Paul Huson, in The Devil’s Picture Book , mentions in passing that the “mysterious Merkabah….of the medieval Cabalists” fits in perfectly with the symbolism of The Chariot. The Merkabah, the throne/chariot of God, is mentioned 44 times in the Old Testament. It is a four-wheeled vehicle driven by “the likeness of a man” who is surrounded by four living creatures, each of which has four wings and the four faces of a man, lion, ox, and eagle. It is further surrounded by several other layers or angels. This was the vehicle Jewish scholars assume Ezekiel saw in his famous wheels within wheels vision, although the word merkabah isn’t mentioned in that particular text. Rabbis typically forbid the study and discussion of Ezekiel 1 and the merkabah to all but the most advanced Jewish scholars because it can be so easily misinterpreted. (Wikipedia, Merkabah entry).
Hasidic philosophy is more relaxed about the issue and explains that the Merkaba is “a multi-layered analogy that offers insight into the nature of man, the ecosystem, the world, and teaches us how to become better people……Ultimately, we should strive to realize how all of the forces in the world, though they may seem to conflict can unite when one knows how to use them all to fulfill a higher purpose, namely to serve God.” (Wikipedia, Merkabah entry).
According to Jewish mystics, Chet or Cheth, the Hebrew letter assigned to The Chariot, means light, life, or God hovering over His creation. This is an apt description of the Hebrew Merkabah, the throne/chariot of God.
Some modern esoteric schools of thought drop all pretense of allegory. They teach that each of us has a Merkabah or vehicle of divine light that can carry us through the dimensions. The word itself spans cultures. It is Hebrew (merkavah-chariot, or Merkabah-throne chariot), Egyptian (Mer – light; Ka – spirit; Ba – body) or Zulu (Merkabah, space/time/dimension vehicle). Two good Internet sources for Merkabah are Drunvalo and Crystalinks.
The MerKaBa is formed of two interlocking tetrahedrons of light, a three dimensional Star of David. The tetrahedron pointing up rotates clockwise, and the one pointing down rotates counterclockwise. When an adept aligns with the rest of the universe and spins the tetrahedrons at precisely the right speed, he/she transforms into a saucer shaped energy field about 55 feet across which can move through space, time, and every dimension. Could all those UFOs be the ultimate chariots, carrying ascended masters to the divine?
In a reading, The Chariot means: Victory or success through self-control or self-discipline. Successfully controlling some problem or situation by force of will. Having a plan or goal and directing energy toward achieving it. A journey, especially one of personal growth. Mastery of a system or practice.
In the Hero’s Journey, The Charioteer is almost always the hero, who uses his force of will to overcome obstacles, become a better person, and complete his journey. Ben Hur is the obvious example, but a Charioteer doesn’t always have to drive a vehicle. He does have to drive himself and the plot onward and upward.
Mentors are often Charioteers, like Jedi Master, Obi-wan-Kenobi, with his famous line, “Use the Force, Luke.” Darth Vader, the Jedi knight who went over the Dark Side, is a perfect shadow charioteer.
In the movie, Speed, Annie Porter, the reluctant driver of a bus that can’t go slower than 50 mph without exploding, is a Charioteer who is an ally.
The Chariot can also be a physical thing that challenges the characters and forces them to spiritually and sometimes literally move forward, overcome obstacles, and/or become better people. In The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the raft and the Mississippi River are The Chariot.
In the book Into Thin Air, Mt. Everest is The Chariot.
The Chariot is also the Journey itself.
