The symbolism of the chariot
Ecstasy and death
A chariot is a symbolic ‘means of transport’, a means of achieving ecstasy
or the chosen visionary transport on death
Kings 2 Authorized (King James) Version
And it came to pass, ... that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee,
before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said,
I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.
And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me
when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so.
And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold,
there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder;
and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.
The Tarot Chariot card
The symbolism is incorporated in the Tarot card for the Chariot,
and there are lots of lovely versions of this card
Some of which,- however much fun they are, -
have rather lost the plot, because the symbolism comes from the Katha Upanishad
and is very specific
The Katha Upanishad
The Self (atman) is the owner of the chariot;
The body (sarira) is the chariot;
intuitive discernment and awareness (buddhi) is the charioteer;
the thinking function (manas) is the bridle;
the sense forces (indriya) are the horses;
and the objects or spheres of sense perception (visaya) are the ranging ground.
The individual in whom the Self, the sense forces and the mind
are joined is called the eater or enjoyer (bhoktar).
For one who is devoid of real insight and has not properly and constantly yoked and tamed his mind
that is to say, for one who has not disciplined and controlled
both his conscious mental faculty (manas) and the intuitive awareness (buddhi)
which is a manifestation of the irrational unconscious the sense forces become unmanageable,
like the wicked horses of a charioteer.
But for him who is always full of intuitive awareness and who has tamed and yoked his mind,
the senses are subdued like the good horses of a charioteer.
He who lacks the proper intuitive awareness and is thoughtless and impure,
does not reach That Place [the state of transcendental existence]
he tips over into the whirlpool of death and rebirth (samsara).
But he who is full of intuitive awareness, thoughtful and pure at all times,
reaches that place, whence one is not reborn.
The man who has for his charioteer intuitive awareness, and for his bridle the mind,
attains the end of his journey which is a great distance away.
That goal is the supreme abode of Visnu the cosmic all pervading Self divine.
The Auriga Constellation
There is a constellation called Auriga devoted to this symbolism.
Auriga is both one of the 88 modern constellations and was among the 48 constellations
listed by the 2nd-century astronomer Ptolemy.
It is north of the celestial equator. Its name is Latin for “(the) charioteer”.
Early interpretive pictures of this constellation such as this one from Constellatio XII, p. 53,
by Johann Bayer of 1627, more correctly show the need to bridle the intellect, shown as a lion.
Later artistic interpretations are a lot less clear,
especially as the constellation shows no chariot and the lion has been replaced by a goat
The Greeks and the story of Phaeton
From Ovid’s Metamorphosis - The Story of Phaeton
Take this at least, this last advice, my son, Keep a stiff rein, and move but gently on:
The coursers of themselves will run too fast, Your art must be to moderate their haste.
Drive 'em not on directly through the skies, But where the Zodiac's winding circle lies,
Along the midmost Zone; but sally forth Nor to the distant south, nor stormy north.
The horses' hoofs a beaten track will show, But neither mount too high, nor sink too low.
That no new fires, or Heav'n or Earth infest; Keep the mid way, the middle way is best.