Esoteric Symbology of the Tarot: The Chariot By Gary Shook The Chariot, the seventh Tarot card, marks the end of the first third of the major arcana. It is also the end of the first part of the Fool's journey. In the prior cards the Fool passed through the stages of mortal development, his travels that of the external man. Not only were the first six cards trials of human growth, but they were also possible pathways for him to travel beyond the needs and limitations of the mortal shell. Whether on the path of the traditional and conservative that we found in the Hierophant, or by the pathway of the Mystical that the High Priestess treads, or even the paths of masculine and feminine of the Emperor and Empress, we now find the seeker firmly on his path as the Charioteer. In all the previous cards we have found expressions of duality. This duality is also found in the Chariot, but in a new and changed form. Duality has changed here because the Fool has changed from the inside. He no longer tries to control the dual forces of life by mastering either its feminine or masculine aspects. Neither does he try to work using only his emotional or his mental qualities. Now in the Chariot he has found his first level of balance, a balance now externally manifested in his life and in his internal understanding of it. Traditionally the most common meaning ascribed to this card is one of control. But this meaning is really secondary, for without the ability to balance and understand both aspects of duality the Fool's journey would end here. Symbolic Descriptions Symbols of Duality The two sphinxes are the pillars found in the High Priestess and in the Hierophant, which are now transformed. Before, the pillars were rooted in the earth and symbolically represented the external knowledge and wisdom the Fool sought in the first third of his journey. Having found and passed between the immobile pillars, they now have changed into symbols of movement and progress—the sphinxes that draw the Chariot forward and remain with him into the next phase of his quest. The Chariot itself—with its cubic shape of the material plane and its starry canopy representing the astral or divine plane—is a symbol of duality mastered. The crescent moons on the Charioteer's shoulders represent duality by their waxing and waning states. Though they also can be symbols of emotional balance in that they are aspects of the moon, and in the smiling and frowning faces upon the crescents. Behind the Chariot lie two cities, one open and one walled. The open city represents the accessibility of the conscious mind, while the walled represents the closed depths of the subconscious. This is also shown in the field and stream, which in area are equal and in balance. Symbols of Balance The body of the Charioteer himself is a balance, not only of the chariot of which he is the master, but also between the canopy of the astral plane above him and the cubed essence of matter that lies below. He is armored in colors of black and white, echoing the colors of the sphinxes that pull the chariot. This shows the integration or balance of duality that the charioteer has found within himself. There are no reigns visible. The Charioteer controls the diverging forces inherent in the two opposites of the sphinxes by his willpower and balance alone. The numeric value of the card is symbolic of balance as well. Seven is the combination and balance of the material four and the spiritual three. In alchemical terms, three equates to Queen Luna (the Empress) and four to King Sol (the Emperor); conjoined in the Chariot they bring fourth through the sacred marriage a mystical son within whom is the balance and power of both. The image on the chariot's shield is both a symbol of balance, duality and of integration. It has been described as the Rota, or the wheel we will meet in the Wheel of Fortune. Others have given it the description of an ancient Hindu symbol of the union of positive and negative forces, much akin to the Yin and Yang symbol. Other Symbols The winged disk shows the Charioteer's will and purpose of mind, and his ability to fly above the mortal limitations of humanity and journey forth on a deeper path of understanding. The laurel wreath is his symbol of victory and accomplishment in the outer or material world. He wears a sword belt, but the sword in not visible. It is behind him, and like the absence of reigns for the sphinxes, shows his ability to exert his power and control at a higher level without the need for external shows of force. The square breastplate symbolizes that he still remains in the world of matter. He has not yet ventured out into the less tangible worlds that reside within the self. The cities behind him also show he has just set foot upon his path, and the most important parts of his travels lie before him. | 
