Finding Confidence with the Chariot

The Chariot VII

My Chariot's waiting, ride it...jump on it! Sorry for the 90's R&B there...

This has been an interesting month to say the least. My Tarot adventures have been a little quiet which is a bit of a good thing right now. I felt like I needed to take a short pit-stop before continuing down my path once more. Lately, I have spent my free weekends on other various hobbies such as casually drinking, going to a very shitty horror movie- looking at you Poltergeist and getting caught up on some much needed landscaping.

Zombie Garden of Awesomeness! Yes that is a hand. Romantic! No?

Oh landscaping... no one tells you how painful and horrifying it can be. I discovered some horrors living in the soil in my gardens such as: larva, ants, HUGE worms and other creatures that should remain unearthed, NO THANK YOU! My spiders were also in abundance but I like them so they're cool. I was out there, weeding the side garden, simply trying to transform a run down space into something nice and BAM; there it was under my hand friends, thats right,  I was touching this thing, not even knowing it... a HUGE, white almost see-through larva. Disgusting. It was right there just lurking for me to touch it. I shudder at the memory. Then not four feet down the garden was a giant beetle just waiting for me to accidently awaken it from its terrible slumber. I have seen things dear readers that cannot be unseen.

Where the terrifying creatures rest.

 My back, oh my poor back, how it ached for hours after terrorized fleeing from the gardens. Clearly this is not my niche. Just like the vegetable garden last year was not my niche. I want to believe that I am one with the Earth however I am beginning to wonder if that will ever actually happen...
I took some pictures to show our progress and to show off my Flowering Crab, which is my very most favourite. Like a proud parent I am excited to tell you it is the biggest on the street and stands higher than our house.

With Tarot being slower in the summer months it allows me to work on other mystical and magickal things. My love and I recently started on an oil blending adventure. We started making beard oils and balms for my fiancé's extremely impressive beard and then decided we would make more for the other lovely men folk in our lives. If you are reading this, men folk who haven't received one yet, wait until Yule Tide and you too will be blessed with some balms/oils. I also plan to start making different oil blends to correspond with different Tarot cards. Spicy ones for the Lovers, musky ones for the Moon and of course a hot cinnamon one for The Devil. I am thinking something airy for the Chariot which brings me to what I am actually supposed to be writing about on here, Tarot cards! Today's adventure is going to be all about our ever fun Chariot. The card of confidence, independence and driving your own change. I find that my own personal opinions on this card differ slightly than those of others but we will just roll with it. What do you think of when you see this card?

When I see this card my mind automatically goes to the two "beasts" which is what my Tarot teacher always called them. Upon further learning I discovered they are sphinxes which now makes me think of Harry Potter but thats a whole other tangent that I won't go down today, other than to say, my GODS do I love those books. Any who back on course here- see I am driving this Chariot baby, they always make me think of the two aspects of us all: light and dark. We are made up of both of these things whether some people choose to recognize this or not. We need balance. I believe in this card they are here to usually say the person getting the reading has found balance. They no longer are searching for it like they were in previous cards. The man driving the Chariot symbolizes that you have gained independence and are basically driving your own destiny. Which is GOOD. Many of us, myself included can let others drive our ships when we need to man/woman up and become the captains. In his hand he is holding a fancy cane but he does not need to use it on the beasts because he has control over the light and dark. When someone gets this card I tell them that they are beginning to take control back in their lives. This could be control over a physical situation or a mental one, depending on the cards around it. Movement is another big thing with this card. New changes are ahead and you are going to be in control of them when it happens. You might even be starting the ripple yourself. This card is governed by Cancer and the Moon. Which are both tied to movement and changes as well. 

Keys to Remember: Swift change, independence, control, light and darkness- accepting both, driving yourself forward. 

Driving Forward- Meditation on the Chariot

Today I would like to do something special with our meditation. I would like you to take a drive. Now of course, DO NOT meditate while driving (this includes broomsticks ;)- looking at you witchy friends xoxo but do take a drive somewhere. Go to a place where you are happy. Maybe you need to rest by the seashore and take in some salt air. Perhaps your soul is happy sitting in a peaceful garden or a park. Wherever you go just make sure you can enjoy some quiet time to sit, relax and think. If you do not drive take a bus or a bicycle or your own two feet to somewhere different than your usual. Get outside of your normal element and see what happens.

When you are at your place, take some time to just take in the sights and sounds. If you are at the sea, which would be my ideal spot, listen to the waves crashing, breathe in the salt air. Listen to the birds or other sounds. Do this wherever you are. Enjoy life even for this short moment. Do not think about work or the dishes waiting in the sink (oh boy, am I guilty of that one!) and just be- I sure do sound like a hippy but we will keep going. For this short moment realize how lucky you are to be alive. Not to paint a horrifying picture during this beauty, but out of all those little swimmers you were the fastest one friend. YOU are meant to be here. YOU have destiny. Life is ever so short so take in this moment to just be alive and connected to the Earth around you. Begin to feel yourself becoming apart of the scene around you. Feel your body connecting with the Earth and your thoughts connecting with the higher consciousness. Take deep breaths into your belly. Slowly breathe them back out. Enjoy this rhythm. 

Now think to yourself, why I am I here? What drives me forward? Wait and allow the thoughts to come into your mind. Picture your journey, even your journey to this place. How did you get here? Did you drive, take a bus, or walk? What made you choose this way of transportation? What is your Chariot? Think about your independence and how lucky you are to be able to just get up and go, when many others are unable to. Think of all the positive you bring into this world. Your light. The positive things you have done for others and yourself. What impact are you making on this planet? Now think of your darkness. What parts do you keep hidden to yourself? What are your secrets, your shadows? What do you regret? What aspects of your shadow-self that you embrace? By accepting both sides of who you are, you will become closer to being who you are meant to be. Release anything that is holding you back but keep everything that is moving you forward. In this life YOU are the Chariot. Continue to sit and ponder on these mysteries until you feel ready to go and enjoy your time in this special place. 

Its so lovely.