Major Arcana
The Chariot
drive, control, victory, pride
Upright
Triumph and presumption sit side by side in Waite's list, and the picture shows why. A figure in armor rides behind two sphinxes, one dark and one pale, with no visible reins. The card is about moving forward by holding opposing forces together.
On a deadline or a contested decision, set one direction and keep to it. Get the people pulling different ways working together. After a win, watch your pride, because the same drive that got you there can turn into a wish to settle scores.
Reversed
Quarrels, disputes and litigation head this side. It is no forecast of a court case, and a lawyer is the right person for any legal matter you face.
In everyday terms the sphinxes have stopped cooperating. Drive has become argument, and a team or household is pulling apart. Stop pushing for a day. Find out what each side wants, then choose a direction fewer people have to be dragged toward.
A card is a prompt for reflection. It cannot promise a result, and it is no substitute for medical, legal or financial advice.
In Waite's words
Upright: Succour, providence; also war, triumph, presumption, vengeance, trouble.
Reversed: Riot, quarrel, dispute, litigation, defeat.
From A. E. Waite, The Pictorial Key to the Tarot (1910), Part 3, on Wikisource. The meanings above are by Cast & Chart.
Card art by Pamela Colman Smith, 1909, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.