Masonic Tarot - The Chariot

[Freddie]

Masonic Tarot - The Chariot VII

In this card a young man stands on a cube (a square is noted as perfection in Masonic literature)with wheels. His gestures symbolize as above, so below and he holds the Tilers’ sword upwards in his right hand. His steed may be the two forces in the previous card The Lover. This card shows the two forces under control, depending on how well the charioteer can map out his/her vision of travel (course of action). Stars overhead and a lotus shape of spinning squares may possibly be guiding his way as he has entered into a stage in his spiritual development that has granted him powers of deep intuition and esoteric knowledge. This card seems to offer a positive feel due to the charioteer wearing golden amour and having a laurel on his head suggesting victory.

The imagery is depicted on a cliff similar to The Fool and this may suggest an attempt is being made to begin a new journey or adventure.

More to come when I can find the LWB that I went missing the day before yesterday..lol...

 

[Abrac]

This might be covered in the booklet, but a few observations.

I'm pretty sure the constellation is Ursa Minor. It's commonly known it as the Lesser Bear but at different times and in different cultures it's known as a wagon or chariot. The star the sword is pointing to is the North Star.

Albert Mackey, in his Encyclopedia of Freemasonry, says, "...the Tiler's sword was wavy in shape, and so made in allusion to the flaming sword which was placed at the east of the garden of Eden, which turned every way to keep the way of the tree of life." A Tiler is "An officer of a Symbolic Lodge, whose duty is to guard the door of the Lodge, and to permit no one to pass in who is not duly qualified, and who has not the permission of the Master."

The Chariot

 

[Abrac]

One possible interpretation of this symbolism might be that the "Tiler" is guarding the door from "unworthy" northerners. In Freemasonry, North is known as the "place of darkness" due to the fact that, "The sun in his progress through the ecliptic never reaches farther than 23° 28' north of the equator. A wall being erected on any part of the earth farther north than that, will therefore, at meridian, receive the rays of the sun only on its south side, while the north will be entirely in shadow at the hour of meridian" - Mackey. The North is therefore thought of as the realm of the "unenlightened." In the top part of the card, it is indeed dark as opposed to below where it's illuminated by the golden squares.

 

[Freddie]

Well Done!!!!! Thank you Abrac!!!


Freddie

 

[Abrac]

Every once in awhile I get a dose of inspiration.