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Wheel Of Fortune Tarot Meaning

Major Arcana Tarot card number ten is the Wheel of Fortune, following on from The Hermit, and preceding Justice. As you might imagine, this is a card about changing cycles, the wheel always keeps on turning! It represents the notion that what goes up must come down and vice versa ad infinitum. Generally, this is considered a positive card to receive although it may not exclusively be the case.

Read on for more significations of what the Wheel of Fortune card means, including its Numerological and Astrological correspondences, and what it signifies if it shows up for you as a reversal, and in a career, love, and general reading:

Wheel Of Fortune Tarot Card Meanings

The Wheel of Fortune meaning is quite simply one of change, the only constant of the world. In this, represented as a literal wheel, it is also a reminder that the point of least centrifugal force is in the centre i.e. find your centre and remain balanced, quiet in the eye of the storm— to signify stability amidst movement.

Generally, in an upright position, this card indicates positive news of change coming, a necessary catalyst, or the forces of fate and fortune working. As with life, however, this can always go both ways. In this, there is still solace in the fact that the wheel keeps turning, i.e. even when we are experiencing a bout of misfortune, change is still always coming.

Change is the natural state of the world, things are in constant states of life, death, and rebirth, including inside of us, we are part of nature, and our cells die and regenerate at lightning speed. You are not who you were yesterday nor who you will be next year. Within this, there is also the reminder that nothing is ever truly created or destroyed, only transformed.

In the image on the Smith Rider Waite Tarot deck, and many other Tarot decks, we can see three figures, one on top, one descending, and one ascending from the bottom. This speaks to me of the person on the back of the chariot in Ancient Rome would whisper to a victor in a parade “memento mori”, meaning “remember that you die”, i.e. don’t let it go to your head.

To me this also speaks to the fact that we take nothing to the grave with us, neither accomplishments nor failures. In this, there is the simple message to live in the moment. We can’t control our fate, only our reaction to it.

This is in turn also calls to me of the Chinese proverb where a farmer’s prize stallion runs away and the neighbours exclaim how unlucky he is. He says “maybe so”. The next day the horse returns with a whole herd of wild horses, adding to his wealth. The neighbours exclaim how lucky he is and the man responds “maybe so”.

The day after that his son is trying to tame one of the wild horses and falls off and breaks his leg. Again the neighbours exclaim how unlucky he is and the man responds “maybe so”. The day after that the army comes to the town to enlist for conscription, the man’s son is exempt due to his broken leg. The neighbours exclaim how lucky he is and the man responds “maybe so”.

The Wheel of Fortune Tarot Card Description

The actual figures on the RWS card are Anubis on the bottom ascending, God of the Underworld; Thyphon the snake, God of Evil, descending (also the snake of knowledge that tempted Eve, life force plunging to the depths); and the sphinx of knowledge sitting on the top, harnessing the sword of the mind.

There are also the letters T A R O spelled around the inner circle, representing either Tarot; “tora” when read in the other direction representing the Torah (also seen in the High Priestess); “rota” when read from the bottom anti-clockwise meaning “wheel” in Latin; or “orat” the root of orator, meaning to speak, pray, or plead (it could also be “ator” as a reference to Hathor, Ancient Egyptian Goddess of the Sky).

Interspersed between the letters are the four Hebrew letters Y H V H (Yod Heh Vau Heh), the Tetragrammaton- the unpronounceable name of God- Lady Fortuna is the one who turns the wheel.

This for some reason also reminds me of the Sator Square (the magical Latin palindrome that acts as a talisman of protection used to confuse spirits, with the words written one above the other: SATOR - AREPO - TENET - OPERA - ROTAS).

The centre wheel also holds the four alchemical symbols for mercury, sulphur, water and salt, representing the Four Elements (Air, Fire, Water and Earth) and the building blocks of the Universe according to Hermeticism.

Numerology of The Wheel of Fortune

Numerologically, the number 10 is a symbol of completion and endings. And naturally in every ending there is an inherent beginning of something else, some other state of being. The number ten can also be reduced to one (1 + 0 = 1), connecting it to Major Arcana cards The Magician and beginnings of cycles, as well as The World— endings.

In this, we are reminded that we always have the power to create our own fate, we may not be able to turn the wheel ourselves, but we can choose what we do with our position on it and how we will react when we reach the turning point.

Astrology of The Wheel of Fortune

Astrologically, this is a Jupiter card, the Planet of expansion, belief, growth, and abundance. This is part of what lends itself to the Wheel of Fortune’s positive attributes, Jupiter is a benefic Planet. However, there is still always the reminder that infinite growth is a tumour, death and compost are still necessary. We need times of contraction in order to experience subsequent expansion.

The four winged creatures in the corners are the four Fixed Signs of the Zodiac— Aquarius, the human Sign represented by the angel in the top left; Scorpio represented by its higher elevation of the eagle in the top right; Leo the lion in the bottom right; and the bull in the bottom left for Taurus— the middle of the Seasons, these wings signify stability.

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In a General Reading

An upright Wheel of Fortune is a reminder not only that the wheel keeps on turning and change is the only constant, as well as to remain centred through it all, but also of the notion that what goes around comes around. Sometimes the greatest tests of character are precisely when we are on top or on the bottom of the wheel.

In general, this card upright is a positive symbol of change coming— get ready! Perhaps this is welcome, such as in health, wealth, or love; and sometimes we would prefer things to stay the same. Sometimes, nothing changes and yet everything changes. The mutability of The World card is a reflection of our internal landscape and perception— can we see the cyclic nature in all things? What is evolving, mutating, transmuting, transforming, growing in your life?

Wheel of Fortune Reversed

A reversed Wheel of Fortune can indicate a resistance to change, or simply a change in circumstances (the nature of which would depend on your current starting position, so going from a more difficult position to a more positive situation or vice versa).

In a reversed position it can symbolise that we may not like the change that is coming or has occurred already, or that we are unable to find our footing amidst the change.

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The Wheel of Fortune in a Love Reading

In a love reading, the Wheel of Fortune could indicate a change in the relationship dynamic. Perhaps a change in the strength, intimacy, or commitment. It can represent a change in feelings or a change in circumstances (which could be any number of things from you or your partner moving or taking on a new job that changes the connection, or the status of the relationship going from mutually exclusive to polyamorous etc).

Wheel of Fortune in a Career Reading

In a career Tarot reading, the Wheel of Fortune can be an indication of change coming to the company or your role, as well as an invitation for you personally to make a change! Sometimes all we need to do is be open and receptive, ready to embrace. As with all Tarot cards, the actual meaning will be highly dependent on context and the question asked, position in the spread the card is falling in, and the cards surrounding it.

So those are some significations of the Wheel of Fortune Tarot card, I hope they’re insightful for you! Let me know in the comments section below if you have anything else to add or any other questions.

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