The Chariot is a major arcana card that symbolises personal power and great attainment. It appears in tarot decks all over the world and is one of the most referenced tarot cards. The card’s presence in other domains like spiritual literature, mythology, and popular culture, both old and contemporary, are proof of its lasting significance. The card depicts a charioteer, with his team of horses dragging a chariot across a star-filled sky. The chariot’s occupants are surrounded by a crescent moon on both sides symbolising the power of movement and the advancement of ideas.
The Chariot card speaks to ambition and ambition going to be fulfilled. Of mastery over our own lives and of us taking control of our fate. For centuries, the card has been associated with proper conduct, wise decisions, temperance and courage. It also represents the need to take responsibility for one’s destiny and make informed choices with clear awareness. The card encourages us to always remember that success and victory don’t come easy and require effort.
The Chariot is the zodiac symbol of Cancer, a sign associated with emotional strength, intuition, and protection. This can be seen in the card’s interpretation as ‘surviving and conquering’, and the card’s imagery of a charioteer in control of two horses, indicating a sense of willpower, but also of being emotionally in control and learning to be at ease with your feelings.
The Chariot card encourages you to stay on track and remain focussed on your goal, despite any distractions and obstacles in your path. It likewise stands for the need for solitude. This is symbolised in the card by the charioteer’s distance from the horses, even as he triumphantly drives into the starry night sky. It stands as a reminder that quality solitude is essential to balance and wellbeing.
The Chariot challenges you to step out of your comfort zone and take on a more courageous approach. It is the card of the powerful individual and carries with it the message that we all have the capability within us to rise up and become bigger and better versions of ourselves. It is a call to trust your inner strength and be confident in the unfolding of your path and destiny.
The Chariot is about the advancement of knowledge and progress, and understanding how important it is to make decisions from the heart and not just the mind. Its presence in that deck as just one of many means it often stands for life’s journey and the accumulation of wisdom. In other words, it’s about drawing on the lessons we’ve already learned and taking them with us as we keep moving forward.
The Chariot also signifies hard-earned success and the understanding that we can attain anything we set our minds to, provided we stay focussed and determined. Its presence in tarot should be taken to heart as an empowering reminder of the individual’s power of will and determination.
Interpretation Of The Chariot Card
The Chariot card is one of the most recognisable cards in the tarot deck, strongly identified with willpower and personal power. Not only does it symbolise ambition, persistence and strength, it serves as a reminder to stay the course, no matter what the obstacle. It urges one to use conscious willpower and determination to reach success and victory. The card signifies the importance of mastering our emotions in order to remain calm and focussed, what with its depiction of the charioteer and his team of horses displaying control, but also conscious awareness.
The interpretation of the Chariot includes exploring the significance of mastering our emotions and taming the ‘beasts of our mind’ as rationally as possible. It carries the message that we should take responsibility for our lives and our choices, understanding that everything comes with a price and that nothing comes for free. On a less serious note, the card can represent taking a journey, either literal or metaphorical, which might be necessary in order to fully comprehend our own strengths and weaknesses.
The Chariot calls us to be in charge of our own future, and to never forget that each choice we make allows us to move forward or stay the same. It speaks to tapping our inner wisdom and learning to accept and surrender to the mysteries of life. In its more positive outlook, the card encourages celebration and reward for when true success is achieved.
The Negative Implications Of The Chariot Card
On the contrary, the Chariot is also a reminder that our journey doesn’t always mean success, and that along the way there will be trials and temptations that can lead us astray. It can thus stand for a lack of control and surrender, leading to chances missed and struggles all too real. When it appears reversed, the Chariot tarot card can convey problems with reaching goals and difficulties in controlling emotions.
It could be a sign of putting too much emphasis on things outside of our control, which in turn brings a feeling of lack and frustration. Additionally, the Chariot reversed can point to a lack of willpower and determination, and being held back because of fear or not believing in oneself.
That said, the card’s interpretation is never entirely negative. Instead, it serves more as a warning sign, a reminder to stay disciplined, stay true to yourself, and to never forget that true success is not defined by attainment, but rather by the journey itself.
Divinatory Meaning Of The Chariot Card
When interpreting the tarot card of The Chariot, it is important to consider how it radiates balance and brings forth the deepest intuition. It’s a call to stay focussed and always work towards your goals. The card is an embodiment of strength and wisdom,and stands for personal power and understanding the importance of honoring our inner wisdom. The Chariot’s combination of both lower and higher consciousness serves as a reminder that if we pay attention to our inner knowing, we can always stay on the right track and we will never go astray.
It stands for clear decision making and having faith in these decisions. It asks us to stay determined and in proper control of our destiny. The Chariot signifies owning the adventure of life and never giving up or getting too complacent. It speaks to staying responsive and aware of our surroundings and most importantly, not to forget the value of requiring a little time for ourselves to rest and recharge.
When the Chariot card appears in a tarot reading, it can either denote progress or struggle, depending on the other cards that surround it. It could also indicate a need to take control of one’s life by exploring inner knowledge, trusting our intuition, and having the courage to take on risks in order to reach success.
Spiritual Meaning Of The Chariot Card
The spiritual interpretation of The Chariot card takes its meaning to a higher level, representing the importance of travelling and exploring our innermost selves. It speaks to taking that inner journey and using our newfound wisdom and learning to make better decisions with greater awareness. The Chariot could be a call to invest in our spiritual education and to stay aware of divine messages in life; understanding that every challenge is another opportunity to grow.
The card can also be read to mean inner journeys towards self-mastery and embracing our highest power, namely our understanding of the divine plans. The Chariot is a reminder that no matter how challenging life can be, every obstacle is instead an invitation to dig deep and find out what we’re truly capable of. It calls for a balance of personal power and surrender to the higher power.
The Tarot card of The Chariot is an invitation to accept divine guidance and trust our spiritual intuition. It beckons us to remain determined, to never give up and stay focussed, no matter how difficult things may become.
Symbology Of The Chariot Card
The Chariot’s most significant symbols are those of the star-filled sky and the charioteer with two horses. The star-filled sky represents the ability to travel above everyday distractions and towards higher consciousness, while two horses represent harmony and balance. The crescent moon is an emblem of the emotional nature of life and it heightens our awareness of our instinctive nature so that our journey will remain true to ourselves and our inner-most desires.
The charioteer itself is a symbol of self-control and inner strength. In order to reach our goals, the card states, we will need these two elements in order to reign victorious. Further symbolisms of the Chariot tarot card include honour, faith, and victory. The card serves as an inspiring reminder of the power we can obtain when we unite opposite facets of ourselves and take ownership of success and victory.
The Chariot is also associated with the colour black, which stands for strength, professionalism, and sophistication. Of course, a rainbow of possibilities comes with it, as different colours have their own unique qualities and reflect different aspects of the self. A richer understanding of the card can be attained by considering both its qualities and its accompanying colours.