Change is inevitable. Growth is optional

John Maxwell

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Overview and Meaning of the Tarot Card The Wheel of Fortune

When the wheel of fortune shows up, change is coming – whether we get to choose, or fate chooses for is anyone’s guess. This is yet another card that tells us to pay attention and don’t miss opportunities because who knows when they will come around again.

Alternative names for this card, in varying decks are Change, The Wheel, Wisdom, Small Medicine Wheel.

Common Meanings of The Wheel of Fortune Tarot Card

The wheel of fortune is here to remind us that life is constantly changing.  If things are bad, wheel is here to say that good times will come again. The wheel is constantly in motion and life is always turning it.  the only constant, is change.

This is also about the law of karma – so if you are throwing shade, be assured you will get shade thrown at you.  As John Lennon said “Instant Karma’s gonna get you, gonna knock you right on the head…”  so be sure that you are putting out what you want to receive, because that is the way the world works.  Also, this is a time to trust that the universe is taking care of you and has your best interests at heart. 

In career and money this is an indication that things are looking up.  In love, if you have been seeking it, this is a reassurance that the wheel is turning in the direction of favor towards this endeavor.  If you are in a relationship already, it can indicate a normal ebb and flow which all relationships have, or it can be a strong urge that it is time to have those conversations and renegotiate how that relationship is going to progress.  It may even be an indication that the relationship has run its course. 

The Many Faces of The Wheel of Fortune Tarot Card

The shadow – or reversal – can indicate some bad luck, but the good news is that it is close to the end of that bad luck cycle so hang in there. This is also a great opportunity to take an honest assessment of what role you have played in creating the situation you are in.  Taking responsibility for your part and being willing to make changes is a huge part of the soul’s journey to wholeness. 

The Journey of The Wheel of Fortune

Card 10 marks halfway in the fool’s journey through the major arcana and is the point where we turn from outward exploration to internal. In the arc of the septenaries, the Intention was set in the first septenary with the magician is being aligned in the second septenary with the wheel of fortune.

Description of The Wheel of Fortune card

This card is packed with imagery – dark clouds in the upper corners, light clouds lower.  Central wheel with letters and symbols around the edges and arrows pointing directions inside.  On top of wheel is a blue sphinx with a sword over left shoulder pointing up.  In the four corners are an Angel, phoenix, winged bull, winged lion, all with books open.  There is a snake pointing down on left side of wheel, and red Anubis (jackal) on bottom right, appearing to be moving upwards on turning of the wheel.

Themes of The Wheel of Fortune

• What goes around comes around
• Constant change
• Pay attention
• Fortune favors the bold
• Karma
• Life cycles
• Fate
• Live in the moment
• Turning point

The Number 10

An ending and a beginning:  A life phase has ended and a new one has begun.

Elements of the The wheel of fortune Card and Associated Symbolism

• Wheel – in ancient Egypt the wheel was representative of the sun
• Letters on the wheel – T, A, R, O, and coming around again to T, spelling tarot, but also, if rearranged, ROTA is ‘wheel’ in Latin; Hebrew letters spelling YHVH – Yahweh, the unpronounceable name of god. 
• Alchemical symbols on the wheel – represent sulfur, salt, mercury, and water (which correspond to the suits in the minor arcana – wand, pentacles, swords, and cups)
• Sphynx – knowledge and strength
• Sword – sharp mind  
• Snake facing down – negative aspects of fate
• Anubis – Egyptian god of the afterlife; with the wheel in life, death, rebirth
• Angel and 3 animals – all winged, fixed signs of the zodiac, representing celestial ties, and reading the torah, for seeking wisdom and knowledge

Herbs for The Wheel of Fortune

• Daisy- abundance, joy, happiness, transformation
• White Clover – calibrates purity and positivity, to attract more of the same.
• Hawthorn – protection and openness
• Reishi- balance body and mind stress, adapt and find greater purpose in living
• Tulsi – (also known as holy basil) – nurtures the spirit; calming; brings balance to spiritual practice.

Questions that the Wheel of Fortune asks us

• Are you digging your heels in and trying to prevent change from taking place in your life, work, relationships, or even the way you view the world, and if so, how’s that working out for you?
• If you have felt like life has been beating you up and you have nothing but bad luck, is that belief in bad luck the very thing that is causing it?

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Wishing you a week of embracing change, going with the flow, and knowing that even if it seems dark right now, the wheel is constantly in motion and the universe always has your back. 

Please leave comments or ask questions.

Join me next week for Justice!