The Chariot - Tarot card

The Chariot (VII) is the seventh trump or Major Arcana card in most traditional Tarot decks. It is used in game playing as well as in divination.

Description

A powerful, princely figure sits in a swift chariot, pulled usually by two sphinxes or horses. There is often a black and white motif, for example one of the steeds may be black and the other white. The figure may be crowned or helmeted, and is winged in some representations. He or she may hold a sword or wand, or other masculine symbol. The Thoth Tarot deck has the figure controlling four different animals, representing the four elements.

It has been suggested the square on the charioteer's chest is a representation of the earth tattva.

Alternative decks

• Other names for the card are The Centurion or Victory.
• In the Vikings Tarot this card depicts Thor on his chariot ride across the sky.
• In the X/1999 Tarot version made by CLAMP, The Chariot is Sorata Arisugawa.
• In the Mythic Tarot deck, the Chariot is depicted by Ares.
• In the Wild Wood Tarot deck, the Chariot is represented as an archer with steady eyes and an arrow nocked and ready to strike.
• In the Osho Zen Tarot deck the Chariot is represented by the Awareness major arcana card.

In pop culture

• In The House of the Dead, a light gun game created by Sega, the first boss of the game is called the Chariot and is a zombie encased in a huge suit of armor. Notably, the character's weakness is a wound on its chest. It should also be noted that all of the bosses in the House of the Dead are named after Major Arcana cards.
• In the SNES video game Ogre Battle: The March of the Black Queen, the Chariot tarot card is only in name, as it doesn't have a man riding a chariot, but rather a half-naked god wearing undergarments, a cloak and a helmet and raising a mallet; the god bears some resemblance to Thor, though he is mistakenly called Loki (as a Norse god of mischief rather than the hammer-wielding god), and he can be summoned to attack all strong enemy units based on the strength of the main character when the Tarot card is used in battle. On drawing the Tarot card itself after liberation of one of the towns, it increases the characters' strength by 2 points.
• In JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, Jean-Pierre Polnareff's stand, Silver Chariot, is represented by this card.