Hi and welcome to Wednesday’s Tarot class. This week we will be looking at the Chariot. If you take a look at this card in the Rider-Waite deck you will see a man who looks like a king, standing in a carriage. If you notice, the city is behind him, so he is in uncharted territory The Chariot stands for the human personality. . The Charioteer is the symbol of the King who is victorious because he has received his initiation from the first 7 of the Tarot cards He holds in his right hand – the dominant and willful side of the body - a wand, just like the one that we saw on the Magician’s table, which represents bringing the magic rituals into practical experiences. He uses the wand and his mind to control the sphinxes, which seem to be pulling the chariot, but without reins. They are black and white - contrasting again, just like the pillars in the High Priestess card and the Hierophant card. So if the Charioteer doesn’t observe his mind and allows the sphinxes to have free rein, his chariot could start spinning in circles, due to the pulling in either direction from the Sphinxes. Also because of their polarity, know that the journey will be a combination of positive and negative experiences, just like our lives. Because the Sphinxes have human faces, they represent the evolution of the human spirit. The canopy above the Chariot is filled with stars representing the celestial influences he can use to gain his victory. This also tells us that we have guidance and protection in our journeys through the unknown. If we feel scared during our journeys and adventures, we only have to look up to our Higher Powers again. The charioteer can be either sex. Some see him as the son or daughter of the Empress and the Emperor. The Charioteer represents ourselves as we evolve through our human consciousness. In Genesis it says God rested on the 7th day. In olden times this card was named Victory. We are victorious when we realize that we are the vehicle that creates change in our lives. The Chariot’s astrological sign is Cancer, which is represented by the moon, intuition, sensitivity and receptivity


How can you become the Charioteer in your life? Do you dare take the message of the fool child to make changes in your life? Or are you stuck in the same old rut, unhappy, knowing something has to give, but living in fear? Remember in our study of the Tarot that we were given tools for our journey. We are the Magician in our lives. From the High Priestess we have learned to go within for answers and to wait patiently until these answers come. Our Empress taught us to know we have to nurture the seeds that we planted and that we need to use our creativity, imagination and realize our world of possibilities. We need to get in touch with our intuition and listen to its messages for our highest good. Our Emperor taught us that we can build our wonderful Empire by knowing and using our innate power to create and manifest and nurture our ideas. We learned to stop running around getting opinions from others and trust our intuition from our Hierophant. The Lovers taught us to love ourselves so we can love others and to communicate from our higher selves. As the charioteer we are ready to move out into the world and begin to create what we want our life to be about.

This week pretend you are the Charioteer, move out into the world, knowing you have all the tools at your disposal, and do something different. Remember, you can turn within for guidance, you can look upward to your Higher Self, and you can begin to trust the messages that come to you from your creative mind. You can listen to your intuition and begin trusting what you hear. Start keeping a journal if you haven’t already started and write about your experiences becoming each of these cards. No you won’t be successful every time – none of us are because we are on a journey, learning what each one of us needs to become happy, at peace with ourselves and successful. Each one of us has a different meaning of success and happiness. Use this study of the Tarot to learn what works for you and who you are deep within. Try not to let anyone discourage you. In fact, as you are learning it would be best not to discuss this with others unless you know they will understand. When we hear discouraging and negative messages it drags us down and that is not where we want to go. We want to stay in our power!

The Chariot’s advice is:

Have a goal; plan the routes you will use to achieve your purposes
Be centered and aware at all times despite changes
Be at home within yourself as you travel your spiritual path
Be adventurous, explore
Keep your options open so you can act quickly and efficiently
Create your future; allow new ideas to come through your dreams and meditations

Next week we will move to a new level of the Tarot and learn about our Strengths. Until then happy traveling.

Tarot graphic comes from http://www.usgamesinc.com/

^i^ Angel Hugs

Wednesday Tarot class

Every Wednesday I will be giving you a free tarot card class. I will be talking about one card a week using the major arcana cards, the main ones. I will be showing you how you can use these cards without memorizing each one, but using your intuition and learning what the card means to you when you see it. This can be a lot of fun and when we are finished you will be able to give readings for yourself or other people.

