Major Arcana · VII
The Chariot — tarot meaning
drive, control, forward motion
Upright
Momentum under command. Opposing forces harnessed to one will; victory through discipline and direction.
Reversed
No direction, or force applied without control — motion without mastery.
In the Papus Tarot, 1909
Le Chariot — The Chariot · Hebrew letter ז Zain
Papus: the septenary, the victorious realisation of the will in the sensible world. Martinists read the charioteer as the reconciled man, standing where the two natures agree.
In the Oswald Wirth Tarot, 1889
Le Chariot — The Chariot · Hebrew letter ז Zain
The septenary: for Wirth the charioteer wins nothing outside himself. The sphinxes are his own natures, and he holds no reins — only his poise keeps them together.
Shown from the 1909 William Rider & Sons deck (public domain). A card is read in relation to the question and the cards around it; these meanings are a starting point, not a verdict.