Choosing a Creative Response to the Chariot/Tower Year Part 1

We have just entered 2023, a year whose number adds up to 7, which corresponds with the Chariot major arcana tarot card. The Tower card, number 16, is always implied when the Chariot comes up because 1+6=7. One of the beautiful things about tarot is how the cards are all interconnected with each other in one or more ways.

The Tower is often one of the dreaded cards that come up in a reading causing visceral contraction and fear. The Chariot is usually thought of as positive and indicates victory and movement. One of my most repeated mantras in my readings and classes is “There are no good or bad cards, only useful information.”

Given that we seem to be in a collective slow motion Tower (many unexpected changes) initiatory experience it may be helpful to take a look at look at these two cards and explore how they work together and how we might use the information they provide to our benefit, and the benefit of our common well-being.

This image is of a tower on an isolated mountain peak blasted open (crown chakra blown off) sending the Lovers tumbling down to earth. My understanding of the meaning is that everything built on a false foundation, unsustainable, collapses. The pressure has built up inside until it can no longer stand and blows its top. My first thought in seeing this “it’s time to come back to Earth.” It represents a major release of energy now that energy can be put to use rebuilding, creating a stronger, authentic foundation.

It’s Time To Come Back To Earth!

The image is of a tower on an isolated mountain peak blasted open (crown chakra blown off) sending the Lovers tumbling down to earth. My understanding of the meaning is that everything built on a false foundation, is unsustainable and collapses. The pressure has built up inside until it can no longer stand and blows its top. It represents a major release of energy now that energy can be put to use rebuilding, creating a stronger, authentic foundation. Almost always, we can feel the pressure building and if we confront our fears and conflicts consciously with heart, we can soften the intensity and be more at choice in our response.

Focused Intention and Will

This Chariot image is full of paradoxes and I invite you to spend time contemplating it to reveal layers and layers of meaning. For our purposes here, the card generally means victory and moving forward. A closer looks shows the Charioteer still, embedded in a block, no reins, and the sphinx/steeds lying down facing different directions. The charioteer can only move forward with a unified mind and will.

We have all felt both of these energies in our lives to different degrees. We are feeling them collectively now as our world seems to be heading directly into the abyss with layers of systems teetering and collapsing all around and sometimes on top of us. How can the wisdom from these two cards in 2023 help us to see our way to choose new responses?

Take heart from the Tower message, “It’s Time To Come Down To Earth”. Literally, welcome this return to the Mother and relearn the lessons of her generosity and reciprocity. We’ve ignored Her for far too long. Welcome the energy released, reframe any fear into pure energy, and use it to reimagine a new foundation. Let this be the intention for the Chariot to move forward and the energy released power the charioteer’s action.