The Chariot: Medea is driving our Chariot.  And already you know this isn’t going well, don’t you?  Because even if mythology isn’t your thing, anyone driving a chariot pulled by a couple of dragons is someone to be taken seriously.  And if you are savvy about all things legendary, just the name Medea was probably enough to stop you in your tracks.  In fact, you probably aren’t even here anymore, are you?  You quit reading with the first sentence and are off mixing yourself a hefty drink right about now.  And, since the people in the know are off at the bar, a brief recap is probably in order.  Medea was a powerful sorceress and a devotee of Hecate, the goddess of magic.  She was also a princess, the daughter of the king of Colchis, who just happened to be in possession of the Golden Fleece.  It was an ancient artifact with historical significance and, some said, magical properties, so while it mostly just hung on a tree limb all day, the king had it well guarded to be on the safe side. One day, a guy named Jason showed up at court and declared that he needed the fleece because the usurper of his kingdom had agreed to abdicate in his favor if he brought it back.  Not too surprisingly, this line didn’t impress Medea’s father, who told Jason to get bent.  But unknown to him, Medea had fallen head over heels for the manly adventurer and agreed to help him if he would marry her.  Being a guy on the make, Jason quickly agreed and Medea used her magic to get him the fleece. As soon as they had it, they fled, along with Medea's younger brother Absyrtis.  Of course, Medea’s father started after them, but he pulled up short when his sailors noticed something odd in the water.  A closer inspection proved it to be the dismembered body of Absyrtis floating gently on the waves.  Medea had cut him up and scattered the parts behind her ship as a diversion. It worked; her father broke off the chase to collect the remains of his son, and Medea and Jason got away. The Chariot card is all about conflict and struggle and hard won victory.  On the one hand, it promises the querent the power, motivation and drive to get the job done, no matter how impossible the odds may seem; on the other hand, it warns of a ruthless desire to succeed at any cost, including using dirty tricks. And, like with Medea, it doesn’t promise that the end will justify the means.

The Chariot reversed:   Medea’s story didn’t end with the gruesome chase sequence. No, she and Jason had all kinds of fun ahead of them.  Pelias, the aforementioned usurper, predictably refused to just hand the throne over to his rival so Medea, equally predictably, arranged his untimely death. This resulted in her and Jason having to flee once more. They settled in Corinth, where things quieted down for a few years and they had a couple of kids. Then another throne was dangled in front of Jason's eyes and he suddenly decided that he was tired of the simple life. Gaining the crown of Corinth required Jason to marry the daughter of the king. This wasn’t technically a problem since, with all the fleeing they’d been doing, Jason had never actually gotten around to making things legal with Medea.  He blithely informed her that, in order to insure the future social standing of his sons, he had no choice but to marry the fabulously wealthy and extremely beautiful heiress.  He went on to explain that, to avoid giving his new bride embarrassment, Medea would have to leave Corinth, but that their sons would stay with him as Greek custom required. A lot of people make out what happened next to be Medea’s fault, which technically would seem to be the case.  But come on.  Past experience would have suggested to anyone with even basic intelligence that there was a slight chance she might not take this too well. She didn’t. The prospective bride ended up with a special wedding dress that burnt the flesh from her body and also killed her father when he tried to put out the flames. Just to make her point a little more clear, Medea then killed her own sons so that Jason wouldn’t end up with them.  She fled Corinth (something she was getting pretty good at by now) in a chariot drawn by winged dragons, leaving the usual wake of destruction behind her. If the Chariot upright speaks of victory, the Chariot reversed warns of defeat, especially if some of the emotions commonly associated with this card are present: rage, ego, selfishness, arrogance and bully-like tendencies.  Medea lost, not when Jason decided on another bride—because, let’s face it, the guy was no prize--but when she let her anger overcome her good sense.