I’m not going to bore you with the history of the Tarot cards, but they tell the story of us and our inner growth. Each of us is or has lived each one of the cards. I will explain more as we learn more about the cards. If you want to study the Tarot, buy yourself a deck of cards. There are hundreds to choose from and no deck is right or wrong. Look at the different artwork on the decks and select the one that appeals to you. Trust your intuition.

If you want to change your life, shuffle the cards each day, asking “what is my message today?” If one or two cards fall out as you shuffle they are your cards for the day. If no card falls out, turn the cards face down, running your hands over them and pick one card that feel right to you. Turn the card face up and take a look at it. What catches your eye? Is it a color, a picture, a number, or the writing on the card? You might want to buy a notebook or set up a file on your computer and date the top of the page, then write down what you saw or what thoughts come to your mind. Write the first thought that pops into your head. Don’t stop to figure it out or if you are right or wrong. Just write. If there is a person in the card, imagine stepping into the card and talking to this person. Ask him or her “what do you have to tell me?” Try to have a conversation in your mind with this person. Again write down what you heard or felt. Later you can check back to see what happened during the day and if the card gave you a message. Be patient if you don’t get anything right away, just keep trying and above all, have fun. Don’t stress over it. If you don’t get any information pick another card.
Most Tarot decks are made up of seventy-eight cards. They are divided into the major arcana (22 cards) and the minor arcana (56) cards.

This week I will talk about the first card in the major arcana - Number zero - the Fool.
When you hear the word fool what immediately comes to your mind? Someone who does stupid things is silly or makes a laughing stock of himself, right? None of us wants to be thought of as fools do we? So we try to live our lives safely, acting sensible, normal and doing what is expected of us. Is that working for you? Are you happy plodding along, not taking chances, and worrying, being stressed? Whose life are you living? Are you in a career because your parents wanted it for you? Are your life choices yours or someone else’s? Is your relationship treating you nicely or are you doing all the work? Do you wish you had the courage to take risks, change your career, and live your passion? “ But I can’t throw out everything I’ve worked for to follow my passion?” “I’ve got kids to take care of; I can’t leave them to follow my bliss.” We all have reasons why this kind of thinking is not possible for us. Sure it looks good on paper, but of course it won’t work for us, most people feel. What about you? You don’t have to throw everything out to begin living your life. Just begin to examine your inner self and take one small step toward your new future.

Actually the fool represents our unlimited potential. The fool is not stupid, he is innocent. He has an open mind with the courage to see his life filled with adventures. Because he is trusting, he has no room in his life for fear and doubt. He trusts his instincts. How many of us are that trusting? How many of us have the courage to try new things, to have an open mind and to let go of our fears? How many mistakes did Thomas Edison have to make before he invented the light bulb? What if he had given up and closed his mind, fearing that he’d never invent anything? Yes someone other creative person would have come along and invented the light bulb, but how long would it have taken?

In the fool card is a large white sun shining above him. This shows that the fool is being guided from above, plus he is looking upward. The fool looks like he is about to step off a cliff into the great beyond. He has a knapsack on the end of a stick. In this knapsack are all the tools that he will need for his trip.
If your life is not working, try becoming brave like the fool. Ask for guidance from above – God, the Universe, the ALL, your Angels and Guides, whatever name works for you. Then trust that you will be guided. Know that you were born with all the tools you need – intuition, a sense of adventure, unlimited potential, Guides and Angels. Ask yourself in what area of your life do I need to act like the fool and take chances? Other words you can think of that correspond with the fool are: Be exhilarated and excited; Be active; leap; seek new ways; be adventurous; take risks; try a new state of being; expect a miracle; dare to be unconventional; get to know and love the child within you; be open minded and have a fresh point of view.
Next week we’ll talk about the Magician and how you can become the magician in your own life. Until then enjoy exploring your fool self.