The Wheel of Fortune, card 10 of the Major Arcana. Cycles, change, fate, and the turning points that move our lives forward.
This post continues our journey through the Major Arcana, one card at a time. If you have not read the Major Arcana overview yet, that is a good place to start before diving into individual cards. So far, The Fool has stepped into the unknown, The Magician has discovered his tools, The High Priestess has taught us to listen within, The Empress has shown us how to nurture growth, The Emperor has built structure that lasts, The Hierophant has taught us to learn from others, The Lovers asked us to make a choice from the heart, and The Chariot turned that choice into action. Strength showed us the quiet power of a gentle heart, and most recently, The Hermit led us inward to find our own light. Now we arrive at card ten, The Wheel of Fortune, where The Fool comes down from the mountain and discovers that life keeps turning, whether we are ready or not. As always, everything here follows the Rider-Waite tarot.
The Card at a Glance
- Number: 10
- Keywords: Cycles, change, destiny, turning points, good luck, fate, opportunity, timing
- Element: Fire
- Reversed Keywords: Bad luck, resisting change, setbacks, feeling out of control, repeating old patterns
- Yes or No: Yes
What You See in the Card
A large golden orange wheel floats in the middle of a bright blue sky. The wheel is marked with letters around its outer ring and strange symbols on its inner spokes. On top of the wheel sits a blue sphinx holding a sword. A yellow snake slides down the left side of the wheel, and a red figure with the head of a jackal rises up on the right side. In each of the four corners of the card, a winged figure sits in the clouds, reading a book: an angel in the upper left, an eagle in the upper right, a bull in the lower left, and a lion in the lower right.
After the dark, quiet mountaintop of The Hermit, The Wheel of Fortune is full of color and motion. There is no single person at the center of this card. Instead, there is a great turning wheel, with figures riding up and sliding down. At first glance, it looks like a card about luck, good or bad. Look a little longer, and you start to see it is really a card about cycles: the natural rise and fall of life, and learning to find your center while everything around you keeps moving.
The Symbolism, Piece by Piece
The wheel. The wheel is the heart of this card. In Part 10 of my Tarot Symbolism Series on objects, a wheel speaks to cycles, movement, and the passing of time. A wheel has no beginning and no end. It just keeps turning. The seasons change, the moon waxes and wanes, and our lives move through times of plenty and times of struggle. The Wheel of Fortune reminds us that nothing stays the same forever, which is both a warning in good times and a comfort in hard ones.
The center of the wheel. Look closely at the very center of the wheel. The outer rim spins the fastest, while the center barely moves at all. This is one of the most important lessons in the card. If you live only on the outer edge, every turn of fortune will throw you around. If you stay close to your center, the place The Hermit taught you to find, you can stay steady no matter how fast life is turning.
The letters on the wheel. Around the outer ring, the letters T, A, R, and O are placed at four points, with Hebrew letters in between. The Latin letters can be read as TARO, TORA, or ROTA, which means wheel. Many readers see a hidden message in them: the wheel of tarot speaks the law of life. The Hebrew letters spell the sacred name of God, often written as YHVH, which suggests that a higher power is at work in the turning of the wheel.
The inner symbols. On the inner spokes are four alchemical symbols for mercury, sulfur, salt, and water. In alchemy, these were the building blocks used to transform ordinary things into something greater. Their place on the wheel suggests that the ups and downs of life are not random. They are part of a process of transformation, slowly turning us into who we are meant to be.
The sphinx. In Part 5 of my Tarot Symbolism Series on animals, the sphinx is a guardian of wisdom and mystery. You may remember the two sphinxes pulling The Chariot. Here, a single blue sphinx sits calmly at the very top of the wheel, holding a sword. She does not rise or fall. She stays balanced while the wheel turns beneath her. Her sword speaks to clear thinking and fair judgment, a hint of the card that comes next.
The snake. The yellow snake slides down the left side of the wheel. In many traditions, the snake is linked to Typhon, an Egyptian and Greek figure of chaos and destruction. In Part 3 of my Tarot Symbolism Series on direction and body language, movement in a card tells its own story. The snake is going down. It represents the downward turn of the wheel: the losses, endings, and hard times that are a natural part of every cycle.
The jackal-headed figure. Rising up the right side of the wheel is Anubis, the Egyptian guide of souls, shown with the head of a jackal. While the snake falls, Anubis rises. He represents the upward turn of the wheel: recovery, renewal, and the good fortune that follows hard times. Together, the snake and Anubis show us that every fall is followed by a rise, and every rise will one day be followed by a fall.
The four winged figures. In Part 5 of my Tarot Symbolism Series on animals and Part 7 on the four elements, the angel, eagle, bull, and lion represent the four fixed signs of the zodiac, Aquarius, Scorpio, Taurus, and Leo, along with the elements of Air, Water, Earth, and Fire. Here, each one holds an open book. They are still studying and still learning. These same four figures will appear again at the very end of the Major Arcana, but we will save that story for later.
The clouds. In Part 4 of my Tarot Symbolism Series on clouds and weather, clouds often show the meeting place between heaven and earth. The four figures sit in the clouds, and the wheel itself floats in the sky. This reminds us that the forces turning the wheel are bigger than any one person. Some things are simply outside our control.
The colors. In Part 2 of my Tarot Symbolism Series on colors, the golden orange of the wheel speaks to energy, warmth, and movement. The bright blue sky behind it speaks to truth and a wider view. After the gray and darkness of The Hermit, these colors announce that life is moving again.
