culture
One of the first art organizations in the city, The Meridian Art League, was established in February 1933. Art exhibitions were originally held in Lamar Hotel in downtown Meridian, but after a name change to Meridian Art Association in 1949, exhibitions were held at various locations around the city. After the Carnegie library at 25th Ave and 7th St was closed, the Art Association remodeled the building into the Meridian Museum of Art to serve as a permanent home for exhibits. The museum was opened in 1970 and has since featured rotating exhibitions as well as many educational programs for both students and adults. Over thirty exhibitions are held annually, ranging from traditional decorative arts to ethnographic and tribal materials, photography, crafts, and many other works of art. The collection also includes 18th and 19th century portraits, 20th century photography, and several sculptures.

The Meridian Council for the Arts (MCA) was founded as Meridian's and Lauderdale County's official arts agency in 1978. MCA operates its Community Art Grants program, the annual Threefoot Festival, several workshops, and other special events each year. MCA is partnered with many arts organizations in the city and county including the Meridian Museum of Art, the Meridian Little Theatre, and the Meridian Symphony Orchestra. Meridian Little Theatre, one of the South's oldest subscription-based community theatres, was built in 1932 and currently provides entertainment to residents of and visitors to Meridian and Lauderdale County, entertaining over 22,000 guests each season, making it Mississippi's most-attended community theatre. The Meridian Symphony Orchestra (MSO) – founded in 1961 – played its first concert in 1962 and its first full season in 1963. In 1965 the MSO booked its first international soloist, Elena Nikolaidi, to perform with the orchestra. The Orchestra helped the Meridian Public School District develop its own orchestra and strings programs and also helped develop the Meridian Symphony Chorus. The current conductor is Dr. Claire Fox Hillard, who has been with the orchestra since 1991. The MSO celebrated its 50th anniversary in February 2011 with a performance from Itzhak Perlman.

The city's former Grand Opera House was built in 1889 by two half brothers, Israel Marks and Levi Rothenberg. During its operation the opera house hosted many famous artists and works, the first being a German company's rendition of Johann Strauss II's "The Gypsy Baron". After closing in the late 1920s due to the Great Depression, the opera house was abandoned for nearly 70 years. A $10 million grant in 2000 by the Riley Foundation, a local foundation chartered in 1998, sparked the building's restoration while $15 million came from a combination of city, county, and federal grants. The opera house's renovation was completed in September 2006 under the new name "Mississippi State University Riley Center for Education and Performing Arts." The Riley Center, which includes a 950-seat auditorium for live performances, a 200-seat studio theater, and 30000 sqft of meeting space, attracts more than 60,000 visitors to downtown Meridian annually for conferences, meetings, and performances.

Meridian is considered an architectural treasure trove being one of the USA's most intact cities from the end of the nineteenth and start of the twentieth centuries. Architecture students from around the nation and Canada are known to visit Meridian in groups as part of their coursework due to numerous structures in the city having been designed by noted architects. The only home in the US south designed by noted Canadian born architect Louis S. Curtiss, famous for inventing the glass curtain wall skyscraper, is extant on Highland Park. The Frank Fort-designed Threefoot Building is generally considered one of the best Art Deco skyscrapers in the US and is often compared to Detroit's famed Fisher Building. Noted California architect Wallace Neff designed a number of homes in Meridian as well as in the Alabama Black Belt which adjoins the city across the nearby Alabama State line. He had relatives in Meridian and Selma who were executives in the then thriving railroad industry and would take commissions in the area when commissions in California were lean. His work is mostly concentrated in the lower numbered blocks of Poplar Springs Drive where his 2516 Poplar Springs Drive is often compared to the similarly designed Falcon Lair, the Beverly Hills home in Benedict Canyon of Rudolph Valentino. One Neff work was lost to an expansion of Anderson Hospital in 1990 and another in Marion Park burned in the 1950s. The Meridian Post Office with its interior done entirely of bronze and Verde marble is also noteworthy as a very fine example of the type of post office built in thriving and well to do cities in the 1920s and originally had Lalique lighting which was removed during a 1960s remodeling, and which are now in private residences on Poplar Springs Drive and in North Hills.

Meridian has been selected as the future location of the Mississippi Arts and Entertainment Center (MAEC). The Mississippi Legislature approved the idea in 2001 and in 2006 promised $4 million in funding if private contributors could raise $8 million. The city donated $50,000 to the cause in September 2007. The MAEC, as proposed, would be located on 175 acre at Bonita Lakes and consist of an outdoor amphitheatre, an indoor concert hall, and a Hall of Fame honoring Mississippi artists. The Hall of Fame will be located downtown in the old Montana's building. That property and the adjacent Meridian Hotel building were acquired in July 2010 for $300,000. In February 2009, the MAEC revealed its Walk of Fame outside of the Riley Center in an attempt to promote the planned Hall of Fame. The first star on the walk was dedicated to Jimmie Rodgers, a Meridian native. In September of the same year, the second star was revealed, recognizing B.B. King, a famous blues musician from Mississippi. On June 1, 2010, authors Tennessee Williams, Eudora Welty, and William Faulkner were added to the walk. Sela Ward was added to the walk on June 24, 2010. The MAEC plans to add many more Mississippi-born stars to the Walk of Fame; names mentioned include Morgan Freeman, Jimmy Buffett, Elvis Presley, Conway Twitty, and others.

Another location in the city used for large productions is the Hamasa Shrine Temple Theater. The Temple Theater houses a 778-pipe Robert Morgan organ, one of two Theater Organs still in their original installations in the state. With seating for 1800 persons, the silent movie era was a prosperous time for the Temple. At the time, it was one of the largest stages in the United States, second only to the Roxy Theater in New York City. Today, seating 1576 persons, the Temple is used year-round for area events, live stage shows, plays, concerts, Hamasa Shrine functions, and public screenings of classic movies.

Highland Park houses a Jimmie Rodgers museum which displays the original guitar of "The Singing Brakeman" and other memorabilia of his life and career, as well as railroad equipment from the steam-engine era. In addition to the museum building itself, there are outside memorials, and a vintage steam locomotive on display. A Mississippi Blues Trail historic marker has been placed in Meridian to honor the city as the birthplace of Jimmie Rodgers and emphasizes his importance to the development of the blues style of music in Mississippi. The city was the first site to receive this designation outside the Mississippi Delta. Also, a Mississippi Country Music Trail marker was placed in Oak Grove Cemetery in honor of Rodgers on June 1, 2010. Each year since 1953, the city has held a festival during May to honor the anniversary of his death.

The park is home to a 19th-century carousel manufactured around 1895 by Gustav Dentzel of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Highland Park Dentzel Carousel has been in operation since 1909, is a National Historic Landmark, and is the world's only two-row stationary Dentzel menagerie in existence. Its house is the only remaining original carousel building built from a Dentzel blueprint. Around Town Carousels Abound is a public arts project of 62 carousel horses, representing the historic carousel. Sixty-two pieces have been sponsored by local businesses and citizens, and design of the horses was conceived and painted by local artists. They are placed throughout the city and county.

