Very interesting and convincing post! Though I’ve read that Colman-Smith was influenced by Sola-Busch (late 15th c) which did have individual images for the pips? The images are quite violent which, coming after 1450, rather backs up your point.
I think the chariot card represents the descent of the soul according to Macrobius. The soul enters in Cancer, called the portal of man, and exits in Capricorn called the portal of the gods. This is why the Chariot card is assigned to cancer. Most of the Trump cards given astrological signs follow the path of the sun (the journey of the sun) through the zodiac: Aries (4 Emperor), Taurus (5 Pope), Gemini (6 Lovers), Cancer ( 7 Chariot), Leo (8 Strength), Virgo (9 Hermit), Libra (11 Justice), Scorpio (13 Death),
Sag ( 14 Temperance ) Capricorn (15, the Devil), Aquarius (17 the Star), Pisces (18 the Moon). The three elements Air, (fool) Water (Hanged Man) Fire (judgment) and the ancient planets Mars (Tower), Saturn (world) , Venus (Empress), Jupiter (Wheel), Mercury (Magician), Priestess (Moon), Sun, fit the pattern but in a hidden way. At least I think it’s that way. But the Tower gets assigned to Mars and is slightly outside the others next to the Devil. War definitely belongs to the descent into Hell. But I’m anti-war…oh well.
Very interesting and convincing post! Though I’ve read that Colman-Smith was influenced by Sola-Busch (late 15th c) which did have individual images for the pips? The images are quite violent which, coming after 1450, rather backs up your point.
I think the chariot card represents the descent of the soul according to Macrobius. The soul enters in Cancer, called the portal of man, and exits in Capricorn called the portal of the gods. This is why the Chariot card is assigned to cancer. Most of the Trump cards given astrological signs follow the path of the sun (the journey of the sun) through the zodiac: Aries (4 Emperor), Taurus (5 Pope), Gemini (6 Lovers), Cancer ( 7 Chariot), Leo (8 Strength), Virgo (9 Hermit), Libra (11 Justice), Scorpio (13 Death),
Sag ( 14 Temperance ) Capricorn (15, the Devil), Aquarius (17 the Star), Pisces (18 the Moon). The three elements Air, (fool) Water (Hanged Man) Fire (judgment) and the ancient planets Mars (Tower), Saturn (world) , Venus (Empress), Jupiter (Wheel), Mercury (Magician), Priestess (Moon), Sun, fit the pattern but in a hidden way. At least I think it’s that way. But the Tower gets assigned to Mars and is slightly outside the others next to the Devil. War definitely belongs to the descent into Hell. But I’m anti-war…oh well.