← “Röhrig Cards” deck

The Chariot

“Röhrig Cards” deck · card #7

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"The new forces its way inward by force."
Friedrich Nietzsche

The Chariot forms the conclusion of the first cycle of spiritual evolution and, at the same time, the beginning of the next. The Magician, in the phase of the Lovers, has passed his trial. He has learned love, and how to make right decisions. Now, at the stage of the Chariot, he must put his newfound independence into practice.

Card number seven of the Tarot of the Aquarian Age depicts this situation in a strikingly modern image. It shows a young man in a race car. In what art is he practicing? Naturally, he is pursuing his own inner balance and the balance of his vehicle. He needs absolute concentration in order to win the race, which means he must remain perfectly centered. The positive and negative energies that form the basis of every person must vibrate in harmony. He must possess perfect mastery over his body, and his thoughts must be so concentrated that his desires and aspirations lead him to his goal. All of this endows him with an extraordinarily strong capacity for self-assertion. He possesses the power to overcome every obstacle. His helmet recalls the helmets of the knights who fought in medieval tournaments. It protects him from destructive impressions that could potentially weaken his will. He wants to reach the goal, he wants to win, and he will win. Nothing and no one can prevent him from taking first place in the race of his life.

This is the first card that shows how the ego builds its relationships with others. We already saw the I-Thou aspect in the sixth card (the Lovers); now in the seventh card (the Chariot), the aspect of I is reflected at the level of the ego, sensing itself as opposed to others. The rider is manly and strong; his will leads him wherever he wants to go. His Chariot, which embodies his energies, carries him from triumph to triumph. He was born to win. The man and woman at this stage are young people separating themselves from their parents' home in order to learn about life on their own. They are full of ambition and a striving for freedom, seeking their place in society. In the phase represented by this card, human beings learn to direct their energies in order to achieve a breakthrough on the material plane. Later, they will be able to apply that same power again in order to enter the spiritual world.

The rider needs all his skill and courage in order to reach the goal he has set for himself. Even though Death constantly accompanies him in every race, he is not afraid. Every true hero incorporates the aspect of death into his life. With every battle he wins, he becomes more and more certain that he will triumph over Death. The price of victory is his own life. Understood in this way, everything he does advances his evolution.

In the left corner of the card we find the letter CHETH (fence). People close the windows and doors of their homes and even build a fence around their property. This means that people in this phase are concentrated exclusively on themselves, avoiding all outside influence.

The rune of this card is HAGALAZ (hailstone). HAGALAZ is a code, or pattern, of becoming and completion.

The Chariot is associated with the sign of Cancer, a water sign. Because of its penetrating, gentle qualities, water is often stronger and more enduring than all the other elements. This means that the Rider is subject to his feelings, guided by the subconscious (which the crab symbolizes).

The seventh card expresses masculinity, intellect, creative power. On the next card we will meet this same energy in its feminine aspect.

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