The Chariot:
before you charge ahead, take hold of the direction

The Chariot is often read as "you'll win" or "you'll succeed". What I pay more attention to are the two sphinxes facing different ways: to move forward, you first have to get them heading in the same direction.

What's on the card

A figure stands in a chariot with a city wall behind him and a black and a white sphinx sitting in front. He holds no reins, and the two sphinxes look in different directions.

This card is about momentum and about control. Whether the chariot moves depends on whether the person standing in it can pull two different forces together.

Upright: a clear direction and the will to push

Upright, the Chariot usually means you know where you're going and are ready to put in the effort. It often turns up around things that take time to push through: exams, changing jobs, moving, starting a business.

When it's upright, I ask: which two forces do you most need to steady right now? It might be what you want and what you're afraid to lose, or your own pace and other people's expectations.

Reversed: plenty of effort, scattered direction

Reversed often appears when you're working hard but feel you're going in circles. With the sphinxes pulling different ways, the chariot veers. It can also mean rushing ahead without checking the route.

Reversed doesn't mean you have to stop. It's more of a reminder: realign the direction, then push.

The Chariot in love

When the Chariot comes up in a love question, often one person wants to move things forward: to be sure, to meet, to take the next step. Then the question is whether you're both going at the same speed. If one is on the accelerator and the other is still thinking, the wheels slip.

The Chariot at work

At work, the Chariot often means going after something: a proposal, negotiating terms, changing track. It backs you to move forward and reminds you to work out resources and timing, rather than running on one burst of energy.

Three questions to ask yourself when you draw the Chariot

These are follow-up questions I often use in readings. You can use them in your notes too:

• Where exactly am I going?
• What are the two things pulling me in different directions?
• What one small step can I push forward in the next month?

For the other Major Arcana, see 78 tarot card meanings.

Common questions