The Chariot Keywords: Victory, Willpower, Control, Success

The Chariot Tarot Card Description

A charioteer stands tall beneath a blue canopy decorated with stars, which represent divine influences. He wears an eight-pointed star on his crown. Placed, as it is, on his crown, it may represent knowledge the charioteer has received from the divine. Beneath the crown, he wears a laurel wreath, representing victory and success. He wears ornate armour, adorned with symbols. It is thought by some that the faces on the shoulder plates represent Urim and Thummim – oracular stones worn by High Priests in Jerusalem. They may also be masks depicting happiness and sorrow. The lunar crescents beneath the masks show us that the charioteer has control over his emotions. The square on his breastplate represents order, stability and the physical realm. His belt is adorned with signs of the zodiac and the planets; his skirt with alchemical and magical symbols. He carries a wand in his hand, but no reins. The charioteer controls by the force of his will. He works in harmony with the physical and spiritual realms. There is no struggle; he is calm and resolute.

The winged sun on the front of the chariot is an Ancient Egyptian symbol of divinity, power and royalty. This symbol is also found in the Zoroastrian Faravahar. The three layers of the wings represent good words, good thoughts and good deeds. The red symbol, on the shield beneath, is the Hindu lignam and yoni symbol, representing the union of male and female principles. The chariot is pulled by black and white sphinxes. Their colouring represents duality and opposing forces. Notice also, that the sphinxes are facing in opposite directions. The charioteer uses his willpower to direct the sphinxes. The magical and divine symbols mentioned above also suggest that the charioteer has gained knowledge, which he can use to control and direct the movement of the chariot.

What The Chariot Means in a Tarot Reading

The Chariot is a card of action and success. You’ve gained control over opposing forces, emotions, or issues in your life and can now move forward. You’re moving in the right direction. There’s no struggle; you’re calm and composed. You’ll be victorious and succeed. Use your willpower to stay focused on your goals and to get what you desire. There are also forces outside of yourself, as symbolized in the magical and alchemical symbols which adorn the charioteer’s armour and chariot, which will aid your progress.

This is a time for action and perseverance. Now isn’t the time to sit back and hope that things work out, rather you need to move forward with your plans. You have the ability, now, to overcome any obstacles in your path and you know just what to do to achieve success. You need to remain focused on your objectives and use your willpower to keep you moving on the right track.

There’s no room for self-doubt when The Chariot comes up in a reading. Believe in yourself and your abilities. If there are people around you who doubt you, or who impede your progress, you must ignore them, believe in yourself and carry on regardless. When you make a decision, stick to it. You’ve got this – if you can stay the course!

The Chariot Love and Relationships Tarot Meaning

Like the sign Cancer, your outer casing of armour conceals your sensitivity and emotional vulnerability. You may be protecting yourself and hiding your true feelings. However, you’re loyal in relationships and, as this is a card of success, your relationship is likely to be successful. There’s forward momentum in The Chariot and any relationship you’re asking about is likely to develop quickly. Be aware, however, that for true happiness and success in a relationship, you’ll need to reveal your true feelings to your partner and have no fear of being exposed and vulnerable.

The Chariot Career Tarot Meaning

The Chariot is a very positive card to pull if your question relates to work or your career. You’re ambitious and likely to be seeking promotion. This is the card of success and victory. If you remain focused and stay the course, then you will achieve your goals.

The Chariot Reversed Tarot Card Meanings

The Chariot Reversed Keywords: Wrong Direction, Lack of Direction, Loss of Control

What The Chariot Reversed Means in a Tarot Reading

When The Chariot Reversed appears in a tarot reading, you should pause what you’re doing and check if things are going the way you planned when you started out. The reversal of this card indicates that things are likely to be heading in the wrong direction. Before you go too far down the wrong path, take some time to assess your progress and to make any changes you need to set you back on course.

Another likely scenario is that you actually lack any direction at all at the moment and can’t make progress because you simply don’t know what you should do. If this is the case then you’ll need to take time to reflect on what you really want, set some achievable goals, and take things one step at a time. This will help you to come out of this slump and you’ll find that you’ll make progress quickly enough and start to make progress once you set your mind to it.

This leads us to another possible reading of The Chariot Reversed – lack of willpower. You may feel that you just don’t have the desire to make any progress at the moment. This feeling will pass, of course, but it’s very likely that the situation has been highlighted to you in the cards as a nudge to you not to let this mood take a hold. It’s important to recognize that you won’t achieve anything you set out to do without a certain amount of willpower, grit, and perseverance.

You might also feel that you’re being pulled in too many directions. This will eventually bring you to a standstill. You’ll need to learn to prioritize and then, once you’ve decided on a course of action, you’ll need to be firm in sticking to your goals. This doesn’t mean being inflexible, but being overwhelmed and having too many demands on your time will inevitably mean that nothing gets done. You need to develop a clearer idea of what you’re trying to achieve and then try to limit other distractions until you’ve achieved it.

The Chariot Reversed Love and Relationships Tarot Meanings

If you’re in a relationship, you may feel that things are moving along quickly and that you have no control over where the relationship is heading. You need to slow things down to a manageable pace and take some more control over what happens to you. This relationship may well be a very happy one, but it’s overwhelming you and you feel like an observer rather than a participant. For an equal partnership, you’ll need to take some responsibility, alongside your partner, for what happens next and for where you’re headed.

If you’re thinking about embarking on a new relationship, then the same applies. Your life has started to run out of your control lately and now is the time to gather the reins and lead yourself in the direction you wish to go. When you start to have a more conscious input in the narrative of your love life, things will come together and you’ll experience more success.

The Chariot Reversed Career Tarot Meanings

Lack of drive, ambition, and focus are likely to have a negative impact on your career at this time. If you want to make progress, you’re going to have to take more control over your situation and focus your energies towards where you want to move. Right now, your energies are scattered, and you’ve lost sight of where you want to be in your career. The appearance of The Chariot Reversed is pointing this out to you so that you’ll take notice and do something about it.

The Chariot Correspondences & Attributions