Wheel of Fortune

There are many cards in the Tarot deck that herald the arrival of a turning point in life—these include Death, The Tower, Judgement, and even The Fool. This is not surprising—our life is full of transformations, growth happens through crises, and the end of one period becomes the beginning of another. But each of these cards emphasizes its own kind of change. The same can be said about Wheel of Fortune.

This is a card of change and, unlike Death and The Tower, it is traditionally considered a good omen! Wheel of Fortune brings change and usually luck, but at the same time, it tells us that the situation is out of our control, and our plans are at the mercy of uncontrollable surprises of fate. On an event level, it indeed often corresponds to situations where we can do nothing, and which simultaneously affect the very foundations of the established order of things. But whatever happens, it's for the best, and these situations can be defined more as a "lucky break" rather than a "complete ambush." Everything will turn out in the querent's favor without any special volitional efforts on their part (although the feeling of the complete unpredictability and "randomness" of what is happening might bring a chill—what if I had arrived five minutes later? What if....? It's scary to think, everything would have been different!). But that's the whole trick of the Tenth Arcana—you don't have to think about it. Fate synchronizes everything with truly cosmic precision. Wheel of Fortune is one of the most mystical cards.

Often, this card governs matters of returning to something, certain recurring situations. In life, everything repeats itself, including purely karmically; everything comes full circle—feelings, thoughts, events. This card speaks of submission to fate, of the "arrival of the moment," and returning to one's destiny, of something over which we have no power.

Authors' positions vary regarding Wheel of Fortune. Some strongly emphasize the "injustice" and "blindness" of fate, and their message is roughly this: come on, push hard, take everything into your own hands! Wiser ones, it seems to us, believe that accidents are not accidental, and man is not given to steer this wheel. Fortunately.

"Everything that happens is your destiny, and what's more, it is smiling at you!" Everything happens by the will of fate and everything is essentially a gift of destiny.

The appearance of the card indicates that a person's future is being decided NOW, BUT NOT AT ALL BY THEM. This is a turning point in life, whether we want it or not. The Tenth Arcana, appearing in a spread, can remind us that a situation, whatever it may be, good or bad, will sooner or later change, and it is right now that the Wheel of Fate is gaining speed. The traditional meanings of the card are success, luck, and happiness.

The card indicates that something will happen that we can hardly control and could not have foreseen in any way. The appearance of Wheel of Fortune is an indication that a dynamic has started in life, which should be perceived philosophically (and neighboring cards can suggest where things are heading). But wherever it is heading, it is usually not a matter of the result of some conscious efforts. You can get totally undeservedly lucky—this card predicts an unexpected smile of fate. However, for luck to strike one day, you must dare ("Fortune favors the bold").

To some, Wheel of Fortune seems "unfair," but in fact, it's just a different kind of justice—the scores are settled on a level where we cannot clearly correlate cause and effect. What happens under Wheel of Fortune seems to us an Accident—lucky or fatal—but in reality, there is nothing accidental here. Personifying Destiny itself, Wheel of Fortune possesses such power of karmic resolution that it seems incomprehensible to us. Therefore, from our human point of view, the card speaks more of Luck and Fortune, of happy unexpected opportunities, than of direct merits and the result of conscious labors.

An unexpected happy event. Luck, success, fortune, a chance that is given, perhaps, once in a lifetime and not at all by accident. An unpredictable, fateful turn of events. Victory, successful overcoming of obstacles.

Some authors believe that Wheel of Fortune simply signals the forces influencing the situation, and the other cards in the spread show what these forces are and which way the wheel is turning, up or down. Or, if the general situation the person is in now is unfavorable, then the cards in the remaining positions can suggest what needs to be done at this moment to cross over to the other side of the Wheel, corresponding to rise and success. But here, nevertheless, one should not overestimate our ability to "spin" this wheel and direct its movement.

Perhaps one can agree that the interpretation of Wheel of Fortune heavily depends on the surrounding cards in the spread, but here too there is no consensus. Some believe that surrounded by negative and threatening cards, it reports unexpected changes for the worse, the person missed the mark somewhere, and luck is ready to turn away from them. But sometimes this meaning is rather attributed to the Reversed card, while in the Upright position, Wheel of Fortune remains "luck"—if only in the sense that it will carry you out of all those troubles described by other cards.

Everything that can broaden horizons both physically and spiritually is connected with this card: travel, change of places, getting an education, or the whirlpool of social life.

Adventurous!

