advanced tarot interpretation

The Meaning of "The Chariot" Tarot Card

The Symbolism of the Tarot Card:

A conquering hero. His chariot is drawn by two sphinxes. A city is behind him, suggesting that he is riding out to a new venture rather than returning home. According to the creator of this deck, his breastplate contains two elements of the Judaic high priest's breastplate - the Urim and Thurimm, or light and perfection. His upper body is completely free, but waist-down he is encased in stone.

The symbol of Ra adorns the front of his chariot, the winged sun. Directly beneath it are the lingam and yoni, the conjoined symbols of male and female sexuality.

His vestments bear various symbols of ceremonial magic, and his belt various zodiacal symbols. He wears an eight-pointed star on his crown.

The Meaning of the Tarot Card:

Conquest and triumph over all. The man in the Chariot is the man who solved the riddle of the Sphinx - hence his mastery over them and the fact that they are pulling his chariot. In fact he doesn't even control them with reigns - his will is so strong that he controls them with a wand.

The wheels of his chariot rest on water, meaning that his strength comes from the subconscious. The chariot itself rests on land, bridging the gap between the conscious and the unconscious.

The symbol of the lingam and yoni show that he has won a further victory over his baser passions, and has incorporated sexuality into his life productively rather than letting it rule him. Likewise, he controls all of the elements that are adorning his body, both magical and symbolical, with a firm hand. These elements do not master him, he has mastered them. The presence of so many occult and religious symbols again serves one purpose only in this card - to show his mastery and domination of them.

However the presence of so many symbols have served to do one unmistakable thing to the Charioteer - they have made him part of the Chariot. He is bound on all sides by his own dogma and rigidity. He has bought into his own mythology, so to speak.

A situation is being controlled through the force of the individual's personality. The same situation has inherent problems that have not been solved - it is just being "held together". It is important to not that the victory in this card is not total - it is simply the victory implied in getting everything under control.