"Now when these (events) had come to pass, he made himself a huge four-faced chariot of cherubim, and infinitely many angels to act as ministers, and also harps and lyres. And Sophia took her daughter Zoe and had her sit upon his right to teach him about the things that exist in the eighth (heaven); and the angel of wrath she placed upon his left. Since that day, his right has been called 'life'; and the left has come to represent the unrighteousness of the realm of absolute power above. It was before your time that they came into being. " Hypostasis of the Archons - Nag Hammadi
We are still discussing the 7th Tarot card titled The Chariot. Its somewhat a difficult process to explain that this chariot is not an ordinary one. The Mystical Chariot is a "way" of traveling , not physically, but to a place of exalted consciousness. We also can call this experience initiation.
As we are "ascending" in our vehicle to the heights of possible attainment, its imperative that we are equipped with the tools of our craft. I wouldn't want to beat a dead horse, but its absolutely vital that we realize the additional forms that our incarnate lives have attached to them. It is this "subtle body" that ascends or descends.
Throughout our material world there are many representations of the four major divisions of living beings. Mineral, Vegetative, Animal and Human consist the Nature that we are infusing by becoming Divine in our "higher" nature. This is the sacred science of the great systems of Initiation.
I would caution the reader on "free associating" with this particular card, it would be wise to pay attention to the number it is attributed to , which is seven. Its already been shown in other writings that the number seven holds a high significance, since it is almost always related to the seven days of creation, the seven planets, the seven vowels etc.. The septenary is the pinnacle of attainment and in the realm of the heavens those who are "masters" of the chariot are exalted to the highest heavens including the Ogdoas or Eighth Heaven.
This seems like a bunch of bothersome attributions that do not have anything to do with the topic at hand, however the discerning reader will see beneath the card to its "Architectonic" structure. In this card more than any we are shown the first septenary's manifestational point. Meaning the cards 1-7 culminate in a grand synthesis in THE CHARIOT. This is because of the intricate details the cards preceding this arcana explicate.
In the Chariot of the Gods we are given the means and goal of those who have gone before us, in a divine procession , we are led to our ultimate goal and have gotten into the chariot. As the charioteer that masters the planetary influences from beyond the zodiac, we are the ultimate creation that of the Primitive Adam, or First Man. We are the being that is in total control by the reigns holding the lower and "fallen" nature of the horses , we ride in the Chariot ( mind or nous) to the high heavens, assisted by the angelic forces (sun and moon) and the Archangelic power of the ultimate GOD, we are given the fruition of our journey. That of Divine Gnosis!
In GNOSIS
Tim
