The Wheel of Fortune versus The Universe

Today, let’s explore The Wheel of Fortune tarot card. This card has been following me around for the last couple of weeks and I just felt like writing about it this morning. Let’s see what it has to say!

The Wheel of Fortune tarot card from the Rider Waite Smith tarot deck.

The Wheel of Fortune is a kind of toss up, a roll of the dice, a “we’ll just have to wait and see” kind of energy. Some say that if you draw The Wheel of Fortune in a reading upright, you’ll have a stroke of good fortune, while if it’s reversed, your fortunes are on the outs. That seems a bit simplistic to me, but if that works for you, stop reading here and explore no further! You’re either about to strike gold or hit the skids, that’s all that you need to know.

The Wheel of Fortune can be more complicated than that, though. I believe that each tarot card has many meanings which can shift and evolve within the various contexts we find ourselves in during this life. One day a card can mean something very specific and on another day it can be more amorphous or vague. I find the shifting sands of card meanings to be beautiful. If you’d like just one definition that holds true in any situation, that is fine too. We each get to read the tarot cards in our own way that feels intuitively right and resonates within each of us. That’s a privilege I believe we each hold.

If there’s a card that represents these shifting sands of life, it just might be The Wheel of Fortune. Just as sand is blown and shaped by the desert winds, so too are our lives shaped by outside forces, sometimes whimsically and sometimes violently. The wind can shape sand into a graceful dune or whip it up in a blinding sandstorm. A wind can blow us a pleasant day in the park or a tree falling on our car. Everything is possible and equally likely.

The Wheel of Fortune points to the fact that there are things we can control and then there are the things that the Universe hands to us that are out of our control. I’ve heard it said that the Universe is 50% and you are the other 50%. And how does that 50/50 split get divided up? Do we flip a coin and I choose half the time and the Universe chooses the other half? If only! Rather, to me that means that what the Universe hands us is half of the equation and how we respond to it is the other half.

Perhaps that is a bit pessimistic, but for me it tracks. There are so many moments when I look up and think, “Well, how did I get here?” (Tangent, it’s interested how much circular/up and down dancing there is in this video. It could be the official dance of The Wheel of Fortune. Lol.) Life just kind of happens, especially when we’re not paying attention. We wake up one morning and wonder where the time went, or how we got to where we’re at, who made these choices?

The Wheel of Fortune shows up in a reading to let you know- you choose. This is a time when you get to decide how you react, respond, go forward with the cards you’ve been dealt. You’ve been dealt The Wheel because it’s time to remember that these decisions you make do matter. Perhaps the Universe gave you short and pudgy genes so you’ll probably never be an NBA basketball player, but maybe you could decide to be a coach or a sportscaster or a weekend pick up warrior. All roads to basketball are not closed to you. It’s just when you realize that you’ve completely ignored the game, which is something that makes you happy, that you realize that your actions do effect the outcomes of your life, even when it feels like so many things are set in stone by fate. Fate might have made you short, but it’s your choices that decide whether or not you play basketball anyway.

Fate is interesting, but choices are fascinating. How do we know what events are leading towards our best and highest good and what are leading us astray? It is not a matter of pleasurable experiences leading to good and difficult experiences leading to bad. In fact, so often our most trying and horrible circumstances are the ones that put us on our best path forward. Overcoming adversity and persevering through struggle oftentimes leads to our greatest moments of happiness. We grow through being tested. We grow through the process of making choices about how to respond to the whims of the Universe.

So, when you draw The Wheel of Fortune upright it does not mean that fortunate events or circumstances are coming your way in terms of pleasure and enjoyment and nonstop fun. Maybe that will happen, sure, and I hope you enjoy it! But it could also mean that you are on the right path and the Universe is guiding you in a direction that is for your best and highest good. Things may happen that challenge that perception within you, but the Wheel of Fortune is a reminder that even if things get tough, you can come to count these challenges as blessings… eventually.

Likewise, if you draw the card in reverse, it doesn’t mean that bad things are going to happen to you. It could mean that, sure, and perhaps don’t take unreasonable risks right now just to cover your bases. But it can also mean that you’re on the wrong track and you need to take note. The reversed Wheel of Fortune is a sign to reflect, take a good look at what you’re doing with your life, and realize that maybe you are avoiding struggle or indulging excessively in pleasure, instead of actually doing the work you feel has meaning and purpose for your life. It’s a signal to make choices, take action, and hold yourself accountable for your contribution to the creation of your best life. You can’t skip out on your 50% if you want to be in alignment with your values and goals, so don’t waste your time trying.

Where do you think you’re at right now in regards to The Wheel of Fortune? Are you on an upswing or a downswing? What choices are you making in accordance with that belief? How are you taking responsibility for your part in the creation of your best life? It’s an interesting thing to noodle on. So often we just go on autopilot and don’t think about the shape our lives are taking. The Wheel of Fortune is an invitation to ponder, to assess, to take some notes. You can check back in on those notes in six months or a year and notice- did I make choices that aligned with my values and goals? How much farther have I spun on The Wheel? Have fun it!