the chariot

willpower / self assertion / triumph //

in astrology, mars is the planet that signifies how we go after what we want. it’s our inner warrior, our courage, our ambition, our aggression. it’s sometimes called a malefic, because it brings challenges into our lives. it rules the signs of aries and scorpio, and is exalted in the sign of capricorn.

many of us have been taught that the energy of mars is not for us to use, that it’s either for someone else (e.g., men are from mars, etc.) or that it’s too dangerous. and it can be dangerous, sure, to tap into mars energy, but anything in excess can be.

which brings us to this iteration of the chariot, a little snail on a bed of autumn leaves and a whole world growing on its back. the chariot, like mars, is our willpower and our confidence - aside from the obvious chariot, i’ve seen it depicted as a wild mustang, as a person soaring over mountaintops, as an archer.

so it’s a little funny to see it as a snail. i like it, though; it drives home a lesson from the mesquite tarot guide’s entry for the card: “see that you are moving with intention, that your destination is chosen.”

this week, my darlings, remember that all of us can access ambition and willpower, and that slow progress is still progress.

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HOUSEKEEPING NOTE: my own destination is chosen, and i will be in los angeles for a little bit next week. i’m going to take a proper break, so there won’t be a newsletter next week.

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this week’s deck: the wooden tarot
this week’s gems: milky and smoky quartz