Recreation
The city contains several recreational parks, including Highland Park, Bonita Lakes, and Okatibbee Lake. Highland Park contains picnic shelters, swimming pools, tennis courts, a baseball field, softball fields, and a playground, all open year-round to visitors. Bonita Lakes is a city-owned, 3300 acre park including three lakes. The park also includes the Long Creek Reservoir and Lakeview Municipal Golf Course, along with nature trails, a jogging and walking track, biking paths, horseback riding trails, pavilions, picnic facilities, boat ramps, paddle boats, concessions, and fishing. Along with the lakes, the Bonita Lakes area includes Uptown Meridian, Bonita Lakes Crossing, and Bonita Lakes Plaza. Okatibbee Lake is a 7150 acre establishment containing a 4144 acre lake which offers boating, fishing, swimming, water skiing, picnicking, hunting, hiking and camping. Splashdown Country Water Park, a 25-room motel, and cabins are located on the lake.

Since 1992, Meridian has been a host of the State Games of Mississippi, a statewide annual multi-sport event modeled after the Olympic Games. The organization is a member of the National Congress of State Games, which is affiliated with the U.S. Olympic Committee. In its first year 1,200 athletes competed in twelve sports, and since then over 70,000 athletes have participated in the Games. In 2009, more than 4500 athletes participated in 27 sports. All competitors in the games can compete in the Southeast Sports Festival, while medalists may move up to the bi-annual State Games of America.

Originally the games were held in one weekend in June, but as more sports were added, the event was expanded to two weekends. Opening ceremonies always begin on the third Friday in June in downtown Meridian. The games are held at several sports parks, including Northeast Park, Sammie Davidson Complex, and other various fields throughout the city. Northeast Park is an 85 acre park on Highway 39 that contains 10 tennis courts, four softball fields, three soccer fields, an asphalt track, and a large picnic pavilion. The Sammie Davidson Sports Complex includes six tennis courts, four softball fields, and a half-mile track. Other sports fields include the Meridian Jaycee Soccer Complex, Sykes Park, and Phil Hardin Park.

There are several golf courses in the city, including the aforementioned Lakeview Municipal Golf Course, an 18-hole course open to the public daily. Briarwood County Club, located on Highway 39 North, is a private club with golf, swimming, fishing, and dining facilities. Other golf courses serving the city include Northwood Country Club, Okatibbee Creek Golf Center, and Ponta Creek Golf Course.

Government and infrastructure

Meridian has operated under the mayor-council or "strong mayor" form of government since 1985. A mayor is elected every four years by the population at-large. The five members of the city council are elected every four years from each of the city's five wards, considered single-member districts. The mayor, the chief executive officer of the city, is responsible for administering and leading the day-to-day operations of city government. The city council is the legislative arm of the government, setting policy and annually adopting the city's operating budget.

City Hall, which has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is located at 601 23rd Avenue. The current mayor is Jimmie Smith. Members of the city council include Dr. George M. Thomas, representative from Ward 1, Dwayne Davis, representative from Ward 2, Joseph Norwood, representative from Ward 3, Romande Gail Walker, representative from Ward 4, and Tyeasha "Ty" Bell Lindsey, representative from Ward 5. The council clerk is Jo Ann Clark. In total, the city employs 570 people.

The city has a Department of Homeland Security (DHS), becoming the only local DHS in the state. The team oversees an area of nine counties. Upon receiving $2.5 million in grants from the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency and other organizations, the department began training law enforcement offices from other Southern states in passenger rail rescue as well as offering civilian classes in basic handguns, Boy Scout first aid and hunting, and firearms training. The DHS helps during times of crisis such as Hurricane Ivan in September 2004, when the department helped establish and support shelters for 700 evacuees. The city now serves as the leader of one of the task forces in the Mississippi DHS, a combination of three nine-county teams.

Headed by police chief Lee Shelbourn since 2009, the Meridian Police Department consists of 115 full-time officers as well as part-time and reserve staff available. In 2009, the department's Criminal Investigations Division responded to 4000 cases, 2000 of which were felonies. In 2000, 2094 crimes were reported, up slightly from 2008 crimes the preceding year. Meridian has been described as "the safest city in Mississippi with more than 30,000 people." The East Mississippi Correctional Facility is located in unincorporated Lauderdale County, near Meridian. It is operated by the GEO Group on behalf of the Mississippi Department of Corrections. The chief of the Meridian Fire Department is Anthony Clayton. The fire department responded to more than 1600 calls in 2009, including 123 structural fires and 609 emergency service calls. The Mississippi Department of Mental Health operates the East Mississippi State Hospital in Meridian. The United States Postal Service operates the Meridian, North Meridian, and the West Meridian Station post offices.

In state politics, the Mississippi Senate district map divides the city into three sections. The northern tip of the city is in the 31st State Senate District and seats Terry Clark Burton (Republican party). A strip of the city from the southwest corner up to the northeast corner comprises part of the 32nd State Senate District and seats Sampson Jackson, II (Democratic party). The western and southeastern portions of the city lie in the 33rd State Senate District and seats Videt Carmichael (Republican party). In the Mississippi House of Representatives districts, the city is divided into four districts. The southern and eastern portions of the city reside in House District 81 and are represented by Steven A. Horne (Republican party). The city's core makes up the entirety of House District 82 and is represented by Wilbert L. Jones (Democratic party). Surrounding House District 82 is House District 83, represented by Greg Snowden (Republican party). The western section of the city, along with a small section in the north, lie in House District 84 and are represented by Tad Campbell (Republican party).

On the national level, the city is located in Mississippi's 3rd congressional district, represented by Gregg Harper (Republican party), who has been in office since 2009. Lauderdale County, home to Meridian, has voted for the Republican candidate in every United States presidential election since 1972. Before the shift to the Republican Party, white area voters supported Democratic Party candidates, as for decades since the late 19th century, it was a one-party state.

Railroads and public transit
Amtrak's Crescent  train connects Meridian with the cities of New York, New York; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Baltimore, Maryland; Washington, D.C.; Charlotte, North Carolina; Atlanta, Georgia; Birmingham, Alabama; and New Orleans, Louisiana. The Union Station Multi-Modal Transportation Center (MMTC) is located at 1901 Front Street, part of the Meridian Downtown Historic District, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Originally built in 1906, but later demolished in 1966 then rebuilt in 1997, the station includes several modes of transportation including Amtrak, Norfolk Southern rail corridor, Greyhound buses, Trailways and other providers of transit services. The number of passengers on Amtrak trains, Greyhound buses, and Meridian Transit System buses averages 242,360 per year.

Air
The city is served by Meridian Regional Airport, located at Key Field, 2811 Airport Boulevard South, 3 mi southwest of the city. At 10004 foot, the airport's runway is the longest public runway in Mississippi. The airport, which has been in service since 1930, offers daily flights to Dallas/Fort Worth.

During the Great Depression, residents of the city contemplated abandoning the airport because of the cost of maintenance, but in 1935 Brothers Fred and Al Key, managers of the airport, thought of a way to keep the airport operating. From June 4 until July 1, 1935, the brothers flew over the city in their plane, the "Ole Miss." The record they established in their 27 days aloft, totaling 653 hours and 34 minutes, attracted enough publicity and funds to the city to keep the airport running. Key Field is therefore named after the brothers, whose flight endurance record remains unbroken in conventional flight.

