Tarot has been a part of Barbara Moore's personal and professional lives for nearly twenty years. Right from the start, tarot intrigued her with its marvelous blending of mythology, psychology, art, history, mystery, and magic. She has studied under...
This card shows the need or desire to move forward being impeded by circumstances, which may be internal or external. The difficult situation is usually based in a conflict of some sort, as shown by the two beasts attached to the chariot. The journey appears to be one of moving away from something more than toward something, as a city usually appears in the background. This indicates leaving comforts, family, and security. Therefore, the conflict can be about not wanting to leave or others not wanting us to go. And so there is a struggle, making forward movement difficult. Some believe that the charioteer exhibits mental control in order to move forward. However, if the charioteer is pictured wielding anything, it is a wand, indicating the will. In this situation, our will is our secret weapon.
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The Universal Waite Chariot, with its male passenger and no reins, is stalled due to two unwilling sphinxes. They represent opposing forces that won't work together, that are at cross-purposes. Sphinxes indicate riddles or mysteries, so the actual crux of the conflict is probably not revealed. The charioteer holds his wand, the sign of his will. He wears a crown of stars and in addition has a canopy of stars, representing celestial inspiration and guidance.
Core meaning:
The triumph of will in difficult circumstances.
The Legacy Chariot features a female driver holding the reins, making progress but at great peril. She leaves behind not a city but a planet, still a symbol of an existence left behind. She drives through the water using the light from her wand—that is, the clarity of her will—to guide the way. The wings represent the power of her convictions, which lend strength and speed to her journey.
The Shadowscapes Chariot shows a woman standing in her chariot; she has let the reins drop. Her steeds look back at her, as if for guidance. They seem less certain than she about the path they are on. They represent her inner conflict, her uncertainty on some level about this journey. However, she looks ahead, focusing on her goal, her destination. She lets that vision strengthen and feed her will. That alone is what urges them forward.
