Intro: Tarot for ACTION!

My primary advice for using the Tarot deck involves a severe action-orientation. Meaning: when you decide to call upon the cards, do it in the name of a practice that invokes movement, motion, and meaningful interaction with the world around you.

Think of it like this: The Tarot Deck is effectively one big heroic journey, so when you map your present being onto it — you must think of yourself as a hero.

The hero must take action; regardless of inner ideals and the degree of your greater mystic comprehensions and the wu wei of just letting things take their course — you must take ACTION.

“Keep moving forward.” ~ Reiner Braun

Let the deck, and your singular draws, lead you into motion toward your desired ends. In sum, these archetypes and energies within the cards are meant to empower and enliven your presence inside this world. Never forget that and go forth with confidence.

The Chariot surges forward through sheer force of will, its driver holding the reins of opposing forces in perfect tension. Succor, providence, also war, triumph, presumption, vengeance, trouble. Over the wheel of The Chariot, form begets force, understanding becomes action. Victory and violence ride the same vehicle. Reversed: Riot, quarrel, dispute, litigation, defeat. The horses pull apart what the driver cannot hold together.

UPRIGHT: Triumph, Providence, Vengeance, Presumption

REVERSED: Riot, Quarrel, Dispute, Defeat

The Chariot providences action, movement, and eventually victory, just as long as you keep hold of the reins and your vision forward. The man steering is armored and regal, with control (temporarily at least) of a pair of sphinxes. One can deduce that it takes a certain type of man, a hero in most respects, to be able to pilot this chariot; the sphinx only responds to True Understanding (Binah), so the charioteer must have answered well their paradox, or is simply strong & severe enough (Geburah) to overpower and commandeer two S-class mythical beasts. At any rate, the Chariot is on the move and so should you move. Thresholds and people must be confronted. Sometimes you have to kick doors down. But understand that aggressive maneuvers may foretell violence that begets counter-violences of mind and body. Sometimes the cart crashes.

On the journey, the hero takes bold action and is met with bolder consequence, good or bad…

Bottom Line: When you turn the wheels of The Chariot, seek out a clear path ahead (or the next best decision you could make).

Tree of Life Path: Binah to Geburah -- Understanding to Severity, this path recalls the innate reality that once someone truly ‘gets’ something in their gut (aha!) ~ they get moving.

A.E. Waite quote: “On the shoulders of the victorious hero are supposed to be the Urim and Thummim. He has led captivity captive; he is conquest on all planes--in the mind, in science, in progress, in certain trials of initiation. He has thus replied to the sphinx, and it is on this account that I have accepted the variation of Éliphas Lévi; two sphinxes thus draw his chariot. He is above all things triumph in the mind.”

Previous: Lovers | Next: Strength