The Chariot or Chariot in Alejandro Jodorowsky Marseille tarot and in the Rider Waite tarot is a very dynamic tarot card with a fairly clear meaning. When it appears to the right, then it is expressing willpower, victory, affirmation, determination and decision. On the other hand, when it appears in an inverted position, it is a card that represents the lack of control and direction, aggression and great uncertainty.
Let’s start with the description of the Chariot card. A man driving a car leaves a city, with towers and buildings in the background. A man who leaves something behind and goes on a journey of conquest with his will.
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The towers that can be seen behind him allude to his recent past, the city left behind is the exit towards a distant goal. A small incision. In ancient times, sports champions, great warriors, heroes, kings used to celebrate a victory by parading through the streets of their city as a testimony to the power or skills they possessed.
The same thing that leaders, heads of state, important politicians do today; only the means of transport changes, not the background of the parade. Returning to the representation of the online tarot card, the figure seen driving the car is absolutely a person who radiates strength, confidence, determination. Dressed in armor, he holds in his right hand a scepter surmounted by a gold point, testifying to his noble goals, aimed at unity and conquest.
The shoulder pads are represented by two moons, one waxing and one waning, a clear analogy with the letter of the Pope. These moons, represented as a kind of mask, seem to have no expression, as if to cover the true feelings of man.
Meaning of The Chariot in the Tarot Marsella Jodorowsky and Rider Waite
The meaning of this Major Arcana will vary depending on the position in which it is presented, which is why it is important to know the full extent of what it is trying to communicate to the consultant.
There are many esoteric symbols present in this representation of the Major Arcana, starting from the belt of man, to reach the winged sun, symbol of the solar hero, but also symbol of Isis, the goddess of the magical arts. The stars, both on the headdress and canopy, return the Chariot card to the Empress card.
What stands out the most are the two sphinxes, black and white, that seem to pull the cart. In the Tarot de Marseille, the wheels of the chariot seem to interlock, one in the opposite direction to the other, and the chariot does not seem to move. Here the sphinxes even seem to oppose the movement of the chariot, from which it follows that for the chariot to move the will of the driver is needed. The chariot appears to be held back by water, a sign of the cancer to which the chariot refers, and by the ground, symbolized by the geometric cube between the two wheels.
The dualism between emotionality and rationality is the key to this representation. The same sphinxes represent a heart one night. The task of the prince of the chariot is to have to master these two opposing forces and, above all, to learn to understand that he will not get anything out of life if he does not master instinct and emotion.
The car to the right
Being an arcana of triumph, at least when it seems right, The Chariot gives the Tarot universe a positive boost. Matured through choices and tests, the querent experiences a new condition of awareness, emotional stability, self-confidence, self-control. A new, active and energetic phase of existence is presented, therefore, enriched by projects, achievements, successes achieved thanks to your managerial skills and the ability to easily persuade any collaborator and subordinate.
This card promises to triumph over difficulties, overcome a period of uncertainty, prizes, supremacy over rivals, progress, luck. The current situation, dynamic and evolving, both materially and morally, requires decision and firmness.
The Chariot tells us that the seeker bravely faces his goals, that he lives with enthusiasm as challenges against himself. However, the card of expansion and maximum independence do not exclude some risks, especially when the fight for a just ideal is carried out at all costs, without taking into account the real external conditions, with a certain taste for risk and danger. However, unexpected help, protection and support will not be lacking: a period of struggle and experience, often lonely, extremely fruitful.
The Car in Health
In terms of health, this card is always an indication of iron health, in full vitality and balance. It speaks to us in a perfect way, longevity, overcoming any physical problem. Valuable allies that should not be underestimated are sport and good humor, which also have a positive influence on the body.
The Car in Love
This card tells us, at least in the love and sentimental aspect, that it is the right time to start building an existence for two, for marriage, for reconciliation. In the couple there is a tender and secure affection despite a hint of arrogance inherent in the couple. Exciting news and spicy adventures for those who are still looking for a soul mate.
The Car in the Money
In the field of finances, this card indicates favorable commercial transactions, well-concluded agreements, fruitful associations, company expansion, important contracts. Import-export, shipping and shipping activities are particularly favored.
The Car at Work
At a work level, the Car is representative of an enviable professional or social situation. Successes, professional advances, ambitions achieved thanks to the consultant’s determination and decision-making power. Movements, arrivals, lucky trips for professional or school purposes. Studies that continue well, with special reference to university exams in philosophy, languages, history of religions. Coronation of school career, diploma, title. Favorable opportunities, job interviews, courses and internships not to be missed. Successes for athletes, particularly those who play competitive sports.
The car upside down
Such a strong and dynamic card can only reverse or exasperate, if reversed, all your good wishes. The fight always remains in the foreground, but if the card is on the right, it is certainly crowned with success, if the card is turned face down it can have an uncertain outcome or involve a large expenditure of energy.
Then, when the nearby cards worsen the situation with their negativity, victory turns into defeat, success into a bankrupt project, and the path traveled with head held high by the winner turns out to be a dangerous and treacherous path.
In the best cases, without failure, it can be a moment of stagnation or, sometimes, due to loss of control, an undignified escape from responsibilities. What above all creates problems is the lack or excessive self-confidence that leads, in the first case, to inconclusiveness, weakness, lack of courage and clarity, to the limits of confusion and panic, in the second to arrogance, to unbridled ambition, to the use of impure means to get there at any cost.
Completely devoid of diplomacy and tact, the consultant does not defend his positions except in a haphazard and often offensive manner. Therefore, he tends to underestimate the difficulties and, above all, the rights of others, behaving like a dictator, with a crisis of anger, rigidity, disputes, unjust revenge or, worse still, parasitic, opportunistic, lazy, limited, disorganized, confused and totally unable to adapt to reality and duties, in fact trying to escape eternally.
The presence of external obstacles that are difficult to overcome, against which the consultant’s will collides in vain, or the loss of something that he was already holding, should not be excluded. Promised help may suddenly fail. It is often the card of the bad, unjust and dictatorial government against which it is right to rebel.
The Car in Health
In the aspect of health, it tells us about imbalance, fatigue, energy expenditure beyond one’s capacity, risk of injury, bleeding, accidents, surgical interventions. The problems refer to the hips, thighs, liver, pancreas and are often attributable to the querent’s unbalanced diet.
The Car in Love
This card warns us of a situation of great dissatisfaction within a relationship, which can lead to its collapse. The hot temper, whether of the querent or the partner, is likely to lead to emotional unhappiness, grudges, royal escapades on extramarital affairs, and disputes.
The Car in the Money
When The Chariot is in an inverted position, in terms of its meaning in finances, it tells us that the main problem is disproportion, in defect or in excess. In fact, he reports large business losses, investments unsuitable for his own possibilities, unpaid debts.
The Car at Work
In the workplace, the Chariot card warns us of major professional problems due to errors or too belligerent attitude of the consultant. Conflicts and envy between colleagues, intolerance towards the directives of superiors. A business trip is likely to be postponed or derailed due to delays or accidents. However, the arcana is not always so destructive: in the company of positive cards, it simply reflects the querent’s fears about an interview, an exam, a trip or a managerial position for which he does not consider himself up to the task.
The Car Combinations | special editions
The Chariot, as well as all the rest of the tarot cards, should not be studied in isolation, but appreciated in its meaning together with the cards that accompany it in order to achieve a greater understanding of what it tries to convey. That is why it is so important to know their combinations.