The ability to act boldly and sometimes unpredictably, relying not only on calculation but also on luck. Contagious lightness, bravery, activity, and cheerfulness. The person described by the Tenth Arcana usually hits the "bullseye." Their life looks rich and interesting, plunging straight "from the ship to the ball" [right into the action]. They seem to be a favorite of Fortune, a darling of destiny.

Speaking of Destiny, the word "karma" is usually remembered. And with this word, in turn, the word "task" is most often mentioned nearby—a karmic task, a life purpose.

Wheel of Fortune can speak of a person who has realized their life task, acknowledged its existence, or, at least, passionately longs to find it. Under Wheel of Fortune, a person realizes that they are a subject of Fate, a tributary of karma; everything that happens in their life is incomprehensible but not accidental. They are guided by the hand of destiny, and in their life, there is a time for everything. They understand the necessity of each new trial in order to reach a new spiritual level and are ready to accept their Destiny and their Path with gratitude. In a vivid manifestation, this is truly a chosen one who does not belong to themselves. They must fulfill their task, and their life on earth is scheduled by heaven down to the hour (and the person's sense of time, their flair for the moment, is usually also excellent). At the same time, they themselves may consider themselves terribly unpredictable and free, while a spiritually insightful eye can see that the person has zero degrees of freedom. Wheel of Fortune also emphasizes staying true to oneself, to one's calling, to one's true "I."

The famous Hajo Banzhaf generally believes that this Arcana should be called "Super-Task" or "Life Goal," and its appearance in a spread unequivocally says that it's time to realize what has been conceived.

Among the downsides of the personal state described by Wheel of Fortune is a tendency towards cyclothymia (a creative and active state is periodically replaced by a downturn and depression, regardless of the person's will and plans), some superficiality in relationships ("out of sight, out of mind"), and well, that very "maybe" [blind hope] on which Russia "has stood for centuries—and doesn't flinch... doesn't budge... doesn't budge an inch!" Others perceive the person as a force of nature, not entirely animate and poorly predictable.

A stage in spiritual development when a person must realize the eternity of change, becoming, and destruction, to understand that the paths of fate are inscrutable and balance can only be found within oneself, following the example of the Stoics. Man's power is not limitless; he is sometimes powerless before destiny. The Tenth Arcana symbolizes Destiny, and that says it all.

"By what destinies Thou knowest."

Man proposes, but God disposes. Providence is present and acts in the medium of events and actions like the subtlest, all-penetrating spirit. Wheel of Fortune in a spread reminds us that there are things in life that no one can influence, things over which no one has power. It rolls forward inexorably, on its own course, and it makes no sense to resist the passage of time and fate. Things change, even if the changes are undesirable.

To everything there is a season, and every new trial is necessary for growth and self-realization. Everything consists of cycles, and all cycles are necessary for development, even the unpleasant ones; moreover, every life form has its opposite, like in the circle of astrological houses. One must look at things philosophically and not get fixated either on one's achievements (sooner or later a downturn will come) or on one's failures (an upswing will follow), for this is a Wheel. There should be no moral dizziness either at the peak or in any other phase.

At medieval royal courts, in an era prone to gloomy philosophizing (just think of the "Danse Macabre"!), jesters would perform a highly edifying pantomime with a large sphere before the monarchs: when one jester scrambled to the top, another ended up at the bottom. But then the sphere made a new revolution, and the one who had ascended was cast down. The meaning of Wheel of Fortune is obvious here. It remains to be added that, like the Ten of Swords (and other Tens, generally speaking), the Tenth Arcana particularly loves "kings"—people with great ambitions. This is the card of a person endowed with a mission, a calling, and the accompanying power of realization. They may give the impression of Fortune's favorite, they succeed in amazing things, the world rolls out before them like a Persian carpet... up to a certain point. Then destiny turns its other side to them, and the higher the peak was, the lower the fall seems. The examples of the destinies of many historical figures, where brilliant triumphs were replaced by inglorious failures—this is Wheel of Fortune's reminder of how relative everything is. Fortune smiled, Fortune turned away.... One must learn to accept this eternal dynamic with royal stoicism, placing oneself in the center of the axis around which the wheel revolves. There are pros and cons in all elements of life. Everything flows, so nothing should be considered fundamental. Everything is relative (and yet nothing is accidental).

The highest gift of Wheel of Fortune is the awareness of the impermanence of both happiness and adversity. The number ten, meaning perfection, is at the same time a gateway to the new (one is followed by zero), a new beginning that will follow the next turn of the Wheel. It rotates continuously, sowing joy and sorrow, life and death. The Arcana teaches that the Wheel of life is constantly spinning and man cannot influence it. It is also important to understand that the Wheel turns for everyone, we all walk under God.

