Barbara Walker Tarot - 7: The Chariot

Under a starry canopy, a crowned man rides in a golden chariot bearing the glyph of Mercury. He has no reins to control his contrasting-colored horses, which seem to be wandering off in opposite directions. Following the card of marriage, he represents youthful complacency and pride in life’s early successes, but his lack of reins hints that he is not in control of his fate. The ancients used chariot images to remind each triumphant hero that his glory couldn’t last forever. “The road of the chariot” also means the road to death. The tarot’s black and white horses (sometimes sphinxes) stand for uncontrollable drives and the vicissitudes of life. The Chariot means material success, achievement or transitory splendor, perhaps attended by brashness or arrogance.