ANCIENT EGYPTIAN STUDY GROUP-VII The Chariot

Mimers

Reserved for Mimers
 

Mimers

The Chariot pictures the God Horus. Horus was the son of Isis and Osiris. Horus brings to mind action. Shortly after his birth, having swiftly grown to full strength, Horus set out and avenged his Father's death. Horus is the master of opposing forces. His eyes represent lunar and solar forces. Horus is an important God because it is said that the Pharoes were the embodiment of Horus. This is fitting as the Chariot is a card of Earthly control. The Chariot represents goals and achievements for our life here on Earth. Horus was young and ambitous, focused and confident.

Horus looks completely in control in this card. The four staffs behind him indicate a stable backround. In the chariot itself Horus looks alert, but at ease. In front, 2 sphinxes await his commands. In the book Clive Barret indicates the 2 sphinxes represent the horizons of east and west.

To me, the Chariot is about focus on goals and being able to achieve them. Being in control of oneself and finding the balance needed to remain on task. It can also mean being young and headstrong. Being so focused that you are not open to other ideas.

Some of the Egyptian symbolism on the card are the Eye of Horus which was belived to protect against sickness and bring the dead back to life. We also see the winged sun disc on the front of the Chariot which usually hovered over the Pharoes during battle.
 

SweetIsTheTruth

edited - sorry
 

SweetIsTheTruth

Are there any similarities between this trump and XVIII?
 

rwcarter

There were a number of deities named or related to Horus and a number of them are represented in the card. Originally there were two gods named Horus. The first was Horus the Elder, who was an aspect of Ra and also the brother of Osiris and Isis. Then there was the Horus who was the son of Osiris and Isis. This Horus was known as Harpokrates as a child (as seen in the egg in the Fool card) and Horus as an adult. Eventually both Horuses were merged into one deity. The winged sun disk on the front of the Chariot refers to Horus Behdety, the form of Horus that slew Set's demonic army that was massing an attack on Ra. Even the two sphinxes are a form of Horus named Harmakhis, which means Horus of the horizon. Harmakhis is the true name of the sphinx. Ra-Herakhte, a blending of both Horus and Ra, is also suggested through the wadjet (the Eye of Horus, which was also known as the Eye of Ra).

The charioteer is the initiate who has passed through the trials of the physical and rational worlds. He has earned his role as ruler - it wasn't handed to him because of who his father was. This fact is echoed in Horus's story since he went through many trials and tribulations in his battle against Set to be given his place as the rightful heir to Osiris's throne. Horus earned that spot, it wasn't given to him.

The charioteer has complete control over his surroundings. He can make his chariot take him wherever he wants to go and he can reshape his physical environment at will. This is demonstrated by the two sphinxes, which are normally considered stationery creatures. The only way that the Chariot is going to move is if Horus is able to control both creatures, bending them to his will and commanding them to move forward.

The opposing forces of the sun and the moon are combined in this card. Horus's eyes were the embodiments of lunar and solar power, his right eye representing the sun and his left (the Eye of Horus) representing the moon. The two sphinxes are held under a horned yoke that is decorated with two silver crescent moons. The lotus flower, which is "caught" between the sun and the moon emblems on the chariot, doesn't quite know what to do. Normally, it opens for the sun and closes during the night (i.e., for the moon). This lotus flower appears to be not quite opened and not quite closed - it's held in an in-between state. On the wall behind the chariot are representations of Khonsu the moon god on the left side of the card and Horus the sun god on the right side of the card.

As stated above, the true name of the sphinx is Harmakhis, which refers to the horizon. The two sphinxes actually represent the East-West horizon, with the sphinx in white headdress and green collar representing the rising of the sun in the East and the sphinx in the black headdress and red collar represent the setting of the sun in the West.

Rodney