Editor’s Note: If you want to experiment with tarot cards and don’t have any, we provide a free tarot spread generator using the Celtic Wings spread, which is based on the traditional Celtic Cross spread. This article explains how to use the spread. You can visit Sarah’s website here. –efc
By Sarah Taylor
When I first started working with tarot, The Chariot seemed to me to be one of the more straightforward cards in the major arcana, encapsulated by the idea that, “Things are forging ahead; keep a masterful hold on the reins.”
That’s not to say that this statement doesn’t hold true, but I have come to see the depth that lies underneath it. What is happening that precipitates the journey that the card depicts, for instance; why the implied shift in pace? What constitutes ‘mastery’?
And the imagery: Why a chariot? What about the creatures that pull it? What of the figure’s appearance? The colours? What sense of movement does the card evoke, and what does it mean? How about the detail in the card? The symbols?
So my invitation to you, dear reader, this week: to take a close look at The Chariot and see what it brings to you. There are three different versions you can choose to work with — either as a group, or a pair or a single card:
– The Chariot from the Rider-Waite Smith Tarot deck
– The Warrior from the Xultun Tarot deck
– The Chariot from the Tarot of the Spirit deck
[Note: You can click on each card for a high-resolution version.]
Here are a few things to help you get started: