Tarot Cards - Major Arcana - Wheel Of Fortune - 10
REVERSED: Bad luck, resistance to change, breaking cycles
WHEEL OF FORTUNE DESCRIPTION
The Wheel of Fortune card shows a giant wheel, with three figures on the outer edges. Four Hebrew letters – YHVH (Yod Heh Vau Heh), the unpronounceable name of God – are inscribed on the wheel’s face. There are also the letters TORA, thought to be a version of the word Torah, meaning ‘law’, or TAROT, or even ROTA (Latin for ‘wheel’). The middle wheel has the alchemical symbols for mercury, sulphur, water and salt – the building blocks of life and the four elements – and represents formative power.
On the outer circle is a snake, the Egyptian god Typhon (the god of evil), descending on the left side. The snake also represents the life force plunging into the material world. On the right side rises the Anubis, the Egyptian God of the dead who welcomes souls to the underworld. And on top of the wheel sits the Sphinx, representing knowledge and strength.
In the corners of the Wheel of Fortune card are four winged creatures, each associated with the four fixed signs of the Zodiac: the angel is Aquarius, the eagle is Scorpio, the lion is Leo, and the bull is Taurus. Their wings signify stability amidst movement and change, and each holds the Torah, representing wisdom.
Reversed Meaning
Keywords (Reversed): Bad luck, resistance to change, breaking cycles, setbacks, clinging to control.
When the Wheel of Fortune appears reversed, the cyclical rotation of fate seems to bring unexpected downturns, delays, and friction. Plans may be disrupted by circumstances entirely outside your control. The primary danger here is resisting the inevitable turning of the wheel, desperately clinging to outdated circumstances or wallowing in a victim mindset.
In practical matters, this reversal reminds you that winter must precede spring. Setbacks are not permanent curses; they are invitations to break repetitive karmic loops.
Guidance & Remedy: Release what you cannot control. Center yourself at the immovable hub of the wheel rather than clinging to its spinning rim. Adapt swiftly to change.
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