The Tarot Your Guide to Tarot Mastery

Transcription

1 The Tarot Your Guide to Tarot Mastery This edition's theme is based on the card called The Chariot. The conquering hero has returned! He rolls into town in his sturdy chariot and the township stands in awe as he rumbles past. Magic and enchantment are all around him. His chariot is mysteriously drawn along by the enigmatic sphinxes, coaxed into action with his mind power alone. Where did this power and majesty come from? This card is a synthesis of all the preceding cards in the Major Arcana sequence... The sun symbol on his crown reminds us of the sun lighting the path of The Fool. A. E. Waite even refers to the charioteer as a "princely figure", which is strikingly similar to the way he describes The Fool in his book "The Pictorial Key to the Tarot", i.e. "he is a prince of the other world." His spear-like wand is indicative of The Magician, and the fabric behind the charioteer is intriguingly like the screen at the back of the High Priestess. The stars on the fabric gives a link to the crown of The Empress, and the shape of the chariot and the pose of the charioteer also remind us of The Emperor upon his throne. The Hierophant is hinted at through the faces on the charioteer's shoulder plates: they were on the clothing of the Jewish High Priest in the Book of Exodus. And the position of the charioteer above the sphinxes echoes the image of The Hierophant towering above the monks. The lingam and yoni symbol (the red figure on the front of the chariot) indicates creative male and female energies, and therefore represents the card of The Lovers. The portrayal of the charioteer looming above the sphinxes is also very similar to the image of the angel hovering above the couple in that card. This is a card of wholeness, an image that is full of the energies of the preceding cards in the Major Arcana sequence. It's a card of achievement and at the same time, it represents challenges yet to be faced. Connect with The Chariot and its fearless charioteer if you want to have a win on the battlefield of life! Tarot blessings, Page 1 - Editorial Page 2 - The Chariot: a Symbol of Power Page 3 - Insights from Tarot Gurus Page 4 - Historical Interpretations Page 5 - Workshops & Events Page 6 - Difficult Cards

2 Some Chariot images from The Louvre, Paris Edition 7 Autumn 2012 The Chariot - a Symbol of Power As a symbol, the chariot is powerful and evocative. When you think of a chariot and its driver, what images come to mind? The thrilling chariot racing scenes in the movie Ben Hur? Or do you see Apollo, the sun god, driving his fiery chariot across the heavens? And what do you feel when you look at the Tarot card called The Chariot? Can you connect with this invincible warrior who has conquered the enemy? Do you see a hero who has returned from battle in his war chariot? He rides steadily aboard this vehicle of power and success and exudes the energy of one who has explored his potential and overcome limitations. When you come face to face with the charioteer, he asks, "What is your passion? What drives you to be the best you can be?" He challenges you to discover your motivation. He demands that you overcome your fears and take action to achieve and triumph! Julius Caesar offered an eyewitness report of charioteers in warfare. He said, Firstly, they drive about in all directions and throw their weapons and generally break the ranks of the enemy with the very dread of their horses and the noise of their wheels; and when they have worked themselves in between the troops of horses, they leap from their chariots and engage on foot. It must have been frightening for the enemy when they saw these war machines rumbling towards them across the terrain at high speed. Chariots were also used for ceremonial purposes. According to Tacitus, Boudica, the Queen of the Iceni (image below) addressed her troops from a chariot. For the Greeks, the chariot showed high status and they were used in games and processions in ancient Greece. They were also used for ceremonial processions, as when a paranymph, or friend of a bridegroom, went with him in a chariot to fetch the bride. In the Roman Empire, chariots were not used for warfare, but for chariot racing. In some triumphal processions each chariot was drawn by as many as ten horses or even by dogs, tigers, or ostriches. Plato, in his Chariot Allegory, wrote of a chariot being drawn by two horses; one was well behaved and the other troublesome, representing opposite impulses of human nature. The task of the charioteer, representing reason, was to stop the horses from going different ways and to guide them towards enlightenment. In Jungian psychology the chariot represents the human body and the horses are the lifeforce. The reins denote intelligence and will-power.

3 Insights from Tarot Gurus The divinatory meanings of The Chariot derive from its powerful will. In a reading the card signifies that the person is successfully controlling some situation through the force of his or her personality. The card implies that a situation contains some contradictions and that these have not been brought together, but simply held under control. - from Seventy-Eight Degrees of Wisdom by Rachel Pollack Examined logically, life appears to be simple and straightforward. Remaining balanced in your outlook becomes more complex and challenging when emotions are taken into account. The winged disc reminds him that his mind can allow him to soar above his emotions to glimpse life more objectively. His lesson is to combine his thoughts and feelings to arrive at a balanced view of life. - from Tarot Masterclass By Paul Fenton-Smith Like the hero of a triumphal parade, the charioteer is trumping all of the cards that came before. He is like the lover who in the previous trump has made the decision to take the road of hardship in hopes of winning a greater reward and now he is setting out on that journey and triumphing over Cupid. - from The Tarot: History, Symbolism, and Divination, by Robert M. Place Global Spiritual Studies Learning experiences to nourish your soul... WORLD TAROT DAY May 25th (established by DenElder) Join Tarot readers, students, teachers and enthusiasts worldwide in a celebration of the spirit of Tarot, and take a day out to promote the use of Tarot for the benefit and growth of the spiritual self! Here are some ways to celebrate this special day... Offer a free reading to a friend. Try a new Tarot spread. Buy a new deck or book as a personal Tarot treat. Check out some Tarot websites for further inspiration.

