Cancer & The Chariot
In the film “Gladiator", directed by Ridley Scott, the protagonist Maximus is played by Russell Crowe. Maximus has two horses on his armour, Argento and Scatto. Argento translates to silver, and Scatto to trigger. While these names don’t appear to have any mystical associations on first glance per se (they are a nod to the Lone Ranger’s horse and Roy Rodger’s horse apparently), they do, at least to me, subtly suggest the nature of the horses and make me think of the Chariot card in the tarot. Silver is the element associated with the moon and is traditionally linked in many cultures with feminine energy, psychic abilities, fertility, and motherhood. Trigger, the horse from the Lone Ranger, was a Palomino breed of horse, famed for their golden reddish coat. Gold is the element of the sun, traditionally associated with masculine energy, power, divinity and the father.
Duality is a theme of the Chariot card, which, depending on which deck you use, is symbolically represented by the two horses or sphinx. The traditional interpretations of the Chariot card suggest victory in our goals or success in worldly matters, things that our ego tells us that we need or what society deems as successful in a person, such as a good profession or job, material wealth or winning. These are achieved by focus, determination and willpower, all positive in the right circumstances, yet an unhealthy relationship with ego-centred wants can hurt people. In our world today, much like the function of a chariot in times of antiquity, vehicles used for warfare bring victory to some and chaos to others.
White horses are associated with the sky, the sun, light and “masculine” energy. Black horses are associated with the underworld, the moon, darkness, “feminine” energy and the goddess. Imagine steering a chariot at full speed, two horses galloping in front of you, under your control, twisting and turning, you holding tight to the reins using your strength to control the horses while scanning the horizon for threats as well as reading the terrain, checking for rocks and dips that could inadvertently throw you off your chariot. That takes an agile mind, one with quick responses and brilliant intuition.
Now imagine trying to do that when both horses actually want to go in opposite directions, as often depicted on the Chariot card. How does that work? And which horse should we pay more attention to, the white horse or the black horse? Both, no? Controlling the tarot’s chariot requires a level of coordination between the Charioteer and horses that to me goes beyond power, strength and coordination. There is a telepathic element involved, a cosmic energy.
And this is where the Chariot’s association with the sign of Cancer comes into play. Cancer natives are said to have excellent instincts and psychic ability to read the environment on a vibrational level. Cancer is the fourth sign of the western zodiac and a cardinal water sign, which begins in the northern hemisphere around the time of the summer solstice, 21 June to 22 July. Ruled by the Moon and often associated with the mother, the sign is said to be intuitive, family orientated, sensitive, creative and have a high drive to protect themselves and their loved ones.
Symbolically, consider the chariot as our body, as our vehicle for the soul here on earth. Cancer is represented by the crab with its hard exterior to protect its soft interior, suggestive of the shield the chariot provides to the charioteer.
Cancer is ruled by the moon, the moon is associated with the goddess. Two crescent moons adorn the Charioteer’s armour (crab-like shell protection) and the black and white horses nod to duality, a concept that we first encounter in the High Priestess. Many goddesses can be attributed to the High Priestess, of course, yet the Welsh goddess Rhiannon kept popping into my head whilst pondering what to write for this post. She is associated with horses, sovereignty, telepathy and the moon.
Some tarot scholars have pointed out that the RWS chariot appears to be static or made of a heavy material like concrete. Again, here we see a paradox. If the Chariot suggests movement, progressing to victory, then why does it look like it is made of stone? In one of the legends in the Mabinogi, Rhiannon appears on a white mare to her future husband, Pwyll, at the top of the mound Gorsedd Arberth. So enchanted is Pwyll with Rhiannon’s mystery that he sends riders after her, yet despite riding at breakneck speed to catch her, they can’t. More strangely is she appears to ride at a gentle trot. Some sort of witchery is at hand. She mysteriously is unreachable, out running the horsemen, controlling the situation successfully with something beyond rational. The words of Pwyll eventually bring her to a stop. He simply asks her to stop.
Bibliography
Davis, S. The Mabinogion, Oxford World’s Classics
Matthews, C. The Elements of the Goddess,
Starling, M. Welsh Witchcraft, A Guide to the Spirits, Lore and Magic of Wales
https://benebellwen.com/2025/06/12/etteilla-tarot-the-chariot-the-tyrant/
https://tarot-heritage.com/from-trionfi-to-majorarcana/il-carro-le-chariot-the-chariot/
https://alltherightmovies.com/feature/25-interesting-and-epic-facts-about-gladiator/