Highways
Interstate 20
 * Interstate highways

Runs west through Jackson, Mississippi, eventually terminating near Kent, Texas, and east through Tuscaloosa, Alabama, eventually terminating in Florence, South Carolina.

Interstate 59

Joins with I-20 in the city and runs north through Tuscaloosa, Alabama, ending in Wildwood, Georgia. It also runs south through Hattiesburg, Mississippi, and on to Slidell, Louisiana.

U.S. Highway 11
 * U.S. highways

Runs parallel to Interstate 59 south to New Orleans, Louisiana, and north all the way to the Canada–U.S. border.

U.S. Highway 45

Transnational route which runs north through Columbus, Mississippi, to the U.S.-Canada border and south through Quitman, Mississippi, to Mobile, Alabama, and the Gulf of Mexico.

U.S. Highway 80

Runs west through Jackson, Mississippi, to Dallas, Texas, and east through Demopolis, Alabama, all the way to Tybee Island, Georgia and the Atlantic Ocean.

Mississippi Highway 19
 * State highways

Runs north to West, Mississippi, and south to the Mississippi-Alabama border, where it continues as Alabama State Route 10.

Mississippi Highway 39

Begins in Meridian and runs north to Shuqualak, Mississippi.

Mississippi Highway 145

Formerly US 45, but now only exists as an alternate route in several cities.

Mississippi Highway 493

Begins in Meridian and runs north to Lynville, Mississippi.

Education
Early public education in Meridian was based on the 1870 Mississippi Constitution. From 1870 to 1885, trustees appointed by the City Council served on the Board of School Directors, which had authority to operate the schools. Although there were several schools in the city before 1884, they were privately owned and only enrolled about 400 students. The city did not build its first publicly owned school until September 1884. The first public school for blacks in the city was held in facilities rented from St. Paul Methodist Church. The Mississippi Legislature amended the city charter in January 1888 to allow the city to maintain its own municipal school district, and in March of the same year $30,000 in bonds was approved for the city to build new public schools. From this bond, the Wechsler School was built in 1894, becoming the first brick public school building in the state built for blacks.

From this early district and later additions, the Meridian Public School District grew to its current size, which now includes six elementary schools, three middle schools, and three high schools. The city also contains several private schools, including Lamar School, Community Christian School, and St. Patrick's Catholic School. The campus of Meridian High School, the main high school in the district, occupies 37 acre, including six buildings and 111 classrooms. The school is made up of grades 9–12 and enrolls approximately 1,500 students.

Meridian is home to two post-secondary educational institutions. Meridian Community College, founded in 1937, is located at 910 Highway 19 N and offers free tuition for four semesters to graduates from the Meridian Public and Lauderdale County School Districts as well as homeschooled children who reside inside Lauderdale County. Originally known as Meridian Junior College and located at Meridian High School, the college moved to its present location in 1965. After desegregation laws were passed, MJC merged with T.J. Harris Junior College in 1970, which had previously enrolled African-American students. The name change from Meridian Junior College to Meridian Community College took place in 1987 "to more accurately reflect the diversity of opportunities it provides for a growing community area." Mississippi State University also operates a campus in the city. As of the Fall 2008 semester, 763 students from 33 counties throughout the state and several in Alabama attended the college.

Meridian is served by the Meridian-Lauderdale County Public Library, located at the corner of 7th Street and 26th Avenue. The city originally had two Carnegie libraries, both built in 1913 – one for blacks and one for whites. A group of women had formed the Fortnightly Book and Magazine Club in the 1880s and began raising money to build a library for the city. The books they collected and shared within the club were later the basis of the library collection for Meridian. With wide support for the library, the club enlisted Israel Marks, a city leader, to approach the national philanthropist Andrew Carnegie for funding assistance. The library for blacks was built at 13th Street and 28th Avenue on land donated by St. Paul Methodist Church, and the library for whites was established in a building originally owned by members of the First Presbyterian Church of Meridian, who sold it to the city on September 25, 1911. The African American library was the only library for blacks in the state until after World War I and is the only Carnegie library ever built for African Americans in the country. The two libraries served the city until 1967, when the institutions became integrated because of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, combined their collections, and moved all materials to their current location. The former white library was renovated and converted into the Meridian Museum of Art in 1970, and the former African-American library was demolished on May 28, 2008.

Media
The only daily newspaper printed in the city is The Meridian Star, which has been in operation since 1898. The paper was originally named The Evening Star but was renamed in 1915 and has been Meridian's only daily newspaper since 1921. With a daily circulation of about 12,000 in March 2010, the paper serves Lauderdale County as well as adjacent portions of western Alabama and eastern Mississippi.

Although the Meridian Star is now the only newspaper printed in the city, there have been a few other historical newspapers. One such paper is the Memo Digest, a ten to twenty page publication published during the 1970s. The Digest focused on issues relevant to the African-American population of the region, gathering a circulation of about 5,000 people. Other newspapers in the city have included The Colored Messenger, The State, The Weekly Mercury, The Blade, Weekly Echo, Fair Play, Headlight, Meridian Morning Sun, Teacher and Preacher, and Clarion.

The city is the principal city in the Meridian, Mississippi Designated Market Area (DMA), which includes 72,180 households with televisions. WTOK-TV broadcasts as an ABC affiliate from the city, headquartered at 815 23rd Avenue. WTOK operates two digital subchannels, WTOK-DT2, a MyNetworkTV affiliate, and WTOK-DT3, Meridian's CW. WMDN-TV is the market's CBS affiliate. WGBC-TV is the affiliate network carrying both FOX (WGBC-DT1) and NBC (WGBC-DT2) programming. Both stations share studios and transmitter facilities on Crestview Circle in unincorporated Lauderdale County, south of Meridian. Together, WGBC and WMDN are known as "The Meridian Family of Stations." WMAW-TV is the local affiliate of Mississippi Public Broadcasting.

The city is also the principal city in the Meridian Arbitron Radio Market, which includes 64,500 people over the age of 12. WUCL (FM 105.7), headquartered at 3436 Highway 45 North, takes the largest share of ratings in the market at 14.8% in Fall 2009. In the same period, WZKS (FM 104.1) was second with 11.1%, and WMOX (AM 1010) was third with 7.4%. Other popular stations in the market include WKZB (FM 97.9), WOKK (FM 97.1), WEXR (FM 106.9), WYHL (AM 1450), and WJXM (FM 95.1). Mississippi Public Broadcasting can be found on WMAW-FM (FM 88.1).

