The Chariot represents receptivity to the will of the one Source. The keyword attributed to this card is fence or enclosure, and its sense function is speech. Every word we speak is a fence enclosing an idea or thought. An eloquent vocabulary is a powerful tool for protection and preservation, as well as advancement. When we speak we set in motion a vibration that acts upon the ethers, space and akasha. Blavatsky said, "Sound or speech is a tremendous force when directed by occult knowledge." It is only when we become still, quiet and receptive that we can be victorious. Then the primal force can work through us.
Symbolically, the Charioteer is the soul, directing the chariot, the body. Notice that the Charioteer has no reins. It is mentally, through the will, that he directs the sphinxes, the positive and negative senses, to draw the chariot along. The starry canopy overhead indicates that we are recipients of celestial energies. The waxing and waning moons depict time and rhythm, which are stages of mind. This can be seen by their placement on the shoulders, ruled by Gemini, which is the first air sign, symbolizing the mind.
The winged globe on the chart represents self-consciousness, elevated by aspiration. The disc with an upright rod through the center depicts the positive and negative forces joined in a working relationship. The square on the Charioteer's breast indicates an orderly attitude, and his eight-paneled skirt decorated with talismans, represents the soul's dominion over the material world.
The message here is that through control of the senses, and elevation and purification of the desires, by the use of our free will, we can achieve complete dominion while in the physical body.
