The Chariot offers the opportunity to rule the material world by wielding powers of the spirit. The charioteer not only doesn’t hold the reins in his hands, there are no reins. The mind works without physical contact.
Similarly, intelligence governs his use of the elements. He stands firm, prepared for movement and change because his mind is trained and focused. He can break through obstacles of doubt, fear and emotional hesitation.
Victory seems the only possible outcome. His face indicates resolve and he brings his will to his endeavors. His crown of stars suggests the alignment of his conscious mind with the power of the Universe.
About the Chariot
There is not much agreement on which card goes best with each
zodiacal sign. I have chosen the Chariot for Sagittarius because
I feel it is a symbol consistent with some of the other material
I am presenting for this sign elsewhere on my site.
"The Conqueror (another name for the Chariot) "expresses
in the spiritual world, the dominion of spirit over matter
in the intellectual world, the empire in the physical world,
submission of the elements and forces of matter to the intelligences
and forces of man.
"The empire of the world belongs to them who possess the
sovereignty of spirit the light which makes clear the mysteries
of life."
"A chariot seems an apt symbol for the carrying power of
the psyche. The psyche is not an object, a thing: it is a
process. Motion is its essence. Just as the outer landscape
flows by when we travel, so before the inward eye images succeed
one another in a constant motion picture. These images contain
the seed of life.
"I AM the hedge of protection,
Enclosing the field of existence.
In this field thou dwellest,
And I am they defense
Against the darkness which is without.
"Liberation consisteth in the breaking down
And utter destruction of the hedge of protection
Which encircleth thee, and guardeth the
From the terror of the Darkness which is without."
We tend to think of ourselves sometimes as invincible and
immortal, and we do indeed have an immortal component. Sometimes,
however, we think of ourselves as subject to all the destructive
energies we can imagine, without much between us and them.
The Chariot represents our vehicle, our physical body. It
is the means for movement through the material world. It is
also our spiritual protection. Its movement is what allows
us to participate in the life process. We use intelligence
to guide our bodies - all of them - and we then reap the results
of our decisions.
It is only when we are able to perceive our bodies as tools
and not as limitations that we can make more rapid progress.
Liberation comes when we see the path of possibility and no
longer fear the pitfalls that may lie therein.
Sources
Zain, C. C., The Sacred Tarot. Los Angeles, The Church of
Light, 1936.
Nichols, Sallie, Jung and Tarot:
An Archetypal Journey. York Beach, Maine, Samuel Weiser, 1980.
Case, Paul Foster, The Book of Tokens: 22 Meditations on the Ageless Wisdom. Los Angeles, Builder of the Adytum, 1968. Quoted with permission from Builders of the Adytum, 5101 North Figueroa St., Los Angeles, CA. 90042; http://www.bota.org/. Permission to use Builders of the Adytum images in no way constitutes endorsement of the material on this site.
De Angelis, Roberto, Universal Tarot Deck. Torino, Italy: Lo Scarabeo, 2003. Lo Scarabeo has graciously granted permission for the use of the Tarot images on this site. Copying the images without their permission wuld be a violation of copyright law.
