78 Weeks: Chariot

To find out what these threads refer to, please seeThe link above provides suggested dates and links to all threads for this study.

Some amongst us may be working through the deck in a different order, and using different decks.

For more general comments or questions about the 78 weeks, please post in the thread linked above.

Enjoy!

Blue Rose Deck

A cityscape of towers rises in the distance and several types of chariot are moving toward it. The ultimate goal, the celestial city; paradise. We each reach it by our own means and also define it by knowing who we are. We may wish to exert our considerable will toward reaching the city, but may never get far if we do not understand ourselves. The mansion perfect for the driver of the Cinderella carriage may be quite different than the one for the rider of the flying carpet. The Charioteer must first focus on knowing his needs, yearnings, talents and limitations. Then, what will be paradise for him will become clear and he can stay the course and surmount the obstacles to reach it.

www.tarotpassages.com/PGChar.htm

HAINDL Chariot

First, a note to inquire about where the 78-week study group has evaporated to . . . or are others waiting to post, like I did this week. I had no strong insight into this card, at all, because the Haindl chariot is very different from most.

The 3 main elements are a large gray dog/wolf head, a tiny white-robed figure on a stage or platform, and a large dinghy-looking prow of a red boat with 2 large wheels, plowing through splashing water.

Hmmm. The "beast" is supposed to look scary or threatening, but I owned keeshonds for years and this just looks like a big dog to me.

The figure on stage has her arms down and open, as if to step forward and perform. There is a lot of yellow, not quite a river, not quite fabric, with white sparkles--said nothing to me. The only familiar thing was the "vehicle" with wheels.

Can you tell I was frustrated? I was driven to Pollack's book for some details. I learned Haindl's personal story of surviving a Russian prisoner of war camp (in a year, one of 3 left alive of the original 170). He was made to dig his own grave, then capriciously left alive.

The hebrew letter is fence, the rune is hailstone, the element is water.

Not from the image, but from the book's description, did I get that courage is depicted here as the inner strength with which we deal with whatever comes, however we can, instead of "controlling" exterior circumstances through power. Determination and will are the keys, but mainly with the idea of "keeping afloat" through rough seas.

I prefer this definition of courage, but did not get it from the imagery on the card. That dog just doesn't worry me

Oh, well, on to the Hermit.

Crystal Tarot

He has a quiet, knowing, confident look about him. I don’t see movement in this card, probably because the sphinxes are just sitting. I see solidity, unmoving, firmness. The two sphinx sit looking to the left of the card, to the past, but the charioteer looks straight ahead, he is very much in the present. He knows where he has been and is facing the present with confidence. His chariot appears to also give him some protection. Would he look quite so confident without it, the vehicle within which he maintains his composure? He looks arrogant. There is swirling blue/green in the background, it looks a little fierce and I wonder if it represents some kind of battle which has been overcome, perhaps emotional. He could almost be celebrating a victory. I think the movement has already happened.

Haindl Tarot

Oh, this card is difficult! The Charioteer is androgynous, and the vehicle he is in control of is a boat with wheels! What more can I say? He is driving the boat forward without any effort. He stands atop, what looks like cement blocks, and holds his arms out as if embracing the elements. Whatever the world can throw at him, he can take. He has mastery over the situation and control over his fears. There is what looks like a dog or wolf face looming large in the background. It almost looks like its chasing the boat but the charioteer is too quick, too powerful to be caught. It is quite a powerful image but it’s just different. The charioteer stands on top of what looks like a block of cement, which has a yellow sparkly light on one side. I am afraid that I have no idea what the significance of this yellow is. According to the book, the blocks are appearing to melt into the sea. I am wondering if there is an elemental significance here. Doesn’t Sulphur leach out of rocks under certain conditions? I am not sure.

