Overview: Position and Role of the Wheel of Fortune
The Wheel of Fortune is the 10th card in the Major Arcana. In the Fool's journey, after seeking inner wisdom through The Hermit, this card marks a pivotal shift toward external forces and destiny. It represents cycles, luck, and unexpected turns of fate, serving as a reminder of the universal laws at play.
Historical Origins and Evolution
From Game to Divination Tool
As documented by Tuoi Tre newspaper, Tarot was originally used for games. The oldest surviving decks, such as the Visconti-Sforza from mid-15th century Milan, were crafted for Italian nobility. Only in the mid-18th century did Tarot become a divination tool, with French occultists like Antoine Court de Gébelin attributing mystical Egyptian origins to the cards.
The Revolutionary Rider-Waite Deck
In 1909, Arthur Edward Waite and artist Pamela Colman Smith created the Rider-Waite deck, which revolutionized Tarot by illustrating even the minor arcana cards with detailed scenes. The Wheel of Fortune imagery in this deck is a rich symbolic composition that remains the standard today.
Symbolism on the Rider-Waite Card
The Great Wheel and Its Inscriptions
The central blue wheel bears Hebrew letters (YHVH) and Latin letters forming "ROTA," which can be rearranged to "TARO," "TORA" (law), and "ATOR" (Hathor, Egyptian goddess). This suggests a connection between fortune, cosmic law, and divine wisdom.
Figures Around the Wheel
- The man with a book: A red human-animal hybrid holding an open book represents Hermes or Anubis, symbolizing intellect guiding the flow of destiny.
- The Sphinx: Perched atop the wheel, holding a sword, represents the mystery of fate and life's unanswerable questions.
- The Serpent: Descending below the wheel symbolizes chaos, downfall, or temptation to overcome.
- Four corner creatures: The man (Aquarius), lion (Leo), bull (Taurus), and eagle (Scorpio) represent the four seasons, elements, and fixed zodiac signs, emphasizing cyclical order.
Variations in Other Decks
In the 17th-century Tarot de Marseille, the wheel often shows three figures: a monkey climbing up, a creature seated on top, and one falling down, more directly illustrating fortune's rise and fall. Crowley's 1943 Thoth Tarot uses a more abstract cosmic wheel with astrological symbols.
Upright and Reversed Meanings
Upright: Fortune and Positive Cycles
Upright, this card signals a period of luck, positive change, and unexpected opportunities. It suggests the universe is aligning in your favor, encouraging flexibility and trust in life's flow. It often appears when one cycle ends and a new chapter begins.
Reversed: Stagnation and Lessons
Reversed, it indicates stagnation, repeating negative patterns, or feeling out of control. It is not a curse but a reminder that you may be resisting necessary change or failing to learn from past mistakes. It calls for introspection and proactive change.
Connection to Eastern Philosophy and Modern Life
The idea of a turning wheel of fate resonates with Eastern concepts. In Buddhism and Hinduism, the Wheel of Samsara represents the endless cycle of birth, death, and rebirth governed by karma. The Wheel of Fortune carries a similar message: life is a sequence of cause and effect, and your current position results from past actions. This understanding fosters humility in success and resilience in hardship.
In modern decision-making, this card encourages viewing the bigger picture, recognizing current cycles, and aligning choices with natural flow rather than resisting it. It is a call to live in harmony with universal order while remaining proactive in shaping one's path.
Conclusion
The Wheel of Fortune is far more than a card of luck. It is a profound symbol of cosmic cycles, karmic law, and impermanence. From its origins in Italian noble games to its role in modern divination, its core message endures: embrace change, learn from every situation, and trust that there is an order to the universe, even when it is not yet visible.
Quick-Reference Table: Wheel of Fortune Upright and Reversed
| Aspect | Content |
|---|---|
| Suit | Major Arcana |
| Number | 10 |
| Key keywords | luck, cycles, change |
| Upright meaning | Change of luck, new cycles. |
| Reversed meaning | Unexpected setbacks, resistance to change. |
