Next in our tarot deep-dive series is the Wheel of Fortune. If you are new here, first of all, welcome! My name is Ashlie, and my goal is to help you wildly reclaim the tarot for your wild spirit.
In each of my posts (both here on the blog and the Wolf Child Magick podcast), I break down the ways that I read this card, look at the symbolism from across my decks, and share some references or resources that I think coincide with each card.
This post is dedicated to the Wheel of Fortune. As you will see, some cards have a different name for this beauty, but at the number 10 position in the Major Arcana, we have one of my personal favorites in the tarot.
The Wheel of Fortune, as we will discuss further, marks a significant change in the Major Arcana, because it is the first double-digit card that we come to if we move through the Majors linearly. To be clear, in real life we hardly, if ever, linearly move through these cards, but intentionally moving through them in this way can help learn about the card itself, while connecting to the bigger picture.
With the numerology of 10, we move into a new cycle, while also embracing mastery, leadership, wholeness, and a sense of unity. Read about the numerology of 10 here.
Migration in the Spirit with the Wheel of Fortune
The Wheel of Fortune at the tenth position shows that we are officially entering a new chapter, one that is weighted and has a depth to it. This depth is the recognition of how our spirit moves in the cycles and on the spectrums of all the things we face in life. We had to undergo the removal and mindful retreat with the Hermit, so that when we emerge, we are able to move with deeper clarity within our spirit.
If you haven’t read the previous posts, I would start at the beginning with the Fool. This way you can see how the cards build on each other, moving and evolving from one to the next. The Hermit is a card that speaks to going into the darkness, finding the treasures that lurk within the wild spirit, and bringing them forward and back into the light.
Now, we arrive at the Wheel of Fortune. The first way that I read this card is: All things are moving and alive- the spirit knows deep down how to move in migration, merging, and reclaiming. After we have done the work with the Hermit, we become aware of how everything is interconnected, and all are moving down the threads of life. We are now able to feel, sense, and engage with the world from this shift in the paradigm. We move from our wild spirits. Like the beautiful monarch butterfly, we are beckoned by unseen forces that inspire us to continue to find our way home to the Divine.
Looking at our first three cards, the first card is the Ouroboros / Wheel of Fortune from the Mystical Dream Tarot. The Ouroboros is a symbol of the cosmic cycle of life/death/rebirth, the constant and unending nature of Spirit and Matter, and the joining, or need of the polarities. The Crow Tarot shows three crows in the center, representing the movement from the center, and the eight crows facing outward, the need for direction. The Fates in the Ostara Tarot show them seeing, weaving, and cutting the threads of life- a symbol of cycles on the cosmic scale.
Main invitations with the Wheel of Fortune:
1. All things are moving and alive- the spirit knows deep down how to move in migration, merging, and reclaiming
2. Feeling the moving energies within and around shape your state of being
3. Inner wisdom to rise and remember your sovereign spirit within the cycles
The next way that I read the Wheel of Fortune is: Feeling the moving energies within and around shape your state of being. The Wheel of Fortune invites us to feel how we are moving in this world, even when we are still. We are being asked to integrate into our lives in a more wholesome way. When we embrace the moving current of energies, influences, and actualities, we can evolve and align in ways that bring us home to our wild spirit.
Looking at the image from the Tarot of Dragons, we see four dragons in the colors of white, green, black, and red circling the Wheel of Dharma, the cosmic wheel, which includes the application of moral principle and karmic law that apply to all living things. In other decks, the eight spokes are said to imply the eight sabbats, which signify the cycles of life and the changing of seasons. Read more about the Dharma Wheel here.
The Wheel of Fortune also usually shows creatures that look on the Wheel and give the Wheel influence. Here, the creatures are the Phoenix, a symbol of rebirth and grace. The Tiger symbolizes valor and ferocity. The Qilin symbolizes protection and prosperity. The Tortoise symbolizes longevity, endurance, and wisdom. We need all these influences to align ourselves with the cosmic movement of the Wheel. Other depictions will have creatures that speak to the Four Evangelists, click here to read more.
The last way that I read the Wheel of Fortune is: Inner wisdom to rise and remember your sovereign spirit within the cycles. When the Wheel of Fortune comes forward, it is asking you to remember times when you were sovereign, and at one with the World around you. Many times, these memories will take you back to childhood when innocence and purity were not even questioned, and we looked at the world around us with awe.