Hadar Marseille

This charioteer has a placid face, in fact the card smacks of pomp and ceremony to me. He almost looks dressed up to play a part. Nowadays we call it ‘Power Dressing’. Its what a lot of managers do to make them look important and feel like they are in control. As long as he looks the part he will achieve his goal without any or little effort on his part. But when you look closer there are elements of contradiction here. The wheels of his chariot appear useless, they are at the wrong perspective to be of any use. His horses are pulling against each other. The red horse looks to the left and appears quite happy whilst the blue horse moves towards the opposite direction and looks to the left, he is frowning. The charioteer’s emotions are under control, his huge shoulder ornaments pin down his breastplate. I think its the sun and the moon, but I am not sure – opposites? I think this card is all about overcoming life’s little obstacles in order to keep your life on track. Holding it all together despite obstacles. Another thing I have noticed is that there are 21 leaves on the plants. Card 21 is the World, and its right in front of the Chariot. Is this what he will achieve if he stays on track?

J

Well have been pulled in lots of different directions this week and found it a bit difficult to make progress with any one thing until I gathered in the reins and started to focus on the tasks at hand. Progress was then made and here I am typing up my notes from the week - why am I telling you this? To me this week has definitely been a Chariot week in more ways than one!

Caselli Chariot

The Caselli Chariot is along the lines of the Renaissance and Morgan-Greer decks with the Charioteer holding the reins and driving a chariot drawn by horses. One black and one white - pulling in different directions. The Charioteer looks like he is struggling to control them but elated or exhilerated at the same time. He is looking straight ahead, like he knows where he wants to go and is driving towards his goal with his strength and control over the opposing forces - the ability or will power to rein in his thoughts, passions, emotions to make progress in one direction. Horses the symbol of power, strength and speed.

The Charioteer races across a barren looking landscape, raising dust as he goes. He wears a yellow tunic and a red cloak flying behind him - red for desire, passion and aggression. In a circle on his tunic is a Scorpion symbol - which I wasn't sure of so dug into the books and it represents the zodiacal sign of Scorpio, which is ruled by Mars - Roman God Mars - associated with war and physical mastery.

Also read some interesting material on the Chariot vehicle itself which certainly made sense in regards to this card. In Ancient Rome, processions were given for conquering heros, and they usually rode through the streets, in a Chariot, crowded with cheering people and parading their spoils of war behind them.

I found this bit of information interesting when comparing the Caselli Chariot card, which depicts the Charioteer driving in an open landscape, no city or crowds here. It made me think that this card is more involved in the action of controlling will and forces and making progress. Which differs from the RWS Chariot, as this is a more elaborately dressed Charioteer in the RWS, who is not racing wildly, but looks like he would be part of a procession. He has a city behind him and he doesn't even seem to be holding the reins, which I found odd, but then upon further reading found that it is supposed to represent that he is controlling the sphinxes with his mind or will power. The RWS Charioteer looks like he has already mastered or "conquered" the opposing forces, whereas the Caselli Charioteer is a work in progress - giving me a slightly different interpretation - as you don't know whether he will be successful or not - but he must keep control to make progress and it would be very dangerous to lose control of horses travelling at that speed! Is he just speeding out on his quest or is he racing towards home victorious?

Then I was curious, why Sphinxes and not horses ... which had me digging around even further. Sphinxes - symbol of duality and contridiction. One dark - one light - never ending opposites - creation and destruction - passive and active. But the really interesting bit was "In the Greek myth Odepuis, Sphinxes were a deadly creature that seized young men and demanded that they answer a riddle correctly or die. The Chariot suggests that one must solve the riddle of one's own life or be overwhelmed by it". Mastering the Tarot by Sharman-Burke.

As I mentioned at the very beginning - studying the Chariot this week has actually been a help during a very busy and task filled week! But by being practical, positive and focussed have now completed all my tasks but one - to go off and read the other posts.

CreativeFire

It may be worth pointing out that this was the first card I also drew for Aeclectic Community Tarot I, and many of my notes are new forms of many items I have already noted either in my writing up for the project, or in the VII Le Chariot thread in the History & Iconography Forum.

Again what generally strikes me are the two unbridled horses, one often depicted somewhat malformed, again very much depicting Plato’s description of the three parts of the Soul. The Charioteer’s epaulettes, on the Conver, are striking in that one of these depicts a bearded figure, hence more – symbolically – aged or mature, but also masculine and hence ‘wilful’.

