Mystical Cats Tarot - The Chariot VII

Onaorkal

On this card, we can see a cat riding a chariot led by 2 dogs.

The cat is mainly black (or dark grey?) with part of his chest and face being white. He also has a small patch of black above his mouth, making it look like a man's mustache. I couldn't help but think it resembles Hitler's mustache (sorry kitty). He's looking straight ahead and has his paws set on the chariot's edge in a very straight way too. There is a large yellow halo (like bursting rays) around him.

The chariot, which looks like it's made of bronze or brass, has a roaring lion face on the front of its roof. On each side of the cat, there are 2 pillar-like structures with 'foliage' (made of the same metal) wrapped around them like a garland. Below the cat, we see 2 large wings (still made of the same metal) extending on each side of the chariot.

The dogs are probably Harlequin Great Dane. Both wear red harnesses and look friendly.

We can guess the chariot is going at a great speed due to all the dust being lifted off the ground all around it.
The road seems to be plain but a bit rocky, grass and trees can be seen in the background and the sky is bright blue.


Colors : The only thing that jumps at me is the surreal yellow light surrounding the cat.


In the book, the author invites us to take control of our lives by stating "Your are in charge of your life." and "Your success is assured, but you must take action to set it in motion."
Indeed, help can always be sought from external sources, advice can be gathered a bit everywhere and from anyone but at the end of the day, only you can decide how you will orientate your life in a specific direction. By acting on it, or even by choosing NOT to act on it.


The symbolism :

Hitler's mustache : This one might only be a personal gut feeling that no one will relate to, but without a doubt my vision of this cat is influenced by the resemblance I found with Hitler. Already we can see this cat is positioned in a very straight manner and he's fixing the reader with a very blunt/cold look. The mustache makes him look a bit dictatorish to me. Which still suits the meaning of the card, even if it's on a more negative tone. I'd like to see it as a reminder that it's okay to do what I gotta do as long as I don't push my ideas on people or violate their freedom.

Yellow halo : Symbol used by pre-Christian pagans to represent power. Especially in this case, it looks like bursting sun rays, which enhances the feeling of power coming from the card.

Bronze/brass chariot : I couldn't find any specific symbolism for the choice of metal, but one thing that caught my eye is that the chariot was not made of silver or gold. Until now we've seen a lot of those precious metals being used, but not with this one. Could it be to emphasize that this card is not about being wealthy? Or that the main character is not an authority figure? Of course the final goal of the cat/person could be to become wealthy or someone 'important', but the message of the card is about GETTING to that goal. We all start 'lower' and try to get 'higher'.

Roaring lion : The sight and the sound of a roaring lion are quite impressive. They sometimes use this ability to warn other lions about their territory. In this image, the message is clear : I'm coming, get out of my way!

Pillar-like structures : Twin pillars represent duality. Life and death, positive and negative, etc. In tarot, its meaning is about balance. And speaking from a general point of view, pillars are objects used to support a structure. In this case it supports the chariot, the means of transport toward the ultimate goal.

Wings : Some symbolism include speed, freedom and aspiration to a higher spirituality.

Great Dane dogs : I believe this breed was chosen because they are very large dogs that might best fit the role of the traditional horses (from the Marseilles, not RWT). They are also considered very friendly and good natured dogs.


Overall I find this card has a very active and positive feel to it, which I usually don't get from other decks (it's either too static or too aggressive with a feeling of 'rush'). :)
 

Lunaea

Hitler's mustache : This one might only be a personal gut feeling that no one will relate to, but without a doubt my vision of this cat is influenced by the resemblance I found with Hitler. Already we can see this cat is positioned in a very straight manner and he's fixing the reader with a very blunt/cold look. The mustache makes him look a bit dictatorish to me. Which still suits the meaning of the card, even if it's on a more negative tone. I'd like to see it as a reminder that it's okay to do what I gotta do as long as I don't push my ideas on people or violate their freedom.

Many of the cat "models" in our deck are cats we know or have known. The cat depicted in this card is named Mustachio, for obvious reasons. :)

I'm enjoying your interpretations!