We are now at the end of the first line in the Major Arcana- the Creation Line. The first seven cards (not counting the Fool) have been The Magician, The High Priestess, The Empress, The Emperor, The Hierophant, The Lovers, and now the Chariot.

All of these seven cards speak to creation energies (hence the name of the line). In this first line, these cards speak to themes of culmination, creation, fertility, and expansion in some form.

All of these cards grow and leap frog in energy or focus. I recommend going back and reading through the first blog posts in this series, starting with the Fool. The Fool is our leap into manifestation, and coming home wildly into the self.

For quick reference though, the Lovers at Card 6 speaks to Divine Devotion and Sacred Joinings. With the Lovers we are using our values and choices to merge beautifully with another (doesn’t always have to be a person), and letting that merging drop us into our deepest selves so we can channel the Divine.

The Lovers coming before the Chariot means that we need to experience that sacred connection to something other in order to move with that depth towards our higher selves. We have to blend into something bigger so that we can be guided through our intuition, our focus, and our will into our true purpose.

Moving with Determination and Wild Spiritual Purpose with the Chariot

The Chariot is such a beautiful card, rich in imagery and symbolism. As mentioned above, the Chariot marks the end of the first line- the Creation line. This is significant in how to read the Chariot, but we will get to that in a moment. For now, let’s get started with the way I read this card and some symbolism we see in the images. I have included images from all my decks (with captions of the deck), so you can see the imagery up close.

The first way I read the Chariot is that it speaks to using your determination and intuition as momentum towards your wild reclaiming. The Chariot comes after the Lovers; this means that we take that devotion towards Divinity and sacred merging, and use that as a guide towards our higher spiritual purpose. The Chariot comes in and says, “Now that you have merged beautifully into another, how does that change your direction, and the way you move?”

Looking at some of the correlations, the first we have is that the Chariot is ruled by Cancer. Cancer is the astrological sign that is associated with our emotional capacity and intuitive depth (hence the symbol of the Crab). Cancer is ruled by the Moon, so we have themes of dream, symbolism, liminality, cycles, emotional reflection, and a nurturing force with the Chariot. This may seem off as we get into some of the imagery, but I feel that it actually makes perfect sense.

The numerology is also significant. The numerology for 7 speaks to themes of spiritual and emotional wisdom and reflection. There is a sense of mystery with the number 7. With this number, you are asked to use your confidence, assertiveness, and intuition to understand and “know” a situation by peeling back the layers. Seven is a card of investigation and integration. It is not enough to just know something, it has to be taken in and applied as well. That is where the wisdom comes in.

Main invitations with the Chariot:

Determination as mover- higher frequency, moving with wild, spiritual purpose, in alignment with interconnections, including Divine.

Intuition illuminates the way towards what is calling you to create change, to manifest, to better, to grow

Awareness of self and beyond opens to a more aligned spirit, the many journeys taken connect back to core truths and intuitive connections

So we start to see how the Chariot is asking us to move towards a deepened sense of purpose and understanding, using our emotions and intuition as the guides. This is where the determination comes in. With the Chariot, there is no accepting things at face value, or rebuking our intuitive curiosity. This card is about using our internal depths to align our external direction. Our path becomes one that isn’t just happening to us, but one we embrace and harness for our wild reclaiming.

Looking at some of the symbolism from the cards:

The Herbcrafter’s Tarot has the herbal association of Cedar with the Chariot. This is because Cedar was used as a physical mover in the building of canoes, but also was seen as a spiritual mover in sacred ceremonies

The Tarot of Dragons shows the iconic image of the person moving the Chariot with one black steed, and the other white. This highlights the need of the person (you) to move the Chariot throught he understanding of the spectrum (night/day, feminine/masculine, conscious/subconscious)

The Hush Tarot shares the starry heavens above the person in the Chariot, like in the Tarot of Dragons. This shows the connection of Divine guidance, gained through the Lovers, as a channel that the Charioteer must learn to harness, more than the physical craft.

The Ostara Tarot shows the pieces of a chess board, symbolic of strategy, vision, and multi-layered understanding of how the pieces in the Cosmos are moving.

As I mentioned before, the Chariot speaks to letting your intuition guide you forward. Not only is it the guide, but it is asking you to use the Chariot and your time in it to make change, to manifest, and to create something bigger through that Divine guidance. You won’t be in the Chariot that long, much less than you think. Make the most of it now.

Make the most of it by learning the ways your intuition to the energetic powerhouse it is, and maximizing this time. To me, connecting to my intuition is about presence and ritual. I use my senses and my surroundings to drop into the present moment, and then deeper into myself. I use ritual as a subconscious light switch that turns my intuitive voice to a higher volume, letting me hear and receive more clearly.

Receiving is a method of direction with the Chariot. Receiving means you take in the energetic and vibrational as well as the physical to direct yourself forward, again to create change and manifest. When the Chariot comes forward let your intuition speak the words of the Divine. Let what pulls on your emotions (the Lovers) guide you to a greater something, you don’t have to know or name what it is. As long as you can feel it, that is enough.

The Chariot continued

Looking at some images from my decks,

The Bird King Tarot shows a member of the Bird Royalty travelling in an ornate and regal carriage. There is no driver other than the Bird himself. He travels and directs the carriage over uneven and rough terrain. The focus of the Chariot is doing the internal work of harnessing emotions and will towards the journey ahead.

The Chariot from the Grimalkin’s Curious Cat Tarot is truly one of the cutest images I have ever seen. The roses here are a nice touch, symbolic of the devotion to the Divine we gain in the Lovers. Now we use the beauty of that as a reminder and as an adornment for our vehicle going forward. A testament to making and leaving offerings as we move into something bigger.