The Wheel of Fortune comes forward to remind you that you are part of the collective force and living beings on this planet. You are a part of the cosmos. You only need to remember that your wild spirit is part of the beautiful ecosystem of this world. You are Divine as you are, but how you move and engage in the world will either align more with the flow of life or create further separation.
Many depictions of the Wheel of Fortune will also show the fixed signs in the zodiac: Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius. The fixed signs hold fast to the path ahead, to either their benefit or undoing. These signs don’t like change, and work to keep things the way they are. This is a lesson with this card. How do we hold ourselves in the middle of the wheel, where we keep our sacred course amidst great change, while embracing what needs our adaptability and spontaneity so that we may embrace the movement and rise?
Read more about the fixed signs of the zodiac here.
Depictions of the Wheel
The Wheel of Fortune from the Bird King Tarot shows destruction and life together. The area that has been obliterated has seen the movement of the Wheel in a catastrophic way, while the other parts still bloom with life. The movement of the Wheel may bring unwanted forces or factors into play, but that is life. How do you rise above it?
From the Grimalkin’s Curious Cat Tarot, we see a cat embracing the Hamsa hand- a Hindu symbol of protection, and the chakras, or energetic centers in the body. Read more about the Hamsa hand here. Both darkness and light illuminate this card, showing that as the Wheel turns, we do need to surrender, but we also need to recognize where our actions can help us align to what we want to see as the Wheel turns again.
From the Spirit Animal Tarot, we have the ancient weaver of fate, wisdom, and grace with the Spider. The Spider weaves threads of silk together to create beautiful creations. Stronger than steel, yet able to blow away with a gentle wind, this invitation of surrender and intention come together once again. Here, Spider asks us to keep our vision on the bigger picture, while keeping ourselves grounded in the present moment with the threads that we are weaving.
The Wheel from the Hush Tarot is perhaps one of my most cherished images. The Ant is small in size but is incredibly strong and a hard worker for the collective good. While the forces of nature can quickly create chaos or put a stop to the ant’s existence, the glory of a flower may appear to the ant as Divinity itself. This image shows that with life the good and the bad will come. Can we take a moment to pause and appreciate the goodness and beauty, while working hard to shift the bad away from us?
With the Herbcrafter’s Tarot, we see different herbs honoring the eight Pagan sabbats. The herbs are: Bay (Yule), Parsley (Imbolc), Violet (Ostara), Chives (Beltane), Lemon Verbena (Litha), Basil (Lughnasadh), Sage (Mabon), and Onions (Samhain). Each of these herbs helps in its particular season and shows that all moments amidst change can provide if we know how to use them.
From the Shadowscapes Tarot, Fairies sit on blooming flowers while holding bones from life now past. The golden thread in the stained glass is one singular line, showing the unending nature of the cycles. The hole in the bottom corner shows life finding its way, even in places that seem impossible.
More Examples of the Wheel
With our final three cards, we see a similar nature to the Crow Tarot by the same artist, MJ Cullinae. Here, with the Guardian of the Night Tarot, we see the snake at the center of the Wheel, a symbol of transformation. The Bats open the portal to the magickal, and we have our weaving spiders again. The Owls represent wisdom. The Lunar Moths represent rebirth on higher levels, while the Scorpions speak to protection on lower levels. All are part of the web of life.
From the Wild Unknown, we have the dreamcatcher and another owl. Wisdom is obviously crucial with the Wheel. Night and day, above and below, show the great orbits we move through each day. It can be easy to forget this cosmic movement, but the Wheel is here to remind us, so take notice. What feels insurmountable may actually be moving you toward a bigger purpose.
Finally, we have the Dark Woods Tarot, giving us the spinning Wheel. The snake and the fairy are both symbols of the liminal, spiritual world, while the elementals hold the instructions within their books on how to make it to the World card. Can you find your center amidst great change? That is the lesson of the Hermit: find your center. The Wheel comes after and says, “How do you apply it?”
Ashlie McDiarmid
Hello there! I hope you liked this blog post. As a tarot and oracle reader, my goal with my blogs is to offer you content, resources, and access to the tools that have transformed my life.
I believe that your own intuition is the deepest form of knowing, but here in my little corner of the internet, I share insights based in intuition and instinct. I share my love for nature, witchcraft, and the wild spirit.
- If your spirit is at home in wild places
- If you feel the need to claim your autonomy as ritual
- If you want to more deeply trust your own intuition
- If you want resources or connections to tarot, oracle, witchcraft, and wild sovereignty, then welcome!
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