The Chariot is card VII of the Major Arcana in the Thoth Tarot. In a reading it speaks of advance, victory, protection and disciplined will. In the Golden Dawn system it corresponds to the Hebrew letter Cheth, path 18 of the Tree of Life between Binah and Geburah, the element Water and Cancer in astrology.
advance · victory · protection · disciplined will · the Grail
What does The Chariot mean?
Advance with decision: you have the strength to steer the situation. Protect what is sacred to you as you move.
Everyday meaning
Victory, advancement, mastery of the forces in play. It points to journeys, conquests and successes won through determination.
Psychological meaning
The ability to hold conflicting drives together and steer them toward a goal: the ego that puts on armour to protect a sensitive core.
Initiatic meaning
Path 18 from Binah to Geburah, the letter Cheth (the enclosure, 8) and Cancer, the Water sign of the Moon in which Jupiter is exalted: the Mother sends her force toward Severity. The charioteer guards the Grail, the mystery of the Mother's blood.
The shadow side
Ill-dignified, it becomes aggression, a headlong rush, armour that isolates, an empty victory.
The Chariot reversed
The Thoth Tarot is traditionally read without reversed cards: the reader judges from the cards around it whether a card is well or ill dignified. This is its ill-dignified or blocked reading:
A confused direction, inner forces at war, excessive defence or a stalemate; review the goal before you push.
The Chariot in love, work and spirit
In love
Protection and active commitment; or emotions locked behind armour that prevent intimacy.
At work and career
Progress, travel, competitions won through discipline and control.
In spiritual practice
The Grail knight: guarding the inner cup while you cross the world.
Kabbalah, astrology and the Hebrew letter of The Chariot
Cheth ח (8) · path 18: Binah – Geburah · Water · Cancer
Crowley on The Chariot
In the Thoth deck the charioteer holds no reins: he sits motionless, enclosed in amber armour, bearing the Holy Grail, while four elemental sphinxes draw the chariot on their own.
Frequently asked questions
What does The Chariot mean in the Thoth Tarot?
Advance with decision: you have the strength to steer the situation. Protect what is sacred to you as you move.
What does The Chariot mean in love?
Protection and active commitment; or emotions locked behind armour that prevent intimacy.
What does The Chariot mean for work and career?
Progress, travel, competitions won through discipline and control.
What does The Chariot mean reversed?
The Thoth Tarot is traditionally read without reversed cards: the reader judges from the cards around it whether a card is well or ill dignified. This is its ill-dignified or blocked reading: A confused direction, inner forces at war, excessive defence or a stalemate; review the goal before you push.
What are the Kabbalah and astrology correspondences of The Chariot?
In the Golden Dawn system The Chariot corresponds to the Hebrew letter Cheth, path 18 of the Tree of Life between Binah and Geburah, the element Water and Cancer in astrology.