Wheel of Fortune always emphasizes man's powerlessness before destiny, and teaches that it is for the best. If everything were only according to our will and understanding, the knots would probably never be untied at all. It is also important to understand that this lesson of our dependence and helplessness before it actually stimulates growth and maturation (let us recall the colossal experience of comprehension that Ivan Homeless went through after the conversation at Patriarch's Ponds regarding "Man himself is in control!").

The Tenth Arcana is considered a symbol of progress, and no progress comes for free. It is the fruit of past and present efforts, of passing valuable lessons, of accumulating knowledge and wisdom. Perfecting oneself and everything around is a commendable pursuit, but not an easy one. According to Valentin Tomberg, the Tenth Arcana represents the entire totality of ideas associated with the problems of Evolution and Involution, the Fall and Reintegration. This stage in development poses the task of Spiritual Alchemy, achieving internal unity (symbolized by the axis of the Wheel), through the transmutation of base instincts into their bright original prototypes (the Tetramorph on the card, the "four beasts of the Apocalypse"). Moreover, this can be achieved by strictly observing the four Hermetic rules: to Know, to Dare, to Will, and to Keep Silent, corresponding to the four magical virtues (Knowledge, Courage, Will, Silence).

This is one of the "apocalyptic cards," depicting four mystical creatures, the Great axes of the Mystical Marriage. These four mystical creatures—the Bull, the Lion, the Eagle (Scorpio), and the Man (Aquarius)—correspond to the fixed or immovable cross of the Zodiac, reminding us that spiritual reality is unchanging and eternal despite all the radical turns and petty fuss of external life. This is eternal and cannot disappear. On top, on the wheel, symbolizing the perfect balance of Universal Wisdom, sits the Sphinx with the sword of Justice. The Sphinx symbolizes man's desire to solve the riddle of his destiny and, if a person manages to solve this riddle of the Sphinx (about the cycle of life and death), then luck accompanies them for some time and they comprehend their path. But man is not objective and righteous enough, therefore he cannot hold on to the top of the wheel for his whole life. Therefore, the advice of the Tenth Arcana on a spiritual level: strive for the center of the wheel, for its only fixed point—your own "I." Stop and observe. In your inner world, you will find answers to all the questions that interest you, by looking at your problems with the eye of an outside observer and not trying to interfere with the course of events.

Here I would like to recall one excellent doctor who repeatedly gave sufferers amazing advice: "Observe." The advice would sometimes drive relatives to the verge of a stroke, but it turned out to be truly invaluable both purely psychologically and from the point of view of further treatment.

As for the astrological analysis of the Arcana, the planet Jupiter mythologically correlates with the secondary creator of the world, with the Star of Bethlehem that preceded the birth of Christ, and indeed with the very name Yeshua, which in the Kabbalistic-numerical representation is calculated as Kaph - Jupiter.

The essence is revealed by the myths about dying and resurrecting gods, symbolizing the eternity of renewal and rebirth of nature. The eight spokes of Wheel of Fortune are associated with the traditional eightfold division of the year. It includes the first degrees of the cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn) and the middle degrees of the fixed signs (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius). The beginning of the cardinal signs marks the Vernal Equinox (Ostara, Easter, Pascha), the Summer Solstice (Litha, Līgo-Jāņi, the Eve of Ivan Kupala, that is—the nativity of John the Baptist), the Autumnal Equinox (Mabon, Michaelmas, the Archangel Michael), and the Winter Solstice (Yule, the "Spoke of the Wheel," the Midnight of the Year, Christmas). The middle of the fixed signs marks Beltane (Walpurgis Night, the Time of Herne, now—Labor Day... well, it was a day of labor, only a rather specific one), Lughnasadh (the Time of Harvest, the solar god Lugh, the prophet Elijah in a fiery chariot), Samhain (now known as Halloween, all hallow eve, the time of spirits, veļu laiks) and Imbolc (the festival of the fiery goddess Brigid, Bride, now falling on Candlemas).

All natural cycles contain the idea of the Wheel of Rebirth. This image is present in almost all cultures. It is known, for example, as the Wheel of Samsara, the movement of the soul from life to life, and the spiral evolution of consciousness. Wheel of Fortune involves working with past life memories, practices related to a person's karmic heritage, and the Alchemy of the Soul. What is experienced under Wheel of Fortune has the supernatural power of direct revelation; it is difficult to suppress this information from consciousness.

