Golden Tarot - The Chariot

Livia

“Another card that I have two versions of is The Chariot - one with a female driver (like older decks), one with a male (more like Rider Waite). Maybe that would be a good one to include as two versions?”

“One other little factor that I'm not sure if it's mentioned in the book, is that I made one of the swans drawing the chariot black, to represent Western Australia, my home state. The black swan is our state bird, and they're very majestic. This was one of the few obviously personal references that had nothing to do with tarot tradition.”


From Kat Black on the thread http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=7296

The chariot, swans, and landscape come from a painting called the Allegory of Spring. What a fitting setting for the chariot.
The only thing I have to add to this is that the card seems to me like the eye of the storm, like everything is happening around her, but where she is it is calm. Just like a leader they need to remain calm even when all around them has gone haywire.

Sources
Coat of arms
http://www.kfki.hu/~arthp/html/c/coustens/ph_savoy.html
Histoy of the order of the Golden Fleece (the necklace around the crest with the sheep hanging from it is a symbol of the order)
http://www.antiquesatoz.com/sgfleece/origins.htm
buildings
http://www.kfki.hu/~arthp/html/l/lorenzet/ambrogio/governme/2effect1.html
chariot, swans, landscape
http://gallery.euroweb.hu/html/c/cossa/schifano/2april/2april.html
 

WolfSpirit

She must be very much in control, to keep her balance on a chariot like that. Her only support is the spear, the chariot itself has nothing to support her.
The card also makes me think of victory, she has the body language of someone in control, a winner.
The card also makes me think of spiritual mastery rather than physical mastery, she does not litterally need to keep the swans on a tight leash, as she trained them to do as she pleases.

Just a few things that sprung to mind looking at this card :)
 

Grizabella

I love that there are swans drawing the Chariot. That's beautiful. :)

The Charioteer looks very sassy and in control of what's going on. She seems to be almost challenging someone onshore that we can't see.
 

Herzog

Determination. Full speed ahead, and like Thirteen cautions in her book, the possibility of recklessness. The Chariot, like unbridled emotions or waves of passion, races forward without looking left or right. There are no Red lights for the Chariot, no Stop signs, and certainly no Yields. The Chariot has confidence and assumes it always has the right of way.

Following the Lovers, I have to assume the Chariot has made a choice; has experienced "the thing it cannot live without." So it moves full throttle...racing after it...yes, sometimes reckless, but this is the price one pays for following one's heart at all costs and to the end