Mental Health and Its Power of Propulsion

Greetings!

We are here going to discuss some of the great initiatic truths that the image of The Chariot represents as our 7th Tarot card in the Major Arcana.

It was discussed previously that the two main elements of this work are the chariot, and horses. But we did not explain the aspects of how this card may be seen in the light of the great hall of initiatic wisdom. We spoke of the body and its senses and other 'vestures' but didn't talk of other aspects, aspects that are particularly poignant in Emmanuel Swedenborg's writings. Swedenborg was a great Fifth Degree initiate and had amazing connection to the world of the spirit and archetypes, he says about the "chariot" and "horses" the following:

"To “ride upon a chariot and upon horses” means to be instructed in the doctrine of truth from the internal understanding of the Word."

"the doctrine of love and charity from the Word being meant by the “chariot of fire,” and the doctrine of faith there from by the “horses of fire.” The doctrine of faith is the same as the understanding of the Word as to its interiors,"

"The signification of the horse, as being understanding, was derived by the wise round about, even to Greece, from those churches. Hence it was, when they would describe the sun, in which they placed their God of wisdom and intelligence, that they attributed to it a chariot and four horses of fire."

Swedenborg Arcana Coelestia

Faith or Fidelity is the term used in the New Testament inappropriately translated "belief". The Fiery Horse is to be in the stage of development where the vehicle of the body, emotions and mind are empowered and are given an influx of "fire" this fire however only happens from the "work of the chariot" or Love and Charity. These two doctrines Love and Faith are spoken about in Paul of the New Testament and are also mentioned in most of the Kabbalistic texts as well. AMEN or Fidelity is an action word and may be rightly associated with the term WILL. Love or Compassion is the other force that guides the "Fiery Horses".

Its pretty evident from reading through Swedenborg's 18K pages of material that when he makes reference to the "horse" and "chariot" he means the understanding of the truth and the doctrine of the truth respectively. This is similar to the idea that there are explanations of and experience of, one being more authentic than the other. When we refer to "God's Chariot" we are referring to the DIVINE TRUTH of GODHEAD. The same as when the following is said in the Nag Hammadi on Yaldabaoth:

Now the prime parent Yaldabaoth, since he possessed great authorities, created heavens for each of his offspring through verbal expression - created them beautiful, as dwelling places - and in each heaven he created great glories, seven times excellent. Thrones and mansions and temples, and also chariots and virgin spirits up to an invisible one and their glories, each one has these in his heaven; mighty armies of gods and lords and angels and archangels - countless myriads - so that they might serve

On The Origin of the World - Nag Hammadi

The "Chariots" mentioned are the Truths of the Demiurge. When allegorically we are allowing the Chariot to pulled by "Dark or Red" Horses we are in possession of those powers that are lower and of Yaldabaoth. Its also pertinent to see that the White and Black horses must be in balance by the chariot. In Kabbalah Emanationism when a Divine Force is created or Emanated it necessitates a Dark Power with it. This is because of the subtle realms of the Noetic Plane. When the "supersubstance" of the universe is used to create humanbeings a part of that creation is a neccesary evil or inimical image to that of Divine Birthright.

These images are stored in our subconscious and can either be neglected and rendered powerless, or when we are "inattentive" the Horse will become activated, therefore releasing Yaldabaoths creation and the image becoming a "Chariot" for "His Offspring" . In other words it becomes a ruling Archon and gets an autonomous psychological function that wreaks havoc and creates a sort of "possession" .

This then is the power behind the "Fire" that spreads through the HORSE. When we empower with our thoughts geometrical images and energetic vortexes the Charioteer "Guides" the "Forces" or Horse. We are then able to use this horse to pull us on when we are weak, or we are in great need to stop what has been placed in motion by the proper balance of the "Two Impulses"

In GNOSIS

Tim

The Cart Before The Horse

Greetings!

We are now starting the last series of reflective snippets of Intiatic Tarot exegesis. Its appropriate that we are now looking at card number 7 titled The Chariot. The chariot has gone through a few different changes through deck, but most always depicted MAN and either different dress or clothing related to the times or symbolic men and women through the ages represented as well. The other is Horses. There were usually two horses one white and the other black.

 Since the beginning of time we have been instructed by schools of wisdom to watch ourselves and not let the passions run away with us. Its not going to be in the best interests of this page to either define passions or moralize on stopping them. I would like to make reference to the idea of horses and carriages or chariots though.

Our first chariots in mystical literature are from the chariot burials of the Andronovo (Timber-Grave) sites of the Sintashta-Petrovka Proto-Indo-Iranian culture in modern Russia and Kazakhstan from around 2000 BC. This tells us as much as 4000+ years the symbol as a chariot has been around. The point that I was going to bring to attention with some of the modern horses being "sphinx's" is that in Egypt the HYKSOS invaded on chariots contributing to the Military success of the Egyptians.
This tells us that since 2000 years bc Chariots were taken to be as important to be buried with death and in Egypt resembled great military power.

And so it is! Our chariot in this life is considered to be that which is able to carry the MAN (Meaning MANAS - SK for Thinker). The other is that MAN guides the HORSES. These HORSES are considered that which is powering the chariot. Here is the trickery, as a actual image this is appropriate as a military source of power, meaning when used in battle the CHARIOTEER is able to bring force with the HORSES into manifestation and then conquer EGYPT which is the Land of Matter. But its not that simple. When the CHARIOTEER or MANAS is pulled by the HORSES then we are not the Military conquer that we supposed to be but an ineffective slave to the HORSES will. This is when the HORSE pulls us.
In the language of Theosophy this would be the Mental and Emotional Bodies pulling us, instead of the Higher Mental and Intuitional bodies guiding us by the direction of the MONADIC DIRECTION. Its simple but profound when in an emotional turmoil to use the time tested line " are we putting the cart before the horse" In this situation it should be yes! This statement is tricky again because to rely on power we need the horse, no one denies that fact but to properly guide the power of the horse we need a directing force as well meaning the Charioteer. It does not say put the charioteer before the horse, it says the cart, and in this analysis the cart is a moot point.
I'd also like to bring attention to a good Tibetan practice called the Chariot Technique in looking for a cart apart from its parts. Meaning look at the cart and see if its just wood, metal, axles, and rope. Held together by Nails or Weld. We will start to see that the Vehicle doesn't have any intrinsic "vehicle-ness" apart from its parts. The same as our emotions and mental thoughts, the HORSE has no other purpose in the Chariot situation than to pull it, let us be the guiding force of those horses, or let our chariot be guided by our HIGHER SELF the real CHARIOTEER

 

In GNOSIS

 

Tim