The Year of the Chariot
In tarot, 2023 is a Chariot year.
(2+0+2+3 = 7, and The Chariot is card 7 in the Major Arcana.)
The Chariot can be read as a card about movement + change. It whispers secrets about willpower, adventure, and the ability to navigate rough terrain.
Every card in tarot is a big deal. But The Chariot is an extra big deal card because it symbolizes the shift from Line 1 to Line 2 of the Major Arcana.
What does that mean??
Well, if you're part of the tarotsphere, you're probably familiar with Rachel Pollack's division of the Major Arcana into 3 lines.
But if all this sounds like Greek to you, let me give you a quick summary: the Major Arcana in tarot has 22 cards, which can be divided into 3 rows of 7 cards each – excluding the first card, which is on a line of its own.
🌷 Row 1 tells the story of our childhood–
the story of coming into the world, being indoctrinated into its existing structures, and learning what's expected of us.
It's a necessary stage of growth. But at some point, we need to leave the confines of our upbringing and go out into the world to find our own path ... with help from The Chariot.
As the last card of Row 1, it's theoretically + symbolically the vehicle which carries us from one row into the other. It moves us into the second line, which kicks off our journey of internal exploration.
🌷 Row 2 is like taking a peek behind the curtain of our external identity–
where we start to carefully examine our beliefs + behaviors, trying to understand why we are the way we are.
When looked at this way, we can say Row 2 is the hub of personal transformation – the point at which we begin to intentionally reshape our character.
The Themes of The Chariot
As the link between Rows 1 and 2, The Chariot is one of the most dynamic cards in the deck – dynamic meaning its energy is strengthened through movement, and weakened by stagnancy.
And when it pops up, you can be sure it's here to play a major role in helping us transition from one stage to another.
Externally, it's the act of detaching from societal conditioning, kicking off the journey of self-exploration.
Internally, it's a vehicle that carries us away from who we've been told we are, towards who we think we can be.
It's really powerful stuff. I'm excited! And as we spend time with this card throughout the year, we're going to move into some really introspective spaces as we examine themes such as:
🌷 Forging our own path, and dealing with loneliness when we choose to do things differently than the people around us.
🌷 Transitioning into deeper self-knowledge, and the fear that comes when we realize that our old ways of functioning don't work so well anymore.
🌷 Examining the vehicle that's carrying us through our lives (our identity), and releasing the parts we've been carrying that aren't serving us anymore.
The gifts The Charioteer brings us
2023 is definitely a year to shift some of the stuckness we might be feeling trapped in. Through working with this card, we'll be focusing on forward, tangible movement, and greater introspection + self-understanding.
By the end of the 52 weeks, you're guaranteed to have:
☯ A wider understanding of yourself
☯ Stronger trust in your intuition + connection with Spirit
☯ Deeper clarity around your spiritual beliefs + practice
☯ More knowledge and knowing* to make healthier choices.
The deets on the newsletter
So now that you know the work we're here to do, let me run you through how exactly we're going to get that work done.
The Tarot 2023: The Chariot Deep Dive is a weekly newsletter that explores The Chariot card from 12 main points of view.
From January to December, we'll pair the card of the year (CotY) with a card of the month (CotM). We'll observe how these cards interact – whether they uplift each other, or whether their relationship creates tension and conflict.
This structured exploration allows us to track our development through the year because we're constantly returning to the same point – checking in, seeing how we're adapting and growing.
I'm excited about this approach because it honors some key aspects I often find are lacking from some contemporary spiritual practices: focus + depth.
By working deeply with one core card, taking time to reflect on its patterns, motivations and desires, we stop trying to do everything, and instead get significantly better at doing one big thing.
We kick things off in January with our first card combination: The Chariot + the Ace of Pents. (You can take a peek at all the 12 card combos here.)
How much does a subscription cost?
And more importantly: is it right for you?
I've priced this offering at $5 a month, which is pretty reasonable for a lot of folks. But that doesn't mean it'll feel right for everybody. So here's a quick little assessment to help you figure out if it's a yay or a nay:
It might NOT be the best fit for you if:
You're not able (or willing) to bring intention + focus to your spiritual practice at this moment.
I've spent well over a year designing this offering to be as impactful as possible.
I wanted to create something that could help you make your spirituality your own, so that you can tap into your own wisdom whenever you need it. And I truly believe this offering can do that, but only if it's something you're willing to invest your energy into. Think of it as a collaboration – me as the guide, but you as the person actually walking the path. 🌻
On the other hand, I think you'll love this if:
You vibe with the 3 S's: structured spiritual self-care.
- You want structure in your soul exploration journey,
- you believe spirituality is a key part of the human experience that shouldn't be ignored,
- and you want to make it a regular thing i.e. a self-care routine.