The Horse or here a Pegasus from the Spirit Animal Tarot is a natural symbol for many interpretations of the Chariot, because the Horse represents both mastery and freedom. The Pegasus suggests an ability to travel with the Gods, move through the astral plane, and embark on the deeper journey to self-discovery.

Many similar symbols can be found in the The Chariot from the Shadowscapes Tarot. Here, I love the overwhelming connection to water. The waves, the Unicorn, and the castle in the sky give a Last Unicorn vibe, but I want to highlight the turtles at the bottom with the Crab. Turtles are symbolic for carrying their shell and their slow progress. The Chariot does you no good if you are moving fast for the sake of it. Move with a slower, more guided purpose, like the Turtle.

The Crow Tarot shows the laurel wreath. There is a sense of victory, which brings us back to the determination as the mover invitation. Those who are victorious are only so because they don’t give up. They are determined to keep going forward, no matter the costs. The same is asked with the Chariot- keep moving forward.

The Chariot from the Mystical Dream Tarot shows, for the first time, two humans. The young girl is pushing the old woman forward. This is symbolic of the wisdom that comes with the Chariot. We must honor the old ways of understanding, while encouraging new approaches or innovations to the path ahead. Together, they are stronger than separate.

The final way that I read the Chariot is that it is the awareness of ourselves, and how we connect to something bigger than us that aligns our spirit. No matter journeys we take, or obstacles we have to overcome, the Chariot says that the greatest force of this card is understanding your connection to the bigger picture. When you can’t understand or see it, trust that you are part of the cosmic forces playing out the momentum going forward.

This knowing can really only come through an emotional capacity to trust and continue forward. Which brings me to back to the significance of the Chariot as the last card in the first line. I need to highlight I learned this through listening to Lindsay Mack’s podcast Tarot for the Wild Soul. Click here to find her. She has been a profound teacher for my own tarot journey, but what she said about the Chariot left me in awe.

She said that the Chariot is not going to take us far. It is going to take us only a short distance in fact. This is where the emotional wisdom comes in. We have to know when to let go of our Chariots. This is actually heartbreaking. We must, at some point, leave our Chariot and move into the next line of the Majors. This loss is symbolic of the need to grow in spirit, and that need is fulfilled when we accept the loss as part of the journey.

The Chariot poem from My Poetry Book

Final thoughts on the last cards from my collection:

The Horse from The Wild Unknown Tarot is familiar, but I love the nod to the Sun in the background and the Pentacle at the harness. Both speak to that channeling of our will towards a physically-driven purpose.

The Chariot from the Guardian o f the Night Tarot is a Honey Badger, which represents this sense of “Honey Badger Don’t Care” attitude, which I love. You must not let the external world, or the word of other derail you. Have the heart of a Honey Badger.

Finally, the Chariot from the Dark Wood Tarot highlights the need to see far and wide, see the possibilities, and then, with precision, narrow it down to a centimeter. The Eagle is a symbol of mastery, victory, and strength. All of these come with the Chariot.

Finally, I want to share with you my Chariot poem from my Major Arcana: A Poetry Collection book. You can purchase by clicking the link below.

The Chariot

The Chariot carries me down the curvature

of this avenue, announces us as we spill over

the lip of horizon. A signal for the birds to sing

the patinaed satellite back through the gallows.

Even in sunlight, she promises to follow

my crazed steed to whatever end.

I read the trail down to the centimeter,

tracks leading under the fences, towards the bones.

This is my initiation to pursue the wind,

waving my banner, a flowing stream of arrival.

The breath of my mustang pulses.

Its shuddering beauty anticipates the coming kick

into motion. We gather this bouquet of speed,

hunting as children do. For all this glory,

there is still a sadness in this journey.

There must be a moment when the bond is broken.

At some point I must step off my steed, try to explain

the difference between pasture and death.

Purchase the Major Arcana: A Poetry Collection

A book of poems for each Major Arcana card

Click Here

Ashlie McDiarmid

Hello there! I hope you liked this blog post. As a tarot and oracle reader, my goal with my blogs is to offer you content, resources, and access to the tools that have transformed my life.

I believe that your own intuition is the deepest form of knowing, but here in my little corner of the internet, I share insights based in intuition and instinct. I share my love for nature, witchcraft, and the wild spirit.

If your spirit is at home in wild places
If you feel the need to claim your autonomy as ritual
If you want to more deeply trust your own intuition
If you want resources or connections to tarot, oracle, witchcraft, and wild sovereignty, then welcome!

Whale: The Wild Unknown Animal Spirit

January 20, 2026 No Comments

We have arrived at the end of the water element. The animals that have journeyed with us have taught us how to move in the

The Sun

January 1, 2026 No Comments

The Sun from the Shadowscapes Tarot We are so close to coming to the end of the Major Arcana. The Fool has almost completed the

The Moon

December 3, 2025 No Comments

The Moon gives us the permission slip to play, to dream, to let loose our normal logical selves, and tap into the primal, inexplicable, and palpable energies within. She conjures our intuition and psychic knowing to come through more clearly. The Moon has been one of the greatest symbols of female divinity, a symbol that is still under threat. Her ties to women, those on the fringe, and those who face subjugation, including the natural world herself, are timeless, sacred, and cannot be understated.

Tagged intuition, Major Arcana, mastery, TAROT, tarot blog, tarot card analysis, tarot cards, tarot comparisons, tarot deck, tarot learning, The Chariot, wisdom