Larry's Notes - Meditations on the Tarot: The Chariot

In this installment of my notes on Meditations on the Tarot, I will be talking about the Chariot. According to the book, this card represents the stage after overcoming the temptations against the three virtues, poverty, obedience and chastity. This is an achievement, but it presents the next temptation: getting an inflated ego and thinking you've reached the top of the mountain when you're actually just at a plateau. The antidote given for this temptation is the old Latin saying: ora et labora or "pray and work." This is effective because of the implicit recognition that there is something higher, and because of the effort expended to continue the journey.

Now this isn't to say that if you have reached that point, that you should take time out to feel the triumph and give yourself some credit for what you've done. At this point, you're living what you've learned and it's become a part of you. That's a good thing. But let's bring in a traditional Tarot interpretation of the Chariot, which is hard control. Control with a lot of effort of will on your part. What comes further down the line is soft control, without even having to think about it (Strength). And if we continue to work and pray, we'll get there.