The Chariot
The Chariot
Victory through sheer determination: that’s the Chariot (VII), a card of winning by force of will. A warrior stands in a stone chariot drawn by two sphinxes, one black and one white, and he holds no reins.
What the card means in tarot
The charioteer in the Rider-Waite-Smith deck wears armor, a crown topped with a star, and a belt marked with astrological signs. He doesn’t need reins, because he steers two opposing forces (the black sphinx and the white) with his will alone. The Lovers (VI) were deciding. The Chariot acts. It’s a card of forward motion, pushing past obstacles, discipline, and triumph. The canopy over the chariot is a cloth scattered with stars, a kind of heavenly protection for the road. This card often arrives when you face a challenge that takes focus and resolve.
The Chariot upright
Keywords: victory · determination · forward motion
Upright, the Chariot means triumph through a clear goal and discipline. You’re in a period of overcoming obstacles by your own effort, and luck has little to do with it. The card favors performance, competitions, business negotiations, a big move, and any situation where you need to gather your strength and head straight for the target. It’s also a card of travel, physical or metaphorical.
The Chariot reversed
The reversed Chariot warns of losing direction: you’re moving, and you don’t know where to. It can mean aggression, a stubbornness that hurts people, or the opposite, a lack of self-control where your emotions keep yanking you off course. Watch as well for power struggles with the people around you, such as a boss, a partner, or a roommate.
The Chariot in love and relationships
If you’re single
Single and holding the Chariot, you’re being told to go after love, not wait for it. Get moving: join the app, show up to things, talk to the person you like. The card favors meetings with some motion in them, often while traveling or playing a sport. You’re more likely to cross paths with someone when you’re already on your way somewhere.
If you’re in a relationship
For couples, the Chariot is about a shared goal, whether that’s a move, a wedding, or a project you take on together. If the relationship has been dragging, it’s time to pick a direction. It can also mark a crisis you got through by pulling together. Picture the two sphinxes in front of the chariot, one black and one white, as the two of you: where it goes depends on whether you pull the same way.
Reversed in love
Reversed in love, it shows control, competition where there should be teamwork, or flashes of aggression. Or the direction has fallen apart and each of you is headed somewhere else. When egos do the fighting, the Chariot stays parked.
The Chariot in career and money
Work and career
In career readings, the Chariot means a breakthrough earned through discipline. You reach the goal because you didn’t let up. It favors interviews, presentations, negotiations, and taking on a big project. If this is a season for pushing ahead, the card backs you, provided you give it everything.
Money and finances
On the money side, the Chariot stands for actively earning: adding a second income stream, negotiating a raise with some backbone, landing a pitch. A passive approach doesn’t suit it. Money tends to follow a visible direction. One caution: the faster you go, the more the brakes matter.
Reversed in career
Reversed, it warns of burnout from a pace you can’t sustain, or of racing toward a goal that’s no longer yours. With money, it can mean adrenaline spending, or a path that pays well and wears you down. The advice: stop, reassess, then go on.
The Chariot and personal growth
The Chariot’s deeper teaching is self-control as a form of freedom. That means consciously directing what drives you, which is very different from suppressing it. The opposing sphinxes inside you (shadow and light, fire and water) don’t need to be destroyed. They need to be pointed the same way. Someone who has truly mastered themselves doesn’t need reins.
The Chariot combined with other cards
The Chariot + the Magician = willpower in motion. You have a clear goal and the tools to reach it. A familiar pairing for a launch, a strong start for a business, or an athletic win.
The Chariot + the Nine of Wands = the last stretch before the finish line. It’s hard, and this is no time to ease off. The finish may be closer than you think.
The Chariot + Death = crossing a threshold, change through movement. A road that leaves an old life behind you. A classic pairing for a major life change, like moving abroad, or a breakup followed by a fresh start.
Affirmation for The Chariot
“I hold my course, even in the middle of a storm.”
Each morning, pick one single goal for the day and write it down. Hold the Chariot and say: today I focus on just this. When distraction shows up, the card has your reminder: two sphinxes, two directions, one charioteer. That charioteer is you.
Symbols on the card
- Black and white sphinxes: opposing forces held in line by willpower
- Star crown: protection from above, higher guidance
- Stone chariot: solidity, an unshakable foundation
- Starry canopy: the heavens watching over the road
- The charioteer’s armor: readiness for battle, inner strength
- Crescent moons on his shoulders: balance between drive and feeling
Common questions
What does the Chariot tarot card mean?+
The Chariot is about victory through strong will and discipline. It’s a card of forward movement, overcoming obstacles, and triumph. It often points to travel or an important change that you’re actively steering.
What does the Chariot mean in a love reading?+
In love, the Chariot signals a determination to fight for the relationship and get past obstacles together. Reversed, it can mean a dominant partner, clashes of will, or each of you heading in a different direction.
What does the Chariot reversed mean?+
Reversed, the Chariot warns of lost direction, aggression, or a lack of self-control. It can mean you’re driving blind, or that your emotions are pulling you off the road before you reach your goal.
Related cards· Major Arcana
All 22 Major Arcana cards
Try this card in a reading
The Chariot shows its full meaning only alongside other cards. Here are six of the most popular spreads where it can turn up:
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