The Chariot’s path…
The Chariot of the Incidental Tarot
The Chariot…I will admit, it is a card that I’ve always given short shrift to in the past. Being largely at a loss as to how to portray it, it was one of the last four trumps that remained to be designed. It had always seemed to me to be a very masculine card, speaking of war and strategy and dominion. But as I delved into the mythos behind its traditional imagery, I realized there is much more to the Chariot than meets the eye. It is in fact, an allegory of the Soul’s journey. In the Tarot, the Chariot is a direct sign of the Soul Path of the querent.
Some years ago, I was at a Renaissance faire in Washington with the musical ensemble I perform with, and I found myself mysteriously drawn to the symbol of horses. I found a lovely ceramic mug with a depiction of the Celtic Epona, goddess of hearth and home (originally patron goddess of the Roman military). At the time, I felt very drawn to Epona as a grounding influence, and I was so enamored of her image, I bought myself a number of beads to string into a necklace: a large jade floral wheel at the center, flanked by two horse heads, one white and one black. I really don’t know where the concept came from; I didn’t have any conscious association with the Chariot in mind at the time. In fact, it was only just recently as I was doing the research for this card that I made the connection. That summer in Washington, I was purposefully (if unconsciously) grounding myself on my Soul Path.
Plato’s narrative on the Chariot is one of the earliest representations of the myth, though it seems to be based on even earlier ancient texts. He describes the Chariot as the vehicle of the Soul’s progress from its maker, through its various incarnations on earth, and on to its eventual return to heaven. The driver of the Chariot is the Soul, and the horses, one white and one black represent the two opposite but tandem forces that drive the Soul on its journey. The white horse is symbolic of the highest and noblest form of action, the perfection of reason and sensibility. Chivalry, charity and grace are qualities of the white horse; the black horse represents the more primal aspects of human nature. The force of passion, which is not inherently negative in itself, opposes the nature of the white horse and often clashes with it, creating the conflicts and challenges of earthly life. In the extreme, the black horse symbolizes intense emotion: lust, obsession and rage. These passions can throw the Chariot off course, and draw it back into the baser levels of existence.
I realize now, that to some degree, my own Chariot has been driving in circles for a very long time…often slogging through mud and wind and the harsh weather of my own distraction. But the weather is quieting down, the horses have gotten some rest and I am starting to see a path clearing before me. And you know what? It’s a little scary out there… leaving behind those well-worn circular tracks and facing the wide open road ahead.
But here I am, the sun is shining, and I found a map.
READING THE CHARIOT: The Chariot’s appearance in a reading heralds an important opportunity wherein the querent’s Destiny shall be recognized and engaged. The foundation has been solidly built and much effort has been committed to achieving goals, and a great portion of that work is now coming to fruition. The Chariot represents victory through hard work, responsibility and dedication, of foregoing the extremes of experience in favor of balance and moderation. This card is also a spiritual milestone being number 7 of 21 trumps, indicating a strong sense of completion, of promises fulfilled and intentions realized. In general, the Chariot is a card of pathworking, an excellent omen of success, and signals that the querent is well-established on the path to his Destiny.
To define The Chariot in a word: ACHIEVEMENT.
REVERSED. Leaning too heavily on the passionate nature (the black horse); letting emotion and distraction obstruct the way of the Soul’s progress. Obstacles, trials, lessons to be learned. Emotional clarity must be diligently sought, and discipline applied to remain on the Path to Destiny.