Notable people

 * John Luther Adams, composer; although more associated with Alaska, he was born in Meridian
 * Susan Akin, who won the Miss America beauty pageant in 1986
 * John Alexander, opera singer
 * Moe Bandy, country music singer
 * John Besh, New Orleans cuisine chef, TV personality, philanthropist, restaurateur and author
 * Big K.R.I.T., musician
 * Dennis Ray "Oil Can" Boyd, former Major League Baseball pitcher
 * Gil Carmichael, Meridian businessman, transportation specialist, and politician, was the Republican nominee for the Mississippi Senate in 1966 and 1967, U.S. Senate in 1972, governor in 1975 and 1979, and lieutenant governor in 1983
 * Brad Carter, engineer, Mississippi State Senator (1996–2000), owner of WMER
 * James Chaney, one of the victims in the murders of Chaney, Goodman, and Schwerner in 1964
 * Alvin Childress, actor, played the lead role on the Amos 'n' Andy Show
 * Austin Davis, NFL player
 * Paul Davis, singer-songwriter best known for the late 1970s and early 1980s pop hits "I Go Crazy" and "'65 Love Affair", was born in Meridian in 1948; after retiring, he returned to the city where he remained until his death in 2008
 * Winfield Dunn, former Governor of Tennessee, lived in Meridian
 * Cordera Eason, NFL player
 * John Fleming, U.S. Representative for Louisiana's 4th congressional district 2009–2017, was born and raised in Meridian
 * Fred and Al Key, known as "The Flying Keys" – holders of the world flight endurance record – are Meridian natives. Al Key is also a former mayor of the city.
 * Steve Forbert, folk singer best known for "Romeo's Tune"
 * Paul Hardy, Negro leagues catcher
 * Ty Herndon, country music singer
 * Rodney Hood, professional basketball player
 * Pooley Hubert, college football player & coach
 * Leroy Jones, former professional boxer
 * Gregory Keyes, science fiction and fantasy writer
 * Diane Ladd, actress, actually born in Laurel, but raised in Meridian, where her parents resided
 * Lilian Lewis, zoologist.
 * Alex M. Loeb, artist
 * Derrick McKey, NBA player
 * Scott McQuaig, country singer and recording artist
 * Kelly Mitchell, Queen of the Gypsy Nation
 * Gillespie V. Montgomery, former U.S. Representative, lived in Meridian
 * Montez Murphy, former NFL defensive tackle
 * Hartley Peavey, founder of Peavey Electronics, which is headquartered in Meridian
 * Fred Phelps, former (now deceased) leader of the Westboro Baptist Church
 * Robert Pious (1908–1983), American painter and illustrator
 * Jay Powell, pitcher
 * David Charles Richardson, commander and vice admiral in the United States Navy
 * Jimmie Rodgers, the "Father of Country Music", was born in the city in 1897. The Jimmie Rodgers Museum is located in Meridian, and the Jimmie Rodgers Festival has been an annual Meridian event since 1953.
 * David Ruffin, former lead singer of The Temptations, and his older brother Jimmy Ruffin were born in the surrounding area, Whynot and Collinsville, respectively.
 * Julian Rush (1936-2023), clergyman, playwright, and non-profit administrator
 * Joe Stringfellow, NFL player
 * Pat Sansone, Guitarist from Wilco
 * Anne Mollegen Smith, magazine editor and writer
 * Tom Stuart, politician, from 1973 to 1977 was the first Republican to serve as mayor of Meridian in the 20th century
 * Joni Taylor, Texas A&M Aggies women's basketball coach
 * Todd Tilghman, singer and lead pastor of Cornerstone Church in Meridian. A winner of 18th season of The Voice.
 * Mary Oneida Toups, occultist known as the "Witch Queen of New Orleans"
 * Alejandro Villanueva, NFL player
 * Kenyatta Walker, All-American collegiate football player; Super Bowl XXXVII champion as a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
 * Lillian W. Walker, member of the Louisiana House of Representatives for East Baton Rouge Parish from 1964 to 1972
 * Sela Ward, actress
 * Brad Watson, writer
 * James Wheaton, actor and director
 * Hayley Williams, lead singer of the band Paramore
 * Al Wilson, singer
 * George Wilson – former NBA center (1964–71)
 * John Louis Wilson Jr. (1898–1989), American architect
 * Charles Young Jr., business executive and current member of the Mississippi House of Representatives
 * Charles L. Young Sr., business executive and former member of the Mississippi House of Representatives

Non-fiction
In South and West: From a Notebook, Joan Didion recounts that she met a man while visiting Meridian in the 1970s who told her "The KKK which used to be a major factor in this community isn't a factor anymore, both the membership and the influence have diminished, and I cannot think of any place where the black is denied entrance, with the possible exception of private clubs."

Fictional characters
Cullen Bohannon, the protagonist of the AMC series Hell on Wheels, hails from Meridian, Mississippi, where he is a tobacco farmer and later a Confederate soldier during the American Civil War.

In the movie X-Men, the character Rogue hails from Meridian, Mississippi, and a small portion of the movie takes place there.

In the book To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, one of the characters, Dill Harris, is from Meridian.

title: Meridian, Mississippi


text:
Talk:May

WikiProject Time assessment rating comment
Want to help write or improve articles about Time? Join WikiProject Time or visit the Time Portal for a list of articles that need improving.

—Yamara ✉  17:15, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

Day of week
"May begins on a unique day of the week each year. " is untrue. I'm not sure what it means to say, but there are only seven days. They must repeat eventually. Can someone clarify? Tokerboy 00:40 Oct 17, 2002 (UTC)

 * Since June, July, etc fall a fixed number of days after May 1, the same is true of those months too. I think any month can start on any day. It's a trivial, pointles statement in my view -- anything about the days months start on can be said at month. I'm removing it form this article at least. -- Tarquin

Bona Dea and Maia
Why is it|Delirium]] 02:37, May 9, 2004 (UTC)

 * Hmm, the articles on Bona Dea and Mai more likely that May was named after [[Bona Dea rather than Maia? The name itself seems pretty clearly to have come from the latter, especially given that it's Maios in Greek. --User:Deliriuma need some reconciliation, as apparently there was a Roman goddess who was called by both, in addition to a Greek Maia who was not called Bona Dea. --Delirium 02:38, May 9, 2004 (UTC)hjhj

Standardize List Format
I'm going to standardize the list of notable dates in May so that each entry starts with the date, instead of "In (country), (this holiday) to celebrate (this thing that happened) is on May nth. Lovellama (talk) 21:38, 4 June 2010 (UTC)

3nd to 5th natural paragraph
Wouldn't they be too trivial?C933103 (talk) 18:47, 18 March 2014 (UTC)

External links modified
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TV cancellations/renewals
Did TV cancellations and renewals ever happen every May? --2600:1700:4300:2C8F:F9D8:399B:2D92:16FF (talk) 17:42, 18 July 2019 (UTC)

Open RfC related to this article.
See Talk:List_of_month-long_observances. --MoonyTheDwarf (Braden N.) (talk) 01:57, 12 November 2019 (UTC)

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Talk:May


text:
User talk:Nwt

Private university is just that--privately owned, it's not owned by the government. Don't worry, most French people don't understand the concept either. Private universities are generally pretty expensive...total fees (including housing) at a private university can run US$34,000. Not cheap.

Anyway, "dorky" is a term that is something like "nerd." It implies someone who is generally socially inept or maladroit, probably because they've spent too much time studying or doing academic things. The noun form is "dork." I'm not sure about the etymology, but I could look it up...ah. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, it used to be a slang term for "penis." Hmm... well, it's lost that meaning now. It's generally a slightly condescending or demeaning term, but not always if used among friends.

