Major Arcana Tarot Cards – The Wheel of Fortune
The cards of the Tarot work on the basis that we all have a responsibility to our own lives and the lives of others. The pictures reflect aspects of our psyches and the larger forces at play around and within us. Often used as a tool to heighten self-awareness, the cards do not offer a glimpse into the future, but help us to understand our places in the Grand Scheme of Things. However, there is one card in the deck that seems to fly in the face of all those concepts.
Rhyme and Reason
The Wheel of Fortune reminds us that the unexpected can happen. Regardless of the work we put in to ensure that we are up to scratch in the Responsibility Department, there are events that occur without any apparent rhyme or reason. The picture shows a couple dressed in elegant robes, raising golden chalices, as if in toast, and wearing crowns. These noble-looking figures are seated atop a giant wheel, which operated by an even bigger, otherworldly hand. In front of the wheel, a pair of legs can be seen exiting the frame, as though they have been cast from the Wheel in one of its revolutions.
All Things Must Pass
The Wheel represents Fortune and the seeker is symbolized by the couple on top of it. Usually, this card will signify a random piece of good luck, one to be enjoyed and celebrated. However, this good fortune does not come without its consequences; just as the couple have reached their peak, someone else is down on their luck. This image serves to remind us that, while we may be enjoying our good luck, it may be that someone else is ‘’down at heel’, perhaps as a direct result. The message is that, while we should enjoy the good times given to us, it should not be without thought for others. In addition, the hand cranking the Wheel serves as a reminder that the Wheel of Fortune is always spinning and that, while it may be your turn to celebrate right now, it will be someone else’s very soon; all things must pass – even good luck.