The Chariot: A Hero Saved My Life Tonight

When someone says: “My grandfather was a real hero”, what does that imply? May be he fought bravely during World War Two? Sacrificed his life for someone? Helped children in Africa? Donated a big sum of money for a good cause?  Whichever it was,  it sure was a selfless act of valor.

Strangely our history doesn’t always keep the names of heroes like it does the names of the dictators, so most of the time we pay our homage to the Unknowns or Unknown Soldiers. Because it wasn’t about the fame for them it was about doing the right thing.

And I am slowely getting to the architype of a Hero which is depicted in the Chariot Tarot Card

A fairytale is always a mother of an architype. When I look at the man on the card riding through the desert, both frightened and excited I recall a story from Indian epos Mahabharata – Bhagavat Gita which literally means “A Song of God”.

The battle between two mighty clans the Kauravs and Pandava is about to break out. The great warrior Arjuna takes his time to think before the masacre begins – he doesn’t want to kill his own brothers. He opens his confused hear to his faithful charioteer Lord Krishna, who gives him a lesson of spirituality and conviences him that this battle was always there, is there and will be there for many generations to come. It is Arjuna’s dharma (right action) to lead his clan to that field and fight to death. And he must set his hourses and ride into the heart of the battle where only twelve warriors will survive.

Thus the horses on this card simbolize two opposites – two sides of self, conscience and unconscience, heart and mind, body and soul, pros and contras- everything that should come together as one to make the right move and get somewhere.

Arjuna had a councilor who helped him make a decision,this councilor lies within us. Like in Mariah Carey’s song:” A hero lies in you” .

Whatever choice we are making it should come from within to help us fight the outter advirsities.  We need to become hard on the outside and soft in the middle like a crab which image is on the man’s chest (see the card).

Make yourself at home, find inner peace and then you’ll see how easy it is to move forward.

The Importance of Being Alice: Part I

Curiouser and Curiouser

Indeed, you stop paying attention to the grammar rules when you are in the middle of adventure, gasping for air, while jumping into that Rabbit hole. Too bad some lose this sense of excitement over the years. But not Alice-like people. If you ask me I would add Alice to universal archetypes. But when I think about it I see that there already is one – it’s the Fool – yes, exactly, the first Major Arcana in Tarot. Look at the image below,a  yong man follows the butterfly , which simbolizes his dreams, he is so enchanted by the butterfly that he doesn’t pay enough attention to what’s happening aroud him and he is about to fall off the cliff … Which may be quite foolish but may be not.

So Alice’s adventures and the Fool’s joyrney are the beginning of a self-development, of seeking and acquiring self. You start up naïve, infantile, childish and extremely curious, open to new possibilities. And when your journey is over hopefully you will be finally able to answer this nagging and annoying Caterpillar’s “Who are you?” question.

I am going to look at the image of Alice through the years how it has changed and been developed or may be even distorted

Sweet Fairy Tale

When I say Alice – the first image that comes to my mind is that wide-eyed little girl in a sharp dress. This image was created by Lewis Caroll’s friend, the illustrator and wood engraver John Tenniel. It is said that Caroll himself advised Tenniel to use his another child-friend Mary Hilton Badcock as a model. But it is not quite clear whether he accepted the advice or not. Decide for yourself.

In 1951 Disney took it up and added some color and motion – the stereotype was born – Alice is a blond girl with big blue eyes and cute light blue dress. 

Natalia Vodanova was perfect in this role for US Vogue (2003) and Mia Wasikowska fitted in nicely for Tim Burton’s recent movie. 

What about that 1999 film with that dark-haired funny girl (Tina Majorino) in the lead and Whopie Goldberg as the Cheshire Cat?

  

May be this time the creators wanted to be more faithful to the appearance of the actual Alice – Alice Liddell, who was a brunette.

Anyways, whenever the time comes no matter blond or brunette Alice will always fall down the Rabbit hole…

To be continued