Slovenia is an interesting country, one that bears watching in the future. Happy joining of the EU in 2004.

-nwt

 * Hmm...a translation for "dork" in another language is quite useful. As for your question, there's no one formula for people who come from a place.  In general, however, people from a place that ends in a consonant are named by adding an -er (New Yorker, Londoner) and with a vowel by adding an -ian or -an (Chicagoan, as I am, or Canadians, for example).  And then there are irregular ones...  About Moscow or Beijing, I have no clue.  I want to say Moscuvites or something like that but there's no basis for it, so...  There really is no hard and fast rule; from Paris is Parisian, and from Boston is Bostonians (as far as I know), and there's many others I probably don't know, and very many cities probably have no such adjective.  So, it's not so easy.  If it makes you feel any better, there's no such rule in French either; they're very often irregular.  So, the best thing to say is that you're from --- or that you're Slovenian.  Because I don't know many people who identify themselves with such adjectives anyway; most of the time we just say we're from Chicago, for example.  Good luck...

Hi Nwt. Just one simple question. What a word "dorky" means in fact? I can't find it in my vocabulary. From your page on I've learnt a lot about the University of Chicago and first time about a term of Ivy League. In my country there are just two universities and one or two in establishing process. The University of Ljubljana was established in 1919 and the University of Maribor in 1976. I've read some times ago that this is comparable to California. If California would be such size as Slovenia than it would have also 2 universities. An interesting term private university is also unknown in my country. Kindest regard. --XJam 01:04 Oct 17, 2002 (UTC)
 * Whaw. Thank you very much for this explanation. I would translate this term at a glance to my native as, let us say, gumpeljc, which would be a diminutive of a noun "gumpec", masculine gender and gumpa, feminine gender, adjective gumpast, gumpasta. But this might be inaccurate translation too. Also thank you for good wishes about our EU entrance. Same goes to you, wherever you are. I know some English and I also wonder for these kind of terms. If I was born and live in New York, then it is said that I am a Newyorker, right. But as I was born and live in Celje I know just this term that I am a Celje citizen. How an Englishman or American would translate this, if it is possible in any way? Can you give me some examples for London (Londoner ?), Brunswick, Beijing, Moscow, Ljubljana and such. Linearly I would say Celjeaner, but this seems too stupid. I guess the original term Celjan would not be used? Sorry for bothering you with such trifles.

- Hello there Nwt, welcome to the 'pedia! I hope you like the place and decide to stay. If you ever need editing help visit How does one edit a page and experiment at Sandbox. If you need pointers on how we title pages visit Naming conventions or how to format them visit our manual of style. If you have any other questions about the project then check out Help or add a question to the Village pump. BTW, nice work on Dred Scott v. Sandford. Cheers! --maveric149

Jimbo Visit
I will be at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign 23 October, 2004, speaking at the ACM Reflections | Projections Conference 2004 -

This conference runs from 22. - 24. October 2004; it would be fantastic to have a Wikipedia booth, if I can get volunteers for it.

Do you think you could come? Jimbo Wales 16:26, 19 Sep 2004 (UTC)

WikiProject Rufus Wainwright invitation
This brand new project is looking for members to help improve articles related to Wainwright. Feel free to join! -- Another Believer ( Talk ) 20:49, 29 April 2009 (UTC)

ArbCom elections are now open!
MediaWiki message delivery (talk) 08:51, 23 November 2015 (UTC)

title: User talk:Nwt


text: User:Daniel i Malmö

title: User:Daniel i Malmö


text:
Minor Arcana

The Minor Arcana, sometimes known as Lesser Arcana, are the suit cards in a cartomantic tarot deck.

Ordinary tarot cards first appeared in northern Italy in the 1440s and were designed for tarot card games. They typically have four suits each of 10 unillustrated pip cards numbered one (ace) to ten, along with 4 court cards (face cards). Tarot games are still widely played in central and southern Europe and French Tarot is the second most popular card game in France after Belote.

By contrast, cartomantic tarot cards emerged in France in the late 18th century popularised by occultists such as Etteilla. The terms "Major" and "Minor Arcana" originate with Jean-Baptiste Pitois (1811–1877), writing under the name Paul Christian.

In their contemporary versions, the Minor Arcana are often illustrated—a convention popularized by the Rider–Waite tarot in 1910. Used in a tarot card reading in conjunction with the Major Arcana, the cards of the Minor Arcana suggest subtleties and details, and signify day-to-day insights.

Cartomantic Tarot cards derived from Latin-suited packs typically have a Minor Arcana of 56 cards, with 14 cards in each suit: Wands (alternately batons, clubs, staffs, or staves), Cups (chalices, goblets, or vessels), Swords (or blades), and Pentacles (coins, disks, or rings). The four court cards are commonly: page, knight, queen, and king. Some variations have princess and prince cards replacing the page and knight cards; the historical Visconti-Sforza Tarot expands the court with two additional cards: the damsel and the mounted lady. While the historical Tarot of Marseilles contains 56 cards, later packs based on the French suits of clubs (♣), hearts, spades (♠), and diamonds have only three court cards per suit, with a jack (also known as a page or knave) in addition to the queen and king.

Symbolism
In divinatory, esoteric and occult tarot, the Minor Arcana are believed to represent relatively mundane features of life. The court cards may represent the people whom one meets.

Each suit also has distinctive characteristics and connotations commonly held to be as follows:

Gallery of card suits
Illustrations from the Rider–Waite tarot, the most popular amongst English speakers, divided by suit and arranged in ascending order of face value.

Planetary associations
In the Order of the Golden Dawn, number cards are associated with planets, corresponding to their placement in Kabbalah.

 * Threes - Saturn
 * Fours - Jupiter
 * Fives - Mars
 * Sixes - Sun
 * Sevens - Venus
 * Eights - Mercury
 * Nines - Moon
 * Tens - Earth

title: Minor Arcana


text:
Major Arcana

The Major Arcana are the named cards in a cartomantic tarot pack. There are usually 22 such cards in a standard 78-card pack, typically numbered from 0 to 21 (or 1 to 21, with the Fool being left unnumbered). Although the cards correspond to the trump cards of a pack used for playing tarot card game, the term 'Major Arcana' is rarely used by players and is typically associated exclusively with use for divination by occultists.

The Major Arcana are complemented by the Minor Arcana—the 56 unnamed cards of the tarot deck, which more directly correspond to the contemporary standard 52-card deck.

History
Prior to the 17th century, tarot cards were solely used for playing games and the Fool and 21 trumps had simple allegorical or esoteric meaning, mostly originating in elite ideology in the Italian courts of the 15th century when it was invented. The occult significance began to emerge in the 18th century, when Antoine Court de Gébelin, a Swiss clergyman and Freemason, published two essays on Tarot in his Le Monde Primitif (The Primeval World), a never-completed encyclopedia. In the first essay, "Du Jeu des Tarots" (The Game of Tarots), Court de Gébelin assigned Egyptian, kabbalistic, and divine significance to the tarot trumps.