4 Historical Interpretations of The Chariot Levi (1855): The sacred septenary, triumph, royalty, priesthood. Christian (1870): The two sphinxes, one white, the other black, symbolize Good and Evil the one conquered, the other vanquished both having become the servants of the Magus who has triumphed over his ordeals. Mathers (1888): Triumph, victory, overcoming obstacles. Golden Dawn ( ): Child of the Power of the Waters, Lord of the Triumph of Light. Health and success, though sometimes not enduring. In the Katha Upanishad we are told: Self rides in the chariot of the body, intellect the firm-footed charioteer, discursive mind the reins. Senses are the horses, objects of desire the roads... When a man lacks steadiness, unable to control his mind, his senses are unmanageable horses. But if he controls his mind, a steady man, they are manageable horses... He who calls his intellect to manage the reins of his mind reaches the end of his journey, and finds there the all-pervading spirit. Grand Orient (1889): Triumph of reason, success, the right prevailing, conquest. Swing low, sweet chariot, comin' for to carry me home.. Tarot Trivia Q: Apart from The Chariot, which other Tarot card features a sphinx? The answer is at the end of this newsletter. "Zeus, the mighty lord, holding the reins of a winged chariot, leads the way in heaven, ordering all and taking care of all..." - Phaedrus, by Plato (360 BCE, translated by Benjamin Jowett)

5 Tarot Workshop with Don McLeod Sunday 6 th May from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Held at Cosmic Pages Bookshop King William Street, Adelaide How Tarot Works Demystifying Tarot Basic Tarot Spreads Learn Easy Interpretations Practical & Spiritual Uses By the end of this workshop you will feel comfortable using Tarot cards and you will have a basic understanding of their meanings. Only $65 Requirements: Rider-Waite Tarot Deck Bookings essential: Phone Tarot Readings now available with Mister Tarot Make a booking through: MisterTarot@yahoo.com.au Learn how to combine Tarot and Palmistry in an innovative, five week course, held once a week at Hahndorf, South Australia. Only $190 Trevor: witchabilia@hotmail.com Tarot Gatherings are now being held in Adelaide! Monthly meet-ups are being sponsored by The Tarot Guild of Australia The TGA SA workshops are held on the last Tuesday of each month and are convened by Martha Adams, a Professional member of the Tarot Guild. Martha is a Tarot reader and a Tarot teacher. Meet like-minded enthusiasts to share, practice and discuss your favourite spreads, decks and authors. You don't need to be a Tarot expert - all are welcome! For more information on each monthly event, please contact Martha on or tga.sa.tarotgroup@gmail.com Venue: Burnside Community House, 401 Greenhill Road, Tusmore SA 5065 Time: 5:30pm - 7:30pm For a state-by-state listing of monthly Tarot gatherings around Australia, see the website of the Tarot Guild Of Australia:

6 Difficult Cards Edition 7 Autumn 2012 Who are the characters in this card? On the left we see a stonemason standing upon a pew, with a hammer and chisel in his hands. The apron that he wears and the hammer that he holds are symbols of the Freemasons, a brotherhood of which A. E. Waite was a member. A priest stands next to an architect who holds blueprints in front of himself. They discuss the embellishments they need to make to the church, directing the craftsman towards everything that must be done. The stonemason represents mastery through hard work and dedication. The priest indicates spiritual understanding, and the architect is a symbol of technical skill. The underlying meaning of this card is about teamwork and collaboration. Even though the background and experience of each character is different, they come together and share their expertise in a way that creates a satisfying result. When this card turns up in a reading it means that teamwork, collaboration and cooperation are required. A series of Pentacles above a church door in Dublin, Ireland. The layout of pentacles beneath the arch is strikingly similar to the image from the 3 of Pentacles card (shown above). Tarot Trivia Answer: The Wheel of Fortune The future is an imaginary solution to the problem of the present and the tarot offers imaginary solutions to the problem of our lives. It does so by having us swerving away from our remorse about the past and our anxiety about the future, into the increasingly rare experience of the present. The tarot is one of the fastest ways we have to get where we were not going. Enrique Enriquez. If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter, simply send an to: MisterTarot@yahoo.com.au with the word unsubscribe in the subject area. Copyright on all articles in this newsletter belong to Don McLeod unless specifically stated otherwise. wwww.mistertarot.com