The Chariot Tarot Card Meaning: Upright, Reversed, Love & Yes/No

By The Mystica Editorial Team · Checked against our editorial standards · Updated 20 September 2026 · 6 min read

Momentum is on your side if you commit to a direction. Hold your focus, keep your emotions steady and push forward.

Arcana	Major Arcana
Number	7 (VII)
Element	Water
Astrology	Cancer
Hebrew letter	Cheth (Golden Dawn attribution)
Yes or no	Yes
Upright	determination, momentum, control, victory
Reversed	loss of direction, pulling in two ways, frustration

Pamela Colman Smith · Rider–Waite–Smith (1909)

The Chariot symbolism

A warrior stands in a chariot beneath a canopy of stars, holding no reins. Two sphinxes, one black and one white, sit in front of the vehicle facing in slightly different directions. The city is behind him. The absence of reins is the key detail: he steers the opposing forces by willpower and focus alone.

The descriptions on this site refer to the Rider-Waite-Smith deck (1909), illustrated by Pamela Colman Smith and designed with Arthur Edward Waite, which is the reference for most modern tarot. Other decks may show different imagery with a similar meaning.

Upright meaning

• determination
• momentum
• control
• victory

The Chariot is the card of determination and victory through willpower. It shows that you can move forward despite competing pressures, as long as you keep your focus and do not let either side pull you off course.

In a reading, the card often signals progress after a period of effort: winning a competition, passing a test, moving house, getting a car or finally taking control of a situation. Its number is seven, a number linked to effort, testing and triumph.

Reversed meaning

• loss of direction
• pulling in two ways
• frustration

Reversed, The Chariot shows a loss of direction. You may be pushing hard but in too many directions, or you may feel that circumstances are driving you rather than the other way round. Frustration, aggression or giving up just before the finish line are common themes.

Pause and choose one direction. Regaining control starts with deciding what matters most.

New to reversals? Our guide to reading reversed tarot cards explains the different ways readers interpret an upside-down card.

The Chariot in love and relationships

The Chariot as feelings

As feelings, The Chariot means someone feels determined about you and may be actively pursuing the connection. They want to move forward.

Career and work

At work, The Chariot is a strong card for ambition, competition and hitting targets. It supports going after a promotion or leading a difficult project to completion.

Money and finances

With money, The Chariot favours disciplined saving toward a specific goal and staying on course despite temptations.

Is The Chariot a yes or no card?

Number, element and astrology

The Chariot is card 7 (VII) of the Major Arcana, the 22 trump cards that describe life's big lessons and turning points. In the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn's system, which shaped the Rider-Waite-Smith deck, it is attributed to the Hebrew letter Cheth and to Cancer, giving it the element of water.

Advice from The Chariot

Decide where you are going and hold the direction. Your willpower is stronger than the forces pulling you apart.

Example reading

This example is written by our editors to show how the card is read in context. It is not a real client's reading. See our tarot spreads for how positions change a card's meaning.

The Chariot in question readings

What The Chariot says when it lands in a specific position. These are the interpretations our free readings by question show for this card.

• As their feelings (Does my ex still love me?): This person feels determined and driven, possibly focused on moving forward. Their feelings for you are tangled with ambition and a need to stay in control. They may think of you, but they are pushing hard in their own direction.
• As what they are not showing (Does he like me?): They are hiding the effort it takes to stay composed. Behind their confident drive is a struggle to balance feelings with other priorities, such as work or ambitions. They are more affected by you than they show.
• As the outcome in a reconciliation reading (Will he come back?): This leans toward movement and resolution through willpower. If you both want it, determination can bring you back together. More often, the Chariot shows you moving forward decisively, with or without this person.
• As what is coming in love (Will I find love?): Movement is coming in your love life. The Chariot points to taking action, perhaps through travel or new activities, that brings someone into your path. Success comes when you pursue love with confidence and clarity.
• As the outcome for work (Will I get the job?): This leans toward victory. Hard work and focus will likely pay off: the job, the promotion, the passed exam, the successful launch. Keep your eyes on the goal and do not let distractions pull you off course.
• As advice (What should I do?): Take charge and move. Set a clear goal, commit, and push forward with confidence. Do not wait for perfect conditions. Willpower, focus, and self-discipline will carry you through this decision to victory.
• Reversed in a love reading (Will we get back together?): Reversed, the Chariot suggests lack of direction, aggression, or being pulled in too many ways. This person may feel stuck or out of control. Forcing a reunion will not work. Regain your own sense of direction first.

Pulled The Chariot next to another card? See what they mean together with the tarot card combinations tool.

Popular combinations with The Chariot: Strength + The Chariot, The Chariot + Six of Wands.

The Chariot as a birth card or year card

In the birth card system of Mary K. Greer, The Chariot belongs to constellation 7, together with The Tower. Find out whether it is one of your cards with the tarot birth card calculator, or whether it rules your year with the tarot year card calculator.

Related cards

Dream symbols linked to this card

Being late, Car. Our dream dictionary explains how the same symbolism appears in dreams.