In the Waite deck, the letters T-A-R-O are depicted on Wheel of Fortune. The famous 20th-century occultist Paul Foster Case produced as many as four anagrams, obtaining the phrase "Rota Taro Orat Tora Ator," which roughly translates as "The Wheel of Tarot speaks the laws of life." And there is definitely some truth in this.

Work by calling, fulfilling one's life task, mission. It could be about some project that is "destined by fate," and whether the person was waiting for it or trying with all their might to avoid it—that's another question. Some unexpected event can lead to a new path, even if the person previously planned their career completely differently.

Expansion, new opportunities, luck in business, and it will likely be a complete surprise rather than something planned.

A favorable turn of events, "pure luck" (this can have simply immense significance in some areas of activity where everything depends on situations like "he was accidentally noticed by the Great One Himself...").

The emergence of new resources, information, people (and with strongly unfavorable surrounding cards—their disappearance).

Reward.

Broadening horizons, openness to changes, professional development. Sometimes the card says that a person is trying to adapt to a particular rhythm of life, to "fit in," and at the same time is spinning like a squirrel in a wheel. These are all those workplaces where huge clocks usually hang on the wall, and everyone periodically casts an anxious glance at them. This is that very wheel: airports, television, news agencies, all those places where "money never sleeps," work goes on 24 hours a day, and the show must go on whatever happens. Often a person feels that they have no power over their professional activity—it has power over them. These are professions associated with broad reach, information dissemination through mass media—producing, advertising, etc.

Casinos have a special relationship with the Tenth Arcana, as do all those places where the principle of roulette operates, lotteries and draws take place, and there is a possibility of a random win.

This is work with some recurring cycles, seasons, patterns, where everything returns "full circle," but "you can't count on it every time," and the success of the past season does not guarantee luck in the new one.

It can also be an organization in the process of change: temporary (reorganization) or permanent (the so-called learning organization, where constant changes are a philosophy of life, and the mission is realized by everyone).

Often among the meanings is the whirlpool of human interaction.

American tarot readers also include recycling and renewable resources here.

A feeling that there is no power to resolve these issues, but usually—things are looking up, some new opportunities are turning up.

Prosperity, improvement, success due to circumstances that may seem like pure luck. The possibility of an unexpected windfall.

Change of residence, moving.

Currently, the person feels that everything in life remains the same and they are powerless to change anything, whether it's an unsatisfying relationship or life without a partner. But under Wheel of Fortune, changes are coming, personal life promises to improve, and there is no need to make any special efforts to find the luck heralded by this card.

Everything will happen on its own when the time is right, and simply because the querent will be in the right place at the right time. An important aspect of this card is the person's loyalty to themselves. In this case, happiness will find them; in any case, exactly what is most important will happen to them. As they say, "be firm, and here you will not be betrayed."

Another important aspect of the card is letting go of influence and control, trusting the course of events. This applies both to single people and to those who would like to somehow change their existing relationships. Wheel of Fortune teaches that in any close relationship, there is a natural cycle, times of intoxicating intimacy are replaced by periods of some alienation and emotional downturn, and one should not make a tragedy out of this and try to necessarily bring it under control. The wave has gone, the wave will come. Walk on the sand holding hands. Everything will return full circle.

Under Wheel of Fortune go the so-called "karmic relationships" or relationships about which one can say "It's fate!" (which does not guarantee cloudless happiness at all and does not exclude a highly dramatic outcome). In this case, the person does not feel "free" (that is, they have absolutely no power over their feelings); essentially, they have been given a task that cannot be evaded, because this person is truly their destiny. The bond becomes "fatal"—although it is clear that the relationship is neither easy nor understandable, the attraction is supernatural, there is no choice, and nowhere to retreat. The person can oppose nothing to this force—only follow it. Naturally, such encounters turn out to be inevitable.

Here you cannot dodge your happiness, because synchronicity, coincidence, chance, and fate work at full capacity here. Wheel of Fortune teaches that there are things in life that "just happen," people find themselves in the right place at the right time, and "it just worked out that way," the plans were different. But controlling something in these relationships will likely fail as well. The fact that fate itself prepared them does not mean that it has necessarily laid down a safety net. Flashes of passion, breakups—everything will happen incomprehensibly, it will seem to the person that they are being carried away like a woodchip in a stream.

