THE CHARIOT Tarot Card Explained ☆ Meaning, Secrets, History, Reversed, Reading ☆

Summary

This video explores The Chariot card in the Rider-Waite Tarot, blending storytelling with esoteric insight. Following the Fool’s Journey, the narrative illustrates triumph, self-confidence, and overcoming internal obstacles, symbolized by the dual sphinxes. The educational portion delves into historical influences from Plato, Éliphas Lévi, and Waite, unpacking the card’s symbols, including armor, stars, and the cube-like Chariot. Upright, the card represents victory, mastery, and willpower; reversed, it warns against rigidity. Positioned within the Major Arcana, The Chariot bridges worldly experience and spiritual growth, highlighting the power to harness opposing forces and achieve personal and spiritual triumphs.

Takeaways

• 🛡️ The Fool’s Journey introduces the idea of growth through experiences, encountering figures like Victory who symbolize triumph and mastery.
• 🏆 Victory represents the triumph of the human spirit, teaching that overcoming self-doubt, hopelessness, and insecurity is key to greatness.
• 🐎 The Chariot card originates from Plato’s allegory of the soul, where two opposing horses symbolize rational and instinctive drives.
• ⚫⚪ In the Rider-Waite deck, horses are replaced by black and white sphinxes, representing opposing forces that must be balanced for success.
• 📜 Eliphas Levi influenced Tarot by connecting the Major Arcana to Hebrew letters and the Kabbalistic Tree of Life, adding mystical symbolism.
• 🛡️ Armor and symbols on the Chariot, such as the Urim and Thummim, signify divine guidance and spiritual protection.
• 🌟 The canopy of stars above the Chariot symbolizes higher guidance and spiritual connection, reinforcing the card’s theme of triumph.
• 💪 Upright, The Chariot represents victory, mastery of self, overcoming obstacles, and strength of will, while reversed it warns of rigidity and failed willpower.
• 🌿 Astrological and esoteric correspondences: Zodiac sign Cancer, Hebrew letter Cheth, musical note E-flat, and herb Cypress, linking the card to broader mystical systems.
• 🎯 The key lesson is balancing internal forces, exercising disciplined will, and remaining adaptable to achieve personal and spiritual triumph.
• 🔄 The Fool, numbered zero, acts as an observer, reminding us that potential and awareness are essential for navigating the journey through the Major Arcana.
• 📚 Tarot study combines storytelling, myth, and symbolism to convey lessons on personal growth, victory, and the application of willpower in life.

Q & A

What is the primary lesson the Fool learns from the victorious figure in the story?

The Fool learns that to achieve greatness, one must conquer self-doubt, hopelessness, and insecurity, and cultivate strong willpower, self-belief, and perseverance.

How does the Rider-Waite Tarot depict the Chariot differently from earlier versions?

The Rider-Waite Tarot replaces the horses with sphinxes, colored black and white, facing opposite directions, symbolizing opposing forces such as rational versus instinctual aspects.

What historical figure influenced the Rider-Waite Tarot's depiction of the Chariot?

Eliphas Levi, a 19th-century French occultist, influenced the depiction by connecting Tarot cards to Hebrew letters and the Kabbalistic Tree of Life and introducing the sphinxes as symbolic drivers of the Chariot.

What is the symbolic significance of the sphinxes in the Chariot card?

The sphinxes represent opposing forces within the human psyche—rational and instinctive—and the need for balance and control to achieve mastery and triumph.

How does the Chariot card relate to the concept of willpower?

The Chariot signifies strength of will and the ability to overcome obstacles. Upright, it represents mastery and triumph; reversed, it suggests rigidity and failure of willpower.

What mythological story is referenced in explaining the Chariot's symbolism?

The story of Oedipus solving the riddle of the Sphinx is referenced, symbolizing mental conquest and the ability to navigate challenges through intelligence and insight.

What are some key symbols found on the Chariot card and their meanings?

Symbols include the sphinxes (opposing forces), armor with magical and planetary symbols (spiritual power), an eight-pointed star (renewal and chaos), a six-pointed star canopy (divinity), and a stone chariot (steadfastness).

How does the Chariot card fit into the structure of the Major Arcana?

The Chariot is the seventh card in the Major Arcana and concludes the 'worldly' sequence, representing conscious life experience and the mastery of outer challenges before moving inward toward self-discovery.

What correspondences are associated with the Chariot card?

The Chariot corresponds to the 18th path on the Kabbalistic Tree of Life (between Bina and Geburah), Hebrew letter Cheth, musical note E♭, herb Cypress, and zodiac sign Cancer.

What does the Fool’s numbering as zero symbolize in the context of Tarot?

The Fool’s zero position symbolizes his role as observer and potential, able to move through all sequences of the Major Arcana and witness the stages of consciousness, self-discovery, and spiritual awareness.

What lesson is conveyed about rigid reliance on willpower?

Relying solely on willpower can make a person rigid and inflexible. Effective mastery requires adaptability, insight, and sometimes alternative approaches to overcome challenges.

How is the Chariot connected to other cards like the Magician and the World?

The Chariot relates to the Magician through shared themes of willpower and personal mastery, and contrasts with the World, which represents freedom, fluidity, and the culmination of spiritual development.