Mid-Chariot Year Check In

2023 adds up to the year of the Chariot as the 7th card in the Major Arcana.  With the Summer Solstice coming up on June 21, it is time for a mid-year check in. In the Northern hemisphere, the Summer Solstice is the peak of light and transition to dark. The wheel is turning and sunlight energy is building for the next several days. We can harness this energy and use the lessons from the Chariot card to finish out the year.

Sarah Faith Gottesdiener describes relationships between tarot cards as teacher cards and constellations. Connections between cards are expanded through numerology. The Chariot is 7. Its teacher card is the Tower 16, 1+6=7. The Minor Arcana are supporting energies: Seven of Wands, Cups, Pentacles, Swords. The Chariot corresponds with Water and the Court card Queen of Cups. These cards together form a tarot constellation.

My personal opinion is that we should develop personal relationships with the cards rather than solely relying on meanings of consensus. I own multiple tarot decks and have developed relationships with many of the cards through my own practice. Nine of Wands will always correspond with one of my mentors Madame Pamita. I also think an inclusive tarot practice goes beyond the Rider Waite Smith deck. It goes beyond the binary, white figures depicted in medieval style art. In my Chariot constellation, I included cards that spoke to me as a tarot reader.

The Chariot is on a mission. They are going somewhere. The destination is up to you. Where did you think you were gonna go at the start of 2023? Are you on your way there? Have you wandered off the path? Maybe it was the wrong path anyways and it’s time to let that shit go. The Chariot follows the Lovers and wants us to keep our actions aligned with our values. it corresponds to Cancer and the 4th house. 4 is the number of stability. The 4th house is the base of the birth chart, the foundation, the back bone.  It represents our home, where we grow our roots. The Chariot is focused on sustainable stability. What do we need to fortify our base, nourish our roots?

This may seem like a card of action. Doing stuff. What if all this stuff we are doing is actually bad for us? Reflect on your day to day actions and commitments. Do these align with your values? With your most favorite self? Or are you just doing what you think you should be doing? These are questions I have been asking myself and it led me to starting this Substack to focus on blending my passions— writing, astrology, and tarot.

The Tower card causes some apprehension due to its association with massive changes. The Tower signals a shake up needs to happen. There is a flaw in the foundation and the Tower is ready to crumble. Personally, I see the Tower as the walls we build ourselves for protection. It might seem cozy and safe in the Tower, but you miss out on so much. This Tower card from the Celestine Mirage Tarot by Jason Holen strays from the usual depiction of figures plummeting from a crumbling structure. Is the light coming from the Tower or is the Tower blocking the light?

Whenever I see the Tower in a reading, it means I need to lean into my Scorpio Rising powers of transformation. After the Tower falls, the Star, Moon, and Sun follow and are able to light the path. Not resisting, going with the flow of the cycles of life is the path. The Tower corresponds with Mars, the planet of ambition, drive, and action. As the teacher card, it motivates and focuses the energy of the Chariot. Both of these cards are agents of change. If you are feeling stagnant, ruminating on the same shit, working with the energies of these cards may release any stuckness.

I have been contemplating Queen of Cups vs. Queen of Wands for this tarot constellation. Queen = Water. Cups = Water. Wands = Fire. Queen of Wands first jumped out to me as an amalgamation of energies from the Chariot and the Tower, Water + Fire. This Queen is passionate, engaged, and active. They know you need to fuck some shit up to make changes for the better. Then I thought about it in the context of constellation. Does the Chariot need to learn how to be more active? How to harness and focus their drive? Isn’t the Tower motivating enough?

Ultimately, I chose the Queen of Cups as this card corresponds to Cancer and the 4th house. Water + Water energy. A mix of intuition, emotions, and soulfulness. Cancer can get stereotyped as the teary, sad sack of the zodiac, but people often forget that anger, desire, pride, and empathy are emotions too. This Queen of Cups from Mystical Medleys by Gary Hall is in touch with and has mastered all these emotions. They are a persevering, steadfast leader. Embodying water, they are pliable, able to bend without breaking. They are able to assess the situation and respond appropriately. The Tower might be telling to you burn it all down to ground, but the Queen of Cups warns you to temper that fire. Use your intuition as a guide to master what you are truly feeling. Your subconscious mind knows the answer if you know how to ask and, most important, listen.

7 is a number of spirituality, wisdom, and contemplation. We have 7 days in a week to match the 7 visible luminaries in the sky. Isaac Newton chose 7 colors for the rainbow to correspond to the 7 musical notes. The Chariot is the end of the first leg of the Major Arcana. The Fool has gathered their tools, encountered mentors, and explored their values. Now is the time to choose the direction. The 7s in the Minor Arcana teach us to pause and reflect on where we are on the tarot path.

Seven of Wands is a card of perseverance. Wands are fire, vitality, and spirited actions. This card depicts John Henry, an American folk hero. Legend has it that John won a steel driving competition against a steam-powered machine. They represent endurance, fighting for what is right until the bitter end. The hero wins against the oppressor. Seven of Wands is a message that your hard work will pay off if you stay persistent. If you are doing what you love and what you believe in, keep going!

I love the Brady Tarot deck by Emi Brady and Rachel Pollack. This deck features animals and plants from North America. Brady’s artful take on the tarot is perfectly complemented by Pollack’s extensive and distinctive tarot knowledge. The suits are adapted and each Minor Arcana card has a title. Arrows correspond to Swords in the Brady Tarot. Seven of Arrows is Guile. Look at these sneaky squirrels fucking with those arrows. This is my personal nemesis card as it always calls me out on my bullshit. What are you trying to get away with? Are you sneaking around? Trying to fool yourself or others?

Swords/Arrows relate to thoughts and perspectives. You may be able to keep lying to others, but your spirit knows the truth. This may be the lies we tell ourselves to justify shitty behavior and situations. Denial. Avoidance. The lesson of this card is to be honest with yourself. Align yourself with your values and let the Chariot carry you to authenticity.

Seven of Cups is about choice and opportunity. What fills your cup? This card shows a dark figure standing in front of an armoire containing seven cups, each one containing or inscribed with different symbols. The figure is trying to choose between the cups, contemplating the consequences of their choice. What will happen if they choose the dragon, the face, the ghost? The clouds in the background represent the subconscious. I like this version of this card because it feels extra witchy. Traditionally, most people may not choose the snake or ghost, but a witch would. Ultimately, you need to choose whatever you need right now to fill your cup.

Coins/Pentacles are the grounding element of tarot. They are seeds we plant, harvest, nourish, and share. Seven of Coins depicts Aztec mythology, honor of Sun god Nanahuatzin. In order to have a good harvest some sacrifice is required. When this card shows up it is time to reflect on your past work. What seeds have you planted these past 6 months? Yoshitani writes “ Nanahuatzin must determine when it is right to be patient and when it is better to scrap everything and start fresh.” This teaches the Chariot to strive for what nourishes them. Coins/Pentacles represent long term paradigms in tarot. Don’t waste your time on what is unfulfilling, but know that you are in it for the long haul.

As always, this is just my perspective. The Chariot year filtered through my lense. I hope something resonates with whomever may be reading this. Please know you can look through your own tarot decks and create your own Chariot constellations that speak to you. Joyous Summer Solstice to all!