It is not always in a person's nature to understand what is good for them and what is not. Sometimes they suffer because something didn't come true the way they imagined it. But in reality, what is happening to them is a gift of destiny and optimally meets the deep foundations of their being and the established conditions for development. Qualitatively, the realization of Wheel of Fortune depends on the actual karmic baggage of the specific individual. But in general, this Arcana foretells finding a suitable partner and a happy development of relationships. Sometimes—the repetition of some scenario, returning to square one (both within one life and across incarnations). In this case, Wheel of Fortune provides an opportunity to finally realize one's behavioral stereotypes in relationships with others, to catch some repeating gestalts, to understand the causes of mistakes, the sources of pain, the nature of barriers. This is a precious gift. It is precisely thanks to it that a person sometimes manages to "change their destiny," to fix something, to do it differently. And destiny—it sees everything, it hears everything.

Wheel of Fortune includes all sorts of "jumping into the last wagon"—getting married when a person has long avoided it, having children in the twilight of reproductive years, and other steps of this kind.

As a rule—quite good health (especially surrounded by favorable cards), but with elements of cyclothymia (alternation of periods of energy surges and declines, mood swings).

There may also be a dependence on some other cycles. For example, the cycle of an illness (exacerbations, remissions, relapses, the so-called "recurrence," returnability, which happens both in the case of some infections and mental illnesses). Seasonal allergies.

Seasonal affective disorders (usually understood as depression, after all). Incidentally, the old name for depression or despondency—"the noonday demon"—clearly indicates a connection to time. The name originated in the Asia Minor region, where traditionally the hot midday hours are the hardest. Interestingly, even in our latitudes, there are people who psychologically have a hard time dealing with the "noon of the year"—July and August.

Wheel of Fortune is also related to another well-known cycle—the female cycle, describing phenomena associated with it (PMS, delays, weight fluctuations, and the like).

Wheel of Fortune, no matter how you spin it, remains a round Wheel. At the same time, there is a sea of options for interpreting it in this position.

There is an opinion that if in the Upright position it says: "Fate!", then in the Reversed position it's rather: "Not meant to be!". Plans will not materialize due to currently insurmountable circumstances; the time to take up this matter has not come, failures, obstacles, delays, bad luck, "evil fate" await. Perhaps some old problems will surface!

Apparently, in the case of the Reversed Wheel of Fortune, luck is ready to turn away from the querent and they should at least be more careful and not rely on pure luck—it might not be enough.

Sometimes the card says that changes will have to wait, they will happen, but the moment for them has not arrived (again, "not kairos," not the moment, as in the case with the Reversed Eight of Wands). Delay caused by unexpected events. Other authors speak specifically about the inevitability of changes heralded by the Reversed Wheel of Fortune: if there is a "dark streak" now, it means everything will soon turn for the better, and if it's a bright one, an inevitable worsening of the situation is ahead, the lucky streak will end. In some cases, the card means resistance to changes that are inevitable anyway, or incongruous actions in relation to unexpected events. Inability to realize the emerging opportunities.

There are authors who believe that the Reversed card does not change meaning, but on a material level indicates profit and growth. Others point out that the unpredictability of the situation and the degree of risk increase sharply.

It is believed that the Court Cards near Wheel of Fortune indicate people who will bring luck.

With The Fool – an explosive combination, predicting imminent changes. It is better to refrain from gambling, entering into long-term partnerships, including marriage (a multitude of unforeseen factors will surface).

With The Empress – pregnancy.

With The Chariot – a trip! This meaning will manifest almost inevitably.

With The Tower – major changes are near, which will be a complete surprise to the querent.

With Four of Wands – favorable changes.

With Six of Wands, Eight of Wands – fast movement, rapid development.

With Two of Swords – being at a dead end, inability to see the way out offered by fate.

With Four of Swords – the card is considered to greatly block the action of Wheel of Fortune with its energy of rest.

With Eight of Swords – oddly enough, also the swiftness of actions and changes, the card is considered to enhance the action.

With Four of Pentacles – blocking of changes, standing still.

With Seven of Pentacles – careful analysis of the situation before changing direction, lack of adventurism.

Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos, managing the thread of human life.

The Norns.

"Your Honor, Lady Luck"

The myth of Oedipus.

Rituals of seasonal magic.

Kipling's famous poem:

If you can keep your head when all about you Are losing theirs and blaming it on you, If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, But make allowance for their doubting too; If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster And treat those two impostors just the same; If you can make one heap of all your winnings And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss, And lose, and start again at your beginnings And never breathe a word about your loss; If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew To serve your turn long after they are gone, And so hold on when there is nothing in you Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’ If you can fill the unforgiving minute With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run, Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it, And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!