More on The Chariot

[Updated July 2021. Essay on Tarot: VII The Chariot]

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Regarding yesterday post, The Chariot, one might ask:

What does it mean to let the Universe drive?

If The Chariot wasn’t helpful enough, the answer to the above question might be.

Before I dive into that question, I want to emphasize something from yesterday. In my reading, The Chariot was given to me as recommended focus. This means I was guided to focus on the idea of The Chariot. It did not mean guidance was telling me to do anything.

The chariot is decidedly a non-doing. Yes, there is intention; yes there is deciding, but the real work with the chariot is to not do…at least for a segment of time.

The chariot wants us to let go of this question that is far too often burning inside of us:  “What should I do?”

• What should I do about this problem?
• What should I do to make more money?
• What should I do to find a partnership I deserve?
• What do I need to do to be successful?
• What am I supposed to do?
• What is my life purpose?

In a particular moment in time, there can be an answer to any or all of these questions. There are times when you are guided to do some particular thing in order to move toward what you desire. However, in the majority of now experiences, there is not an action you must do. The chariot is about all of those moments. It is about being ok with those moments. It is about understanding that those moments exist for a different reason. And the reason is simply this:

There are times to ask, and times to receive. The Chariot is about those times to receive.

Before I go forward, I want to go back. The Universe never answers the question: “What should I do?” It can and does answer the question: “What can I do?”

Letting the Universe drive means letting go of the word (and concept) of ‘should’. There is never a ‘should’, never a ‘should have’ and never a ‘shouldn’t’. Why you ask? Because the Universe we live in, at its core, is all about freedom. Freedom is the basis; it is the foundation. When the Bible says we were created in the image and likeness of God, that is what is meant. We have the freedom to create…always, in all ways, at all times.

The Universe will gladly recommend one action over another, but never with a: “you should do this and you shouldn’t do that.” Some of the greatest learning you will ever experience is when you intentionally take the path you ‘shouldn’t have’ and when you intentionally do not take the path you ‘should have’.

When someone says: “Let the Universe drive,” it sounds like they are telling you to trust. But that is a tricky thing because trust is not a doing, it is being. You cannot do the action of trusting when you in this moment do not trust. It is impossible. Trust is not a light switch. It cannot simply be pushed to the on position. Nor ‘should’ it.

You trust what you trust and you don’t trust what you don’t trust and that is perfectly fine and good. The Universe is not asking you to trust anything you don’t trust. In fact, it specifically is not asking you to do that. It simply recommends noticing what you do trust.

The only way to increase trust is to notice (focus on) the trust that already exists. In fact, that is the way creation of all things works. Focus on a thing increases that thing. Focus on an experience increases that experience.

So don’t try to trust anything anyone tells you. The Universe didn’t tell me (in a deep resounding voice: “David, you must trust the Chariot. You must trust the Universe. You must stop trying.”

It simply recommended focusing on The Chariot. The Universe knows what I know about it and knew that if I focused on the Chariot, I would be releasing my focus on less helpful things.

I don’t feel complete with this subject, but I don’t feel that going too much further would be helpful, so I’ll simply add this one last comment.

When you feel pressure to act, that is not the Universe guiding you. The Universe inspires those actions, which it knows will lead you from where you are to where you want to be. When you feel pressure, that is not a recommended action.

At the same time, doing what you feel pressured to do may be the only way you can find through the experience and that is ok too.

It may help to remind yourself this: The reason the Universe never says: “You should do this,” is because there are always multiple options. Universe’s guidance is much more like this: “You can do this. Or you can do that. Or you can do this third thing. And if you do that other thing, which you feel compelled to do, you can get there too, it just might not be as fun.”