Why Ten Matters: The Numerology of The Wheel of Fortune
In Part 1 of my Tarot Symbolism Series on numerology, we break larger numbers down by adding their digits together. Ten becomes one plus zero, which equals one. One is the number of new beginnings, action, and fresh starts, and it connects The Wheel of Fortune to The Magician, card one. The zero in ten also connects it to The Fool. Together, they show that the end of one cycle is always the start of another.
Ten is also the number of completion. In the Minor Arcana, the Tens show the very end of each suit’s story. The Ten of Cups shows a happy family under a rainbow, while the Ten of Swords shows a painful ending. Either way, the story has finished, and a new one is about to begin. The Wheel of Fortune carries this same energy. One phase of life is closing, and the wheel is already turning toward the next.
The Wheel of Fortune also marks the halfway point of The Fool’s Journey. In The Hermit, The Fool stepped away from the world to find his own light. Now he comes back down the mountain and discovers that the world has kept turning without him. The second half of the journey begins here, and it will ask him to use everything he learned in the first half.
The Wheel of Fortune Upright
When The Wheel of Fortune appears upright in a reading, it often signals that change is coming, and usually change for the better. This card is known as one of the luckiest cards in the deck. It can point to a sudden opportunity, a lucky break, good timing, or a situation that finally starts moving after a long wait.
The Wheel of Fortune is permission to go with the flow. Some things cannot be forced, planned, or controlled. This card reminds you that life has its own timing, and when the wheel turns in your favor, it is time to say yes and take the opportunity in front of you.
This card can also point to fate, destiny, and karma. You may meet someone who feels meant to be, or see events line up in a way that feels bigger than coincidence. In some readings, The Wheel of Fortune asks you to notice the patterns and cycles in your own life, so you can understand where you are on the wheel right now.
The Wheel of Fortune Reversed
Reversed, The Wheel of Fortune’s energy tends to show up in one of two ways, and your intuition along with the surrounding cards will help you sense which one applies. If you are still getting comfortable with reversals, my post on reading both sides of the card is a good companion to this section.
The first is a downward turn. This is the wheel heading toward the bottom. It can point to a run of bad luck, unexpected setbacks, or a time when things just do not seem to go your way. The good news is that the wheel never stops turning. Hard times are part of the cycle, and they will pass. The reversed Wheel often asks, “What can I learn here before the wheel turns again?”
The second is resisting change. This is the person trying to hold the wheel still. It can point to clinging to a situation that has already run its course, fighting against change that is needed, or repeating the same old patterns over and over again. Sometimes this card asks you to stop pushing against the wheel and let it carry you forward.
The Wheel of Fortune in Love, Career, and Finances
Love
For someone single, The Wheel of Fortune often points to a chance meeting or a connection that feels fated. Love may show up when and where you least expect it. In an existing relationship, it can signal a turning point, such as a new stage together or a positive change that brings you closer. Reversed, it may point to a rough patch, old relationship patterns repeating themselves, or a change that one partner is resisting.
Career
In career readings, The Wheel of Fortune often brings a lucky break: a new job offer, an unexpected promotion, or being in the right place at the right time. It favors taking chances when opportunity knocks. Reversed, it may point to delays, a setback at work, or changes in the workplace that feel out of your control. Remember that even a setback can be the turn of the wheel that leads you somewhere better.
Finances
Financially, The Wheel of Fortune suggests that your money situation is about to change, and upright, the change is usually positive. A windfall, a raise, or an unexpected opportunity may appear. Still, the wheel always turns, so it is wise to save some of your good fortune for leaner times. Reversed, it may caution against gambling, risky choices, or counting on luck instead of planning.
Is The Wheel of Fortune a Yes or No Card?
Upright, The Wheel of Fortune is usually a yes. The timing is on your side, and things are turning in your favor.
Reversed, The Wheel of Fortune leans toward no, or not right now. The timing may not be right yet, but the wheel will turn again.
When The Wheel of Fortune Shows Up in Your Reading
Because The Wheel of Fortune is a Major Arcana card, its appearance signals that change, timing, and fate are playing an important role in your situation. Pay attention to where it lands in a spread. In a past position, it may point to a turning point that changed the direction of your life. In a present position, change is happening now, and it is time to adjust and move with it. In a future or outcome position, a new cycle or a lucky turn is on the way.
Here are a few questions to sit with when The Wheel of Fortune comes up for you:
- Where am I on the wheel right now: rising, falling, or at the top?
- What patterns keep repeating in my life?
- Am I trying to control something that is not mine to control?
- How can I stay close to my center while life keeps turning?
Final Thoughts
The Wheel of Fortune reminds us that life is always moving. After The Hermit teaches us to find our own light in the quiet, The Wheel of Fortune sends us back into a world that keeps turning. Good times and hard times will both come and go. We cannot stop the wheel, but we can choose where we stand on it. When this card appears, it invites you to welcome change, trust the timing of your life, and stay close to your center, so that no matter how the wheel turns, you are still you.
Wondering Which Way the Wheel Is Turning?
If change is in the air and you would like some clarity on what is coming next, I would love to read for you. You can order a tarot card reading by email anytime. Also, please don’t forget to like, comment, share, and subscribe!
Coming Up Next
Next time, we’ll meet Justice, card eleven, and explore truth, fairness, and what it means to take responsibility for our choices.
Has The Wheel of Fortune ever shown up right before your life took a big turn? I’d love to hear about it in the comments.
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Tarot readings are intended for adults age 18 and older and are provided for entertainment and personal reflection. Tarot should not replace professional medical, legal, mental health, or financial advice.
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