Strong in the way that counts

What is the difference between the chariot and strength? This has a more feminine energy, despite being such a masculine word. It also talks about control, but has compassion and stability, kindness and moderation as being part of it.



The chariot is all about wresting control, harnessing energy, driving force. Strength on the other hand has more to do with inner strength, self discipline, a softer, slower, and more persevering approach. The Strength card often portrays a Woman and a Lion: the Lion representing our instinctive animal nature or id, and the Woman our 'higher' or elevated self. It is a parable that physical strength alone is not enough and spiritual or mental strength is often enough to conquer the wild animal.



The inner child cards show us Beauty and the Beast, two kinds of strength that have to merge to find their true face. She has to see beyond the surface, he has to learn humility (in the beginning, he is cursed to be a beast because he is so arrogant, a superficial strength, but with no compassion or grace.)

Driving in a new direction

This is what happens when a tarot reader (or this tarot reader!) tries to stay systematic. All the time I have a small voice nagging at the back of my head saying, it’s time to write more about chariot, it’s time to write about the chariot, but instead, the minor court cards are hold all my interest. The precise difference between a page of cups and a page of wands, the nuances that each implies, the interesting places they are falling in my readings… where was I? Oh, I know where, not writing about the Chariot!

And then recently, for the first time ever, I had not one, not two but three cancellations in one week. So I do what I call a quick draw, and pull out one card, just to tell me what’s going on, and what do I get? The Chariot. And I look at it dumbfounded.



Well that’s what the chariot is, pulling disparate interests together. Chariots remind me of old movies like Ben Hur, with one strong rider, pitting his/her will and moving the horses the way s/he wants them to go. I want to give interesting tarot readings, but if I let the marketing down, the readings won’t come. So I have to harness both energies – the actual work, and then getting the message out there, so the work can happen. And that’s what I love about tarot – how easily it lets these epiphanies happen.

So on to a more generalized reading of the Chariot.

We have 4 pieces – 2 animals, one chariot and one rider, and we want them all to move in the same direction. There are 100 things that can distract us – a small rock in the wheel can make everything bumpier and harder to manage, let alone managing the livestock!

What do we need? Control. Any situation has different wants needs and circumstances and we need to bring them all together under your control.

How do we do this? Confidence, skill and motivation.

This card can signify that things were stagnant and you need to find that inspiration or motivation to get them moving again. Or that things are pulling in different directions, and if you want them to go the way you need, you are going to have to flex some muscles (physical or emotional) to get them on the right path.



The inner child cards have an interesting spin on the Chariot, giving us instead Peter Pan’s boat. The boat, like the Chariot, has different people wanting it to go in different directions. Some of those directions are malevolent – like the evil Captain Hooks desires. But with energy and commitment, and some sneaky skills and luck (never underestimate the value of luck) you can win the day. Sometimes you need to get the group on your side (in the traditional cards it appears to all rest on one solid individual, but in this version it’s clearly everyone lending their fragile and particular skills to get what the group needs) but harnessing everyone’s energy and then leading it, will get you want you want.