Etteilla created a method of divination using tarot; Éliphas Lévi worked to break away from the Egyptian nature of the divinatory tarot, bringing it back to the Tarot de Marseilles, creating a "tortuous" kabbalistic correspondence, and even suggested that the Major Arcana represent stages of life. Marquis Stanislas de Guaita established the Major Arcana as an initiatory sequence to be used to establish a path of spiritual ascension and evolution. In 1980 Sallie Nichols, a Jungian psychologist, wrote of the tarot as having deep psychological and archetypal significance, even encoding the entire process of Jungian individuation into the tarot trumps.

These various interpretations of the Major Arcana developed in stages, all of which continue to exert significant influence on practitioners' explanations of the Major Arcana.

List of the Major Arcana
Like the early Italian-suited packs on which they were originally based, in a cartomantic pack each Major Arcanum depicts a scene, mostly featuring a person or several people, with many symbolic elements. In many decks, each has a number (usually in Roman numerals) and a name, though not all decks have both, and some have only a picture. Every tarot deck is different and carries a different connotation with the art, however most symbolism remains the same. The earliest, pre-cartomantic, decks bore unnamed and unnumbered pictures on their trionfi or trumps (probably because a great many of the people using them at the time were illiterate), and the order of cards was not standardized. Strength is traditionally the eleventh card and Justice the eighth, but the influential Rider–Waite Tarot switched the position of these two cards in order to make them a better fit with the astrological correspondences worked out by the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, under which the eighth card is associated with Leo and the eleventh with Libra. Today many decks use this numbering, particularly in the English-speaking world.

Esotericism
By the 19th century, the Tarot was being claimed as a "Bible of Bibles", an esoteric repository of all the significant truths of creation. The trend was started by prominent Freemason and Protestant cleric Antoine Court de Gébelin who suggested that the tarot had an ancient Egyptian origin, and mystic divine and kabbalistic significance. A contemporary of his, Louis-Raphaël-Lucrèce de Fayolle, comte de Mellet, added to Court de Gébelin's claims by suggesting (attacked as being erroneous ) that the tarot was associated with Romani people and was in fact the imprinted book of Hermes Trismegistus. These claims were continued by Etteilla. Etteilla is primarily recognized as the founder and propagator of the divinatory tarot, but he also participated in the propagation of the occult tarot by claiming the tarot had an ancient Egyptian origin and was an account of the creation of the world and a book of eternal medicine. Éliphas Lévi revitalized the occult tarot by associating it with the mystical Kabbalah and making it a "prime ingredient in magical lore". As Decker, Depaulis, and Dummett note, "it is to him (Lévi) that we owe its (the Tarot's) widespread acceptance as a means of discovering hidden truths and as a document of the occult... Lévi's writings formed the channel through which the Western tradition of magic flowed down to modern times."

As the following quote by P. D. Ouspensky (Pyotr Demianovich Ouspensky) (1878–1947) shows, the association of the tarot with Hermetic, kabbalastic, magical mysteries continued at least to the early 20th century.

"The fact that we question the Tarot as to whether it be a method or a doctrine shows the limitation of our 'three dimensional mind', which is unable to rise above the world of form and contra-positions or to free itself from thesis and antithesis! Yes, the Tarot contains and expresses any doctrine to be found in our consciousness, and in this sense it has definiteness. It represents Nature in all the richness of its infinite possibilities, and there is in it as in Nature, not one but all potential meanings. And these meanings are fluent and ever-changing, so the Tarot cannot be specifically this or that, for it ever moves and yet is ever the same."

Claims such as those initiated by early Freemasons today found their way into academic discourse. Semetsky, for example, explained that tarot makes it possible to mediate between humanity and the godhead, or between god/spirit/consciousness and profane human existence. Christina Nicholson used the tarot to illustrate the deep wisdom of feminist theology. Santarcangeli informed us of the wisdom of the fool and Sallie Nichols spoke about the archetypal power of individuation boiling beneath the powerful surface of the tarot archetypes.

Fortune telling
Now popularly associated in English-speaking countries with divination, fortune telling, or cartomancy, Tarot was not invented as a mystical or magical tool of divination, but as an instrument for playing card games with a permanent trump suit. The people who published esoteric commentary of the tarot (e.g. Antoine Court de Gébelin and the Comte de Mellet) also published commentary on divinatory tarot. There is a line of development of the cartomantic tarot that occurred in parallel with the imposition of hermetic mysteries on the formerly mundane pack of cards that can usefully be distinguished. It was the Comte de Mellet who initiated this development by suggesting, entirely incorrectly, that ancient Egyptians had used the tarot for fortune telling and provided a method purportedly used in ancient Egypt. Following the Comte de Mellet, Etteilla invented a method of cartomancy, assigning a divinatory meaning to each of the cards (both upright and reversed), publishing La Cartonomancie française (a book detailing the method), and creating the first tarot decks exclusively intended for cartomantic practice. Etteilla's original method was designed to work with a common pack of cards known as the Piquet pack because Piquet was the most popular game played with 32 cards. It was not until 1783, two years after Antoine Court de Gébelin published Le Monde Primitif, that he turned to the development of a cartomantic method using the standard (i.e. Marseilles) tarot deck. His work was published in the book Manière de se récréer avec le jeu de cartes nommées tarots and the creation of a society for tarot cartomancy, the Société littéraire des associés libres des interprètes du livre de Thot. The society subsequently went on to publish Dictionnaire synonimique du livre de Thot, a book that "systematically tabulated all the possible meanings which each card could bear, when upright and reversed."

Following Etteilla, tarot cartomancy was moved forward by Marie-Anne Adelaid Lenormand (1768–1830) and others. Lenormand was the first well known cartomancer and claimed to be the confidante of Empress Josephine and other local luminaries. She was so popular, and cartomancy with tarot became so well established in France following her work, that a special deck entitled the Grand Jeu de Mlle Lenormand was released in her name two years after her death. This was followed by many other specially designed cartomantic tarot decks, mostly based on Etteilla's Egyptian symbolism, but some providing other (for example biblical or medieval) flavours as well. Tarot as a cartomantic and divinatory tool is well established and new books expounding the mystical utility of the cartomantic tarot are published all the time.

Mysticism
By the early 19th century Masonic writers and Protestant clerics had established claims that the tarot trumps were authoritative sources of ancient hermetic wisdom, of Christian gnosis and revelatory tools of divine cartomantic inspiration. In 1870 Jean-Baptiste Pitois (better known as Paul Christian) wrote a book entitled Histoire de la magie, du monde surnaturel et de la fatalité à travers les temps et les peuples. In that book, Christian identifies the tarot trumps as representing the "principle scenes" of ancient Egyptian initiatory "tests". Christian provides an extended analysis of ancient Egyptian initiation rites that involves Pyramids, 78 steps, and the initiatory revelation of secrets. Decker, Depaulis, and Dummett write:

"At one stage in the initiation procedure, Christian tells us...the postulant climbs down an iron ladder, with seventy-eight rungs, and enters a hall on either side of which are twelve statues, and, between each pair of statues, a painting. These twenty-two paintings, he is told, are Arcana or symbolic hieroglyphs; the Science of Will, the principle of all wisdom and source of all power, is contained in them. Each corresponds to a "letter of the sacred language" and to a number, and each expresses a reality of the divine world, a reality of the intellectual world and a reality of the physical world. The secret meanings of these twenty-two Arcana are then expounded to him."