The sense of the card is one of directedness, of directed Will in order to gain the direction desired.

During one of the ‘five’ minutes, the sense I had was of a harmonious playfulness between the three. On the Dodal, the two horses are glancing at each other gleefully. It is as if they lovingly look towards each other, and then, with their master’s smile, each looks in the direction they internally know that he is looking towards. A harmonious play between the charioteer and the two horses as each acts in unison with the others to achieve the desired end.

The Chariot

Quest

This has been another busy week for me, Tax season, extra project for work ( like I already did not have enough to do) and then I got distracted by faeries.

This card is futuristic in that the driver is riding a UFO. Chained to that are two dinosaurs, one light and one dark representing our light and darker sides. This charioteer appears to be powerful and in control of these two beasts,as they strain in opposite directions, yet his hands are open on either side of him with beams of light, or lightening coming from them, instead of on the controls. Trumpets, on either side of him, heralding his arrival.
I have the impression of tremendous willpower, rather than brute force being used to control his path. I don’t quite understand the symbolism of the dinosaurs rather than the traditional horses. Freewill, and conscious decision-making, bringing success.

Rohrig

This one I have never understood. This chariot depicts a racecar and driver. The drivers helmet is superimposed over the car, visor up and instead of a face, is the vastness of the universe. The words Chariot and Wagen are written on the helmet. The usual inscriptions on paper, the chariot in several languages, and (out comes the magnifying glass) new beginning, change to good, introspection, meditation , spiritual road. The symbolism in this card does nothing for me. I don’t connect willpower and a race car, it escapes me somehow.

I looked up the Hebrew letter Cheth- fence, the rune symbol hagall- meaning hailstone or ice, and the zodiac sign for cancer.

This card proved a challenge due to my preconceived notions.

The Chariot for me represents the vehicle by which I, as a spiritual being, travel through the physical plane. Powered by unconditional love this vehicle balances the positive and negative aspects of the individual to achieve locomotion.

While planning the card, I became absolutely convinced that the faces on the Charioteer's shoulders were absolutely necessary. It made the choice for the modern clothing obvious - the only clothing I've seen which includes padded circles at the shoulders are the leathers that motorcyclists wear. Thus, in my rendition resembles most that racing motorcyclist upon winning the race and ascending the podium.

The Chariot - Morgan Greer

This is a card of again very earthy colours - browns, green, gold, black, white, blue, silver. It feels like a very masculine card to look at.

The Charioteer looks determined and very sure of himself, his eyes are looking at something over your left shoulder. He has loose blonde hair and moustache and blue eyes. His breast plate is green with a sun design over the chest, his gold belt has the sign for cancer on it, his gloves are pale brown leather.

He wears a gold crown with three pentagrams and his blue cloak is clasped with silver crescents on the shoulders. There is also a silver crescent topped staff on his right side. The chariot has gold framework with a blue covering to it - behind the charioteer is shadow. And you can just about see the brown wooden wheels of the chariot on either side of the horses.

The horses are black and white both with brown eyes and I've just noticed that you can't see their back legs. They are trying to pull off in opposite directions but the charioteer has a firm hold on each of the reins and is keeping them straight. The yoke holding the horses is brown wood with gold.

The whole card feels of movement, concentration, travel - using determination to stop something going right off the rails, or in the wrong direction.

Hadar Marseilles

The Charioteer and horses are all looking to the left, the passive and yet this is a card about movement. It is such a solid chariot, the horses have no back legs and the Charioteer is not driving them hard.

I imagine him to be on a parade, slowly trotting through he streets. He is calm and cool and making slow progress, as he savours his victory. By contrast in my Tarot of Marseilles deck the Charioteer has a more determined look on his face, like he is on his way to battle.

The horses are very different to each other. One horse is frowning and the other has a docile look on his face. Their mane's are braided differently. They are showing their different personalities or temperaments.

The moon 'epulets appear to be one male and one female, could this be Sun and Moon?

The Charioteer and both horses are looking in the same direction - but not straight ahead and the horses are pulling in different directions. This is a challenge for the Charioteer, although he doesn't seem to find it a struggle, physically. A mental challenge then?

Moonbow*