Learn the Tarot: The Wheel of Fortune Meaning
Learn the Major Arcana with That Oracle Guy Patrick. Together we’ll dive into the meanings, symbolism, and history behind each card — with affirmations, journaling prompts, and theme songs to help ground the lessons into your daily life. The Wisdom of the Major Arcana is yours to claim.
#10 The Wheel of Fortune, Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot Deck
Meeting The Wheel of Fortune:
The Fool had grown wiser. With lessons from mentors, lovers, and his own solitude, he carried a backpack of truths earned through tears, laughter, and experience. But nothing could have prepared him for what came next.
The earth beneath his feet began to tremble—not in danger, but in transformation. The sky cracked with possibility, and before him, something massive emerged: a great, golden wheel turning in midair. Inscribed with ancient symbols, the wheel was flanked by mystical creatures—beings that hovered at the edges of the divine and the known.
The Fool stared at the wheel, entranced. “What is this?” he whispered.
A voice echoed—not from the wheel, but from everywhere:
“This is the dance of fate. The spiral of destiny. The truth that nothing stays the same.”
The Fool watched as the wheel spun—sometimes lifting beings to the top, sometimes casting them into descent. A serpent slithered downward. A sphinx held steady at its peak. The Fool realized: he could not control this wheel. He could only learn to ride with grace, humility, and presence.
It was thrilling and terrifying all at once. The Fool had always believed he was the author of his journey. But here, he learned a deeper truth: life is both authored and unfolding. It is both chance and choice.
And so he laughed, arms open to the sky. He would not fear the turning. He would trust it. Because at the center of the Wheel, there was stillness—a point of peace.
He would learn to stand there.
Keywords for The Wheel of Fortune:
Change
Cycles
Fate
Karma
Turning Point
Opportunity
Destiny
Unpredictability
Associations:
The Element: Fire
The Planet: Jupiter (expansion, luck, opportunity, abundance, philosophy).
Card Symbolism:
The Wheel Itself: Represents life’s ever-turning cycle — ups and downs, beginnings and endings, and the inevitability of change.
The Letters T-A-R-O: Spelled clockwise, they form "TARO(T)" endlessly. Interspersed with Hebrew letters for God’s name (YHVH), they hint at the divine orchestration behind life’s changes.
The Sphinx at the Top: Represents wisdom and stability in the midst of motion, holding a sword. It reminds us that clarity and truth remain—even in chaos.
The Snake Descending: Symbolizes descent, entropy, and the darker aspects of change. Sometimes seen as ego, loss, or inevitable decline before rebirth.
Anubis Rising: The Egyptian god of the underworld represents initiation, transformation, and resurrection—the rise after the fall.
The Four Winged Creatures (The Tetramorph): Represent the four evangelists, zodiac fixed signs (Leo, Taurus, Scorpio, Aquarius), and balance amidst change. They read sacred texts, suggesting that wisdom comes through observing cycles.
The Book in Each Creature’s Hands: The books represent universal knowledge and the teachings of life—available to those who look beyond surface chaos.
The Clouds/Blue Sky: Suggest that change is happening on a divine level. We may not always see it clearly, but the Wheel turns in accordance with cosmic law.
The Roman Numeral X: 10 is a number of completion and rebirth—something ending, something new beginning.
Upright Meaning:
When The Wheel of Fortune appears upright in your tarot reading, it’s a reminder for you that there is a sense of destiny in all things. We have the power, of course, to shape and co-create our reality, but sometimes experiences come at us to strengthen our character and shape us into the people we need to be to continuing manifesting.
It’s a wonderful time for you to embrace where you are on the Wheel of Fortune.
Are you feeling the magic of being carried upwards? Since all things are temporary, and everything changes and spins like a never-ending ferris wheel, how can we savor those moments where everything is going our way? It’s good luck. How can we sit in the presence of that moment and really enjoy ourselves? These are beautiful memories that will last for you.
Have you plateaued on the wheel? Unsure if you’re about to go down, or climb your way back up? How does that neutral space feel for you? Is it Peaceful? Serene? Uncertain?
How can you deepen your knowledge of the present?
Reversed Meaning:
Sometimes, the Wheel of Fortune takes us on a nosedive. Things aren’t “working” in the way we expected them to. Obstacles are present. Setbacks happen.
Knowing there’s a sense of destiny in all things, how can we use this energy to get closer to what it is that we value? How can we release control of the external circumstances and develop a deep trust that the universe is doing this for us, not to us?
What is there to learn about hardship? What do you lean on in these periods of adversity? What, or who, supports you? That’s a beautiful thing to reconnect with right now. It might be your values, your support network, your integrity systems.
Can you use this moment to shift your perspective a little bit? How is the nature (and I do mean nature, since everything works in cycles) of obstacles / hardship / adversity shaping. you and fortifying your resolve?
Knowing that, how can you overcome future obstacles? Maybe not all of them, but how do we connect with the theme of destiny in our day to day life?
Journal Prompts for The Wheel of Fortune:
Where am I in the current cycle of my life—rising, at the top, falling, or still? How can I honor that place?
What recent change have I experienced that felt out of my control? How did I respond, and what did I learn?
What role does fate play in my life? Do I resist or trust it? Why?
When has something I perceived as “bad luck” turned out to be a blessing in disguise?
Affirmations:
“I trust the rhythm of life. I embrace the changes it brings.”
“What is meant for me will always find me.”
“Every turn of the wheel brings wisdom, growth, and new opportunity.”
“There is wisdom in every experience.”
Theme Song:
A Change is Gonna Come by Sam Cooke, 1964
About The Author
Patrick is an evolutionary tarot reader specializing in deep, transformative tarot sessions that empower clients to gain clarity, break limiting patterns, and navigate life with confidence. As a lifelong believer that there are no coincidences, he knows firsthand the power of tarot and oracle cards as a north star for your personal growth.
Ready to experience a deeper tarot journey? Book a reading today or explore more articles and resources at: ThatOracleGuy.com
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