Christian attempted to give authority to his analysis by falsely attributing an account of ancient Egyptian initiation rites to Iamblichus, but it is clear that Christian was the source of any initiatory relevance to the tarot trumps. Nevertheless, Christian's fabricated history of tarot initiation were quickly reinforced with the formation of an occult journal in 1889 entitled L'Initiation, the publication of an essay by Oswald Wirth (Joseph Paul Oswald Wirth) (1860–1943) in Le Tarot des Bohémiens by Papus (Gérard Anaclet Vincent Encausse) (1865–1916) that stated that the tarot is nothing less than the sacred book of occult initiation, the publication of a book by François-Charles Barlet (Albert Faucheux) (1838–1921) entitled, not surprisingly, L'Initiation, and the publication of Le Tarot des Bohémians by Papus. Subsequent to this activity the initiatory relevance of the tarot was firmly established in the minds of occult practitioners.

The emergence of the tarot as an initiatory tool was coincident with the flowering of initiatory esoteric orders and secret brotherhoods during the middle of the 19th century. For example, Marquis Stanislas de Guaita founded the Cabalistic Order of the Rosy Cross in 1888 along with several key commentators on the initiatory tarot, e.g. Papus, François-Charles Barlet, and Joséphin Péladan (1858–1918). These orders placed great emphasis on secrets, advancing through the grades, and initiatory tests and so it is not surprising that, already having the tarot to hand, they read into the tarot initiatory significance. Doing so not only lent an air of divine, mystical, and ancient authority to their practices but allowed them to continue to expound on the magical and mystical significance of the presumably ancient and hermetic tarot. Be that as it may this activity established the tarot's significance as a device and book of initiation not only in the minds of occult practitioners, but also in the minds of new age practitioners, Jungian psychologists, and general academics.

title: Major Arcana


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Manet (disambiguation)

Édouard Manet (1832–1883) was a French painter.

Manet may also refer to:

People with the surname Manet

 * Eugène Manet (1833–1892), French painter, brother of Édouard Manet
 * Jeanne Manet (1917–2012), French film actress
 * Julie Manet (1878–1966), French painter, niece of Édouard Manet
 * Raghunath Manet, Indian classical musician and dancer

MANET as an acronym

 * Mobile ad hoc network, a self-configuring mobile wireless network
 * MANET database or Molecular Ancestry Network, bioinformatics database

Other

 * Manet - slovakian motorcycles, scooters and mopeds

title: Manet (disambiguation)


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User talk:Daniel i Malmö

Hello there Daniel, welcome to the 'pedia! I hope you like the place and decide to stay. If you ever need editing help visit How does one edit a page and experiment at Sandbox. If you need pointers on how we title pages visit Naming conventions or how to format them visit our manual of style. If you have any other questions about the project then check out Help or add a question to the Village pump. Cheers! --maveric149

title: User talk:Daniel i Malmö


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Rider–Waite Tarot

The Rider–Waite Tarot is a widely popular deck for tarot card reading, first published by the Rider Company in 1909, based on the instructions of academic and mystic A. E. Waite and illustrated by Pamela Colman Smith, both members of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. Also known as the Waite–Smith, Rider–Waite–Smith, or Rider Tarot, the deck has been published in numerous editions and inspired a wide array of variants and imitations. Estimates suggest over 100 million copies of the deck circulate across 20 countries.

Overview
While the images are simple, the details and backgrounds feature abundant symbolism. Some imagery remains similar to that found in earlier decks, but overall the Waite–Smith card designs are substantially different from their predecessors. Christian imagery was removed from some cards, and added to others. For example, the "Papess" became the "High Priestess" and no longer features a Papal tiara, while the "Lovers" card, previously depicting a medieval scene of a clothed man and woman receiving a blessing from a noble or cleric was changed to a depiction of the naked Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, and the ace of cups featuring a dove carrying Sacramental bread. The Minor Arcana are illustrated with allegorical scenes by Smith, where earlier decks (with a few rare exceptions) had simple designs for the Minor Arcana.

The symbols and imagery used in the deck were influenced by the 19th-century magician and occultist Eliphas Levi, as well as by the teachings of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. In order to accommodate the astrological correspondences taught by the Golden Dawn, Waite introduced several innovations to the deck. He switched the order of the Strength and Justice cards so that Strength corresponded with Leo and Justice corresponded with Libra. He also based the Lovers card on Italian tarot decks, which have two persons and an angel, to reinforce its correspondence with Gemini.

Major Arcana
The Major Arcana of the Rider–Waite tarot are illustrated below.

Minor Arcana
The Minor Arcana of the Rider–Waite tarot are illustrated below.

Wands
The suit of wands (corresponding to the clubs of modern playing cards):

Cups
The suit of goblets, chalices, or cups (corresponding to the hearts of modern playing cards):

Swords
The suit of swords (corresponding to the spades of modern playing cards):

Pentacles
The suit of coins or pentacles (corresponding to the diamonds of modern playing cards):

Publication
The cards were first published during December 1909, by the publisher William Rider & Son of London. The first printing was extremely limited and featured card backs with a roses and lilies pattern. A much larger printing was done during March 1910, featuring better quality card stock and a "cracked mud" card back design. This edition, often referred to as the "A" deck, was published from 1910 to 1920. Rider continued publishing the deck in various editions until 1939, then again from 1971 to 1977.

All of the Rider editions up to 1939 were available with a small guide written by A. E. Waite providing an overview of the traditions and history of the cards, texts about interpretations, and extensive descriptions of their symbols. The first version of this guide was published during 1909 and was titled The Key to the Tarot. A year later, a revised version, The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, was issued, featuring black-and-white plates of all seventy-eight of Smith's illustrations.

In 2009, U.S. Games Systems published a commemorative deck titled "The Smith-Waite Centennial Deck" as part of The Pamela Colman Smith Commemorative Set celebrating the hundredth anniversary of the 1909 deck. This deck notably places Smith's name first and omits the publisher's name (Rider). In this vein, some contemporary tarot readers call the original deck and its various iterations the "Smith-Waite deck" in order to give proper credit to Smith's contribution to the deck.

Copyright status
The original version of the Rider–Waite Tarot is in the public domain in all countries that have a copyright term of 70 years or fewer after the death of the last co-author. This includes the United Kingdom, where the deck was originally published.

In the United States, the deck became part of the public domain in 1966 (publication + 28 years + renewed 28 years), and thus has been available for use by American artists for numerous different media projects. U.S. Games Systems has a copyright claim on their updated version of the deck published in 1971, but this only applies to new material added to the pre-existing work (e.g. designs on the card backs and the box).

title: Rider–Waite Tarot


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The Magician (tarot card)

The Magician (I), also known as The Magus or The Juggler, is the first trump or Major Arcana card in most traditional tarot decks. It is used in game playing and divination.

