Tarot Symbolism: The Lovers, Chariot, Justice, Hermit and Wheel of Fortune Cards

Traditionally called the two roads. The young man looks toward that woman who represents the life of the senses that attract him, but if we look up we have what appears to be a cupid but is actually an angel with an arrow pointing toward the other woman. The other woman, dressed in blue, represents the celestial woman, she is wisdom, indicating that wisdom inspires the Magus, the Initiate, suggesting the right direction he should follow, which is what he will later undertake, because only in this way can we continue the path, otherwise it would be impossible. Here we have the Chariot. After the choice is made, we have the Chariot, and the Chariot will show us victory over enemies. There is a trio here. This Chariot symbolizes war, victory over enemies and, if the Lover chose the suitable path, the first thing presented to him is a battle. There is a spiritual battle. The Chariot was an Egyptian symbol representing the war chariot used to carry divine royalty throughout the World. Therefore the Chariot carries an important figure because he has royal insignia, the crown of the double empire, he is an important figure referring to whoever is making the journey, in this case the Initiate or the Magus. The Chariot carries above it a temple and on the architraves of the temple are the Stars. It is a celestial temple, the Stars symbolize angelic Forces that help him or to whom he should ask for help to be able to fight and emerge victorious. The hero's skill is to remain attentive because there are two sphinxes here, these two sphinxes that guide him, the sphinxes pull in different directions. If he is not good at driving the Chariot, everything can collapse. So the two sphinxes represent the dual Force that penetrates all creation, a dual mercurial current that the Initiate must learn to dominate. Then we have Justice. Justice is represented here by a royal figure who has a feather on her head, therefore this is the Goddess Maat, the Goddess of Justice. In her left hand she has a sword and in her right hand a scale. The sword and scale are here for rigorous Justice, she has a sword to show precisely the rigor of Justice. The scale refers to balance, the law of retaliation, the law of karma, whereby if we perform an action, we have a reaction. This law is the test that awaits each soul when the individual is judged by virtue of everything he has done and from all points of view, that is, on actions, but also on emotions, on thoughts. Man must acquire the power to govern with Justice, otherwise he will fall into ruin. In this case there is perfect balance between the plates of the scale where on one side is the heart, in the form of a vase, and on the other side of the plate we have the Goddess Maat to indicate that the Initiate must be in this condition, that is, with a pure heart and in truth. Justice is entirely centered on this, on this truth. The pedestal on which the Goddess Maat rests her feet is called the Lake of Truth and indicates precisely everything that must be the foundation of the Goddess, that is, truth. Now we have the figure of the Hermit. The Hermit represents a more ardent aspect of a religious aspect, a fire, a religious ardor. He is the image of the Initiate with all his attributes. This Blade represents here a wise old man who walks slowly, therefore he walks slowly, but always advances, he prudently tests the ground with his staff because, contrary to what we had seen in the Fool's blade, the staff here is in front of his feet. While in his right hand he has a lamp that is hidden under a cloak, this to make light along the path to indicate that he moves with wisdom, with intelligence, while the cloak hides the lamp which also means that he has the capacity to isolate himself, discretion. With the staff he has in front of his feet, he not only tests the ground, but also dominates a dragon. This dragon is the symbol of dominion over public opinion, over the illusions of imagination. We now see the Wheel. If before the Lover had a choice, now he has the Wheel of existential cycle. It is moved by Forces that seem adverse, that is, here we have represented Anubis, who is the symbol of wisdom, who directs the Wheel upward, and then we have the crocodile that we had already seen in the Fool's blade, as a representation of evil, he directs the Wheel downward. These two representations are symbols of Egyptian tradition where Anubis, the Jackal, also called Uquat, the one who opens...