Temptation VS. Willpower - 8/12/20
Some intense cards today! I love it when the darker cards in the deck show themselves, it given me the opportunity to explore Shadow and the more controversial themes that the Tarot often addresses.
Our main card is THE CHARIOT, it's influences are THE DEVIL and it's challenges are THE HIEROPHANT. All Major arcana cards, which indicates a lot happening on a spiritual and evolutionary level. When these cards show up (especially in numbers) it means that we must pay attention to our instincts, our conditioning, our life goals and our soul's journey.
This is a strong statement today because, these 3 particular cards are very powerful! Just look at the imagery, it is very charged with action and firey intents. Notice the flames on the Devil, the lightning on the Hierophant, and the Sun on the Chariot.
Ok but what do they mean?
Well to break it down simply:
The Chariot is ultimate will-power, often signifying a very driven and strong personality. In terms of the soul's journey s/he has mastered the exterior world, found their place in society and are about to embark on a spiritual quest for enlightenment. The Chariot is also about balance of opposites, of careful control.
The Devil is temptation, bondage and illusions. This powerful card has a bad reputation, and it's easy to see why. However the 'Devil' is a construct of religious society, he is not a literal figure or even supernatural power, he is many things and nothing all at once. But forget about the preconceived notions you have about the 'guy'. The Devil card in the Tarot represents being chained to our obsessions. Letting temptation get the best of us because it feels good in the moment, even if we know it will hurt us or has a negative influence. In fact, that is exactly what this card represents, that bizarre desire that arises in us for the bad, the hurtful, the toxic, because sometimes we feel we deserve it, or at least deserve nothing better. This is the epitome of the Devil, the ability to make us believe we need to punish ourselves, that we are not worthy of success or love. That we must hurt ourselves be it through addictions, toxic relationships or situations, mental anguish or thinking we are failures. The Devil can also represent repressed desires, and animalistic instinct.
The Hierophant is an auspicious card, it symbolizes traditions, societal structures, and god-ike figureheads, leaders or teachers. Traditionally this card symbolized the Church, and it's control and influences over the laws of society. Today however, in many modern decks such as this one, the Hierophant is transformed into a spiritual teacher. It is one of the most complex archetypes in the whole Tarot deck, and it's medicine can be difficult and profound. When it shows up is invites us to ask:
What expectations have I put on myself on how I should fit into society?
Where do they come from?
Do they honour my true self?
It is very interesting that the Devil and the Hierophant show up here, divided by the Chariot.
It puts our instincts directly opposed to traditions. You could almost say the Devil vs. the church. And right smack dab in the middle is our will-power to overcomes these to powerful forces.
The challenge for the day is to not let temptation or over indulgence get the best of us, also not to be bound to old ways for thinking that could potentially be damaging to one's well-being. The obstacle we face is acknowledging what society expects of us, and defining what our own expectations are of ourselves and our life. The good news is we all have the willpower to attain our goals. The trick is to not get caught up in negativity, or putting too much importance on 'fitting in'. Balance those desires, and re-imagine who and what you wanna be. Be true to yourself and you will find your Chariot.
Blessed be loves,
x
Sara.
I'd love to hear your thought on this combination! Please feel free to comment below or send me a DM, I'm always happy to talk Tarot 🤓