Within the card game context, the equivalent is the Pagat which is the lowest trump card, also known as the atouts or honours. In the occult context, the trump cards are recontextualized as the Major Arcana and granted complex esoteric meaning. The Magician in such context is interpreted as the first numbered and second total card of the Major Arcana, succeeding the Fool, which is unnumbered or marked 0. The Magician as an object of occult study is interpreted as symbolic of power, potential, and the unification of the physical and spiritual worlds.

Iconography
In French Le Bateleur, "the mountebank" or the "sleight of hand artist", is a practitioner of stage magic. The Italian tradition calls him Il Bagatto or Il Bagatello. The Mantegna Tarocchi image that would seem to correspond with the Magician is labeled Artixano, the Artisan; he is the second lowest in the series, outranking only the Beggar. Visually the 18th-century woodcuts reflect earlier iconic representations, and can be compared to the free artistic renditions in the 15th-century hand-painted tarots made for the Visconti and Sforza families. In the painted cards attributed to Bonifacio Bembo, the Magician appears to be playing with cups and balls.

In esoteric decks, occultists, starting with Oswald Wirth, turned Le Bateleur from a mountebank into a magus. The curves of the magician's hat brim in the Marseilles image are similar to the esoteric deck's mathematical sign of infinity. Similarly, other symbols were added. The essentials are that the magician has set up a temporary table outdoors, to display items that represent the suits of the Minor Arcana: Cups, Coins, Swords (as knives). The fourth, the baton (Clubs) he holds in his hand. The baton was later changed to represent a literal magician's wand.

The illustration of the tarot card "The Magician" from the Rider–Waite tarot deck was developed by A. E. Waite for the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn in 1910. Waite's magician features the infinity symbol over his head, and an ouroboros belt, both symbolizing eternity. The figure stands among a garden of flowers, to imply the manifestation and cultivation of desires.

In the tarot game
In most tarot games, the Bagatto is the lowest ranking trump card but worth a lot of points. Therefore, many players want to take a trick when it is played. In most games played out of Italy, winning the last trick with it awards bonus points.

In tarocchini, the Bégato still serves as the lowest trump, but it has an added ability. During score counting, it and the Fool can function as limited wild cards known as counters (contatori). They can be used separately or together to fill missing gaps in combinations, though not to fill in two consecutive gaps in sequential combinations, or to replace the highest trump or kings. Both cards can be used in every sequence, but as the Fool cannot be captured while the Magician is vulnerable to capture, the player holding the Magician would want to use it only judiciously.

In Sicilian tarocchi, the Bagatto is the second lowest trump, outranking an unnumbered trump called Miseria of no significance.

Rider–Waite
The Magician is depicted with one hand pointing upwards towards the sky and the other pointing down to the earth, interpreted widely as an "as above, so below" reference to the spiritual and physical realms. On the table before him are a wand, a pentacle, a sword, and a cup, representing the four suits of the Minor Arcana. Such symbols signify the classical elements of fire, earth, air, and water, "which lie like counters before the adept, and he adapts them as he wills". The Magician's right hand, pointed upwards, holds a double-ended white wand; the ends are interpreted much like the hand gestures, in that they represent the Magician's status as conduit between the spiritual and the physical. His robe is similarly also white, a symbol of purity yet also of inexperience, while his red mantle is understood through the lens of red's wildly polarised colour symbolism—both a representative of willpower and passion, and one of egotism, rage, and revenge. In front of the Magician is a garden of Rose of Sharon roses and lily of the valley lilies demonstrating the "culture of aspiration", or the Magician's ability to cultivate and fulfill potential.

The Magician is associated with the planet Mercury, and hence the signs of Gemini and Virgo in astrology.

Marseilles
Although the Rider–Waite Tarot deck is the most often used in occult contexts, other decks such as the Tarot of Marseilles usually used for game-playing have also been read through a symbolic lens. Alejandro Jodorowsky's reading of the Magician as Le Bateleur draws attention to individual details of the Marseilles card, such as the fingers, table, and depiction of the plants, in addition to the elements shared between the Rider–Waite and Marseilles decks. The Magician in the Marseilles deck is depicted with six fingers on his left hand rather than five, which Jodorowsky interprets as a symbol of manipulating and reorganizing reality. Similarly, the table he stands behind has three legs rather than four; the fourth leg is interpreted as being outside the card, a metafictional statement that "[i]t is by going beyond the stage of possibilities and moving into the reality of action and choice that The Magician gives concrete expression to his situation".

Rather than flowers, the Magician of the Marseilles deck is depicted with a small plant between his feet. The plant has a yonic appearance and has been interpreted as the sex organs of either a personal mother or the abstract concept of Mother Nature.

Divination
Like the other cards of the Major Arcana, the Magician is the subject of complex and extensive analysis as to its occult interpretations. On the broad level, the Magician is interpreted with energy, potential, and the manifestation of one's desires; the card symbolizes the meetings of the physical and spiritual worlds ("as above, so below") and the conduit converting spiritual energy into real-world action.

Tarot experts have defined the Magician in association with the Fool, which directly precedes it in the sequence; Rachel Pollack refers to the card as "in the image of the trickster-wizard". A particularly important aspect of the card's visual symbolism in the Rider–Waite deck is the magician's hands, with one hand pointing towards the sky and the other towards the earth. Pollack and other writers understand this as a reflection of the Hermetic concept of "as above, so below", where the workings of the macrocosm (the universe as a whole, understood as a living being) and the microcosm (the human being, understood as a universe) are interpreted as inherently intertwined with one another. To Pollack, the Magician is a metaphysical lightning rod, channeling macrocosmic energy into the microcosm.

According to A. E. Waite's 1910 book The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, the Magician card is associated with the divine motive in man. In particular, Waite interprets the Magician through a Gnostic lens, linking the card's connection with the number eight (which the infinity symbol is visually related to) and the Gnostic concept of the Ogdoad, spiritual rebirth into a hidden eighth celestial realm. Said infinity symbol above the Magician's head is also interpreted as a symbol of the Holy Spirit, the prophetic and theophanic aspect of the Trinity.

Like other tarot cards, the symbolism of the Magician is interpreted differently depending on whether the card is drawn in an upright or reversed position. While the upright Magician represents potential and tapping into one's talents, the reversed Magician's potential and talents are unfocused and unmanifested. The reversed Magician can also be interpreted as related to black magick and to madness or mental distress. A particularly important interpretation of the reversed Magician relates to the speculated connection between the experiences recognized in archaic societies as shamanism and those recognized in technological societies as schizophrenia; the reversed Magician is perceived as symbolizing the degree to which those experiences and abilities are unrecognized and suppressed, and the goal is to turn the card 'upright', or re-focus those experiences into their positive form.

In art
The Surrealist (Le surréaliste), 1947, is a painting by Victor Brauner. The Juggler provided Brauner with a key prototype for his self-portrait: the Surrealist's large hat, medieval costume, and the position of his arms all derive from this figure who, like Brauner's subject, stands behind a table displaying a knife, a goblet, and coins.

title: The Magician (tarot card)