Archetype and The Tarot: The Guide and The Chariot
For the week of September 24, 2023
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The Guide Archetype
The Guide gives guidance, right? That part’s pretty obvious.
A few weeks back when we were looking at The Teacher archetype (here’s that post), a question came up in discussion: What is the difference between The Guide and The Teacher?
I thought it was a fabulous question and did quite a bit of pondering about it. But when I drew The Guide for this week’s divination, I still didn’t have a good answer.
So I did what I always (eventually) do when I don’t have an answer: I asked my guides.
I’m not kidding, it wasn’t until I wrote that sentence that I realized the meta nature of asking my guides for guidance about The Guide. Again, I astonish myself with my ability to overlook the obvious.
Regardless, I did get an answer. Hooray!
The Teacher possesses and disseminates knowledge, usually on a specific topic.
The Guide leads the journey.
They can be interrelated, but not all Teachers are Guides, nor are all Guides Teachers.
The Guide, on the light side, is the embodiment of Wisdom and always knows the way.
On the shadow side, however, The Guide either withholds guidance or intentionally misguides.
Because we’re being asked this week to look at the ways we guide OURSELVES, let’s spend a little more time on this shadow side.
Now, why would we ever misguide ourselves?
I tend to steer away from terms like higher self and ego because I don’t want to perpetuate the notion that there’s any part of us that is “less than” or inferior. I like to move away from hierarchy when possible. It’s probably just semantics on my part (because I do tend to get hung up on semantics, just ask my husband), but I prefer to think in terms of the whole self and fragments.
Given that, I think that there can be pieces, or fragments, of ourselves that become the squeaky wheel, so to speak. The part of me that knows no other way of asking for support than to have a loud tantrum is often the part that is heard above the others. And sometimes this is the part of me that decides where to go next, i.e. becomes The Guide.
Just because she’s the loudest part, doesn’t mean she gives the best guidance. For my fellow fans of The Office, you’ll appreciate Michael Scott’s tendency to live through the shadow Guide.
This part of the self doesn’t know what’s best for the whole self, and, furthermore, she refuses to stop and ask for directions. When we step back and look at the big picture, we might realize that this is not best option for who should be leading the journey.
The whole Self, on the other hand, knows where to go and how to get there. They know the way.
So how do we tap into that knowing?
I think it’s about being honest with ourselves. If we’re willing to unclench our metaphorical fists just a little bit, I think we know when we’re responding to life through our whole Self or through a fragment.
There’s a feeling of tightness, rigidity and constriction when a fragment has taken the lead. We can sense that.
On the other hand, at least for me, when the whole Self is in charge, there’s a feeling of openness, tenderness, and even a little chagrin, because I have to face my own role in whatever situation I’ve found myself. It’s the feeling of expansiveness with a dash of vulnerability.
When we settle into that whole Self, we can rest in the certainty that each next step will fall exactly where it needs. We can trust in our own guidance.
Some questions to consider about guidance this week:
Can you recognize what part of you is acting as The Guide?
In what ways have you misguided yourself in the past?
What are some of the ways you can focus on receiving deeper guidance? (for example, from dreams or liminal journeys?)
The Chariot
When I pulled The Chariot for this week’s reading, I sat and stared at a blank screen for a disconcertingly long time. The Chariot has layers upon layers of meaning for me and is, in fact, a symbol for my entire spiritual practice. How can I sum it up in the 250 words I allot myself for its description? (Of course, now I’ve just used about 70 of them.)
Here’s the thing I think the Universe wants us to focus on this week: this card is called The Chariot, not The Charioteer. It is the vehicle, the conveyance, the container for a journey of some kind. It’s about moving forward and committed action—going on the journey and staying on the journey.
This week we’re being asked to get clear on (and commit to) the container for our current journey. Are we beginning, or in the midst of, a project of any kind? Are we taking a class? Are we embarking on a new relationship, or a new phase of a relationship? What is holding our current journey and can we consciously tend to it?
How do The Guide and The Chariot work together?
The image I see is that The Guide is the charioteer. They have the journey mapped out and know every turn to make. They keep the chariot on track with reins of Wisdom.
This combination of Guide and Chariot is all about putting the clarity and knowledge about the journey into action.
With this pair, we’re being called to not just hang out in the map room, planning the journey. Instead, we are being asked to strap ourselves into whatever container we identified as our current chariot and be on our way; to commit to this particular journey, trusting in the guidance of our whole selves.
What journey are you currently undertaking? I’d love to know in the comments below!
🌛 REMINDER: Our Group ritual on Identity and Magic is THIS WEDNESDAY, September 27 at 6:00 p.m. MDT 🌜
This will be an informal gathering to be in community together, discussing our ideas about identity and magic, along with a guided a journey. I am so excited to be together with you all!
The zoom link to attend is below 🤗
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83975349033?pwd=BKb0f2ENhtvZmDkWakWprUf5wMsDvJ.1
This is so good Jenna, many things to reflect on for me. Mainly that when I cannot see what direction I’m going in, I’ll try and take back control of the reins of the chariot, which restricts the possibilities ahead. I’m so grateful for this awareness this week. Thank you! 💫🙏
I appreciate you doing this reading/writing/discernment (clearly not sure what to call it) Jenna.
Here's what came to mind for me: our Chariot is our physical body, our physiology. It is the transport device we are currently utilizing to walk the earth at this time. If we are having trouble accessing our Guide and need a little extra help we can use our Chariot to help us find her by tapping into our physiology to elevate our energy. There are many ways to do this, eating well, plant based nutrients, movement, mindfulness practice to name but a few. In shifting our physical being, elevating the energy there, we can more easily access our inner guide.
I understand there are many routes to interpreting these cards so I simply went with what came to mind as I was reading.
I was keen to read your discernment between Guide and Teacher. Many years ago I spent months in contemplation specific to accessing info about my Archetype. I read, learned, and meditated on it. After a very long time what came to me is my main archetype is a Guide. I landed at home once I could see that. What is interesting is that it has never wavered one tiny bit. Not once have I thought...'oh maybe there is something else'. I wonder if others feel this solid or if it shifts around somewhat depending on life experience.