The Chariot is the seventh card of the Major Arcana in tarot. It shows a young man, looking like a prince, with a crown on his head. He is standing in a chariot, pulled by two sphinxes. One of them is black and the other one is white. The prince is holding a wand or a sword in his right hand. This card is predominated by Cancer and its numerical value is twelve.
The Chariot is mostly associated with movement, travelling and change. The movement is not necessarily physical. It may mean overcoming the obstacles in life that are holding you back and stopping from achieving your goals. The Chariot represents the end of the struggle and success; winning despite adversity. It stands for coming straight to the top and beating the competition. This card is about triumph, about victory.
However, to get where you want, you need some special qualities. The most important is determination to succeed. The Chariot tells you to focus on the goal, concentrate your energy and let nothing distract you. Knowing how to use your will properly is the key to victory. This interpretation is based on the fact that the prince in the picture is driving the chariot. The black and the white sphinxes symbolise both positive and negative emotions, which he manages to control. They serve him with their power and he decides how to use it.
A driver is someone who has control over something, and having control is the essence of Chariot’s meaning. In that aspect the seventh Major Arcana card stands for mastering emotions and maintaining discipline. Curb the impulses and hold your anger – they might interfere with your plans and make them difficult to carry out. Learn how to keep your emotions in perfect balance.
Another interpretation conciders it’s connection to the previous card – the Lovers. The Chariot acts on the basis of the decisions made by them. It’s duty is to fulfill the plans that already exist. The choices have been made and now it is time to act.
If you want to go fast, you have to sit in a chamber. However, in that position you lose control over the chariot and even though it goes at high speed, it can go the wrong way and you cannot stop it or change the direction. It means that it is impossible to develop discipline in a place that gives you protection and security, and without discipline there can’t be any control. Only in harsh conditions you can achieve the level of self-control, which allows you to be successful.
Self-esteem is also very important if you want to be in charge of your life. If you know who you are and have faith in yourself, you will be able to reach for the top. The others will respect you only as long as you respect yourself.
The Chariot appears in tarot cards reading mostly if there is a need for you to take control over your emotions and make a proper use of them. They cannot be put down, but they have to be directed the right way. As the power that keeps you going, they are inseparable part of your life. For example, fear is, in general, unwanted. However, it is impossible to get rid of it. You can only deny that it exists, but that doesn’t change anything. The right thing to do is to face it and try to take control over it. That relates to other emotions, positive and negative as well.
From another point of view, the Chariot might also herald the victory, the successful end of a struggle. This victory is achieved through self-discipline, determination and self-confidence you managed to acquire.
The reversed card means a disregard for others (mainly opponents), envy and avarice. It could be a sign of riot or quarrel, which interrupt your plan and often lead to defeat. On contrary to the basic interpretation, this position stands for chaos, loss of control and imbalance, which might cause destruction. It also means that you might be unnecessarily continuing outdated ideas and traditions. The reversed Chariot warns you against overwhelming ambition. Having high expectations is not always good for you. If you take too much upon yourself, you may forget what is really your goal and lose control over everything.
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The knowledge about astrological symbolism in the Tarot is a pre-requisite for a good combination of the two oracles. It also helps to know something about the history and symbolism of the Tarot.
Astrology and the Tarot work with open images and symbols. Both arts require responsibility and skill on the part of the counsellor to be able to recognise certain chances and challenges. The great benefit of the Tarot, however, is its immediate understanding.