Wheel of Fortune

A Tarot card.

Rider Waite deck
The Wheel Of Fortune card shows an eight spoked wheel of the goddess Fortuna. The letters T-A-R-O are aligned against four of the spokes, which can also be interpreted as R-O-T-A, the Latin word meaning "wheel". The wheel is also inscribed with additional alchemical symbols representing the four elements: Earth, Air, Fire and Water (which are also said to be represented throughout the Tarot by the four 'suits' of Pentacles, Swords, Wands and Cups respectively). These emblems can also be seen on the Magician's table in the Magician card.

There are also four winged creatures in the corners of the card, representing the symbols of the four Evangelists (The Lion, the Ox, the Man and the Eagle). These four Evengelists are also represented by the four fixed astrological signs: Leo, Taurus, Aquarius and Scorpio. In addition a representation of the god Anubis is seen rising with the wheel on the right side, while the snake-like Typhon descends on the left. On the wheel, alternating with the letters T-A-R-O are the Hebrew letters י-ה-ו-ה, usually transliterated as YHWH (Yahweh), the name of the god of Israel.

Meanings
rotation, cycles, wealth and poverty

Sacrifice all reason to chance and submit personal desires to the random objective goodwill of the world.

Reversed Meaning
Bad luck, ill fortune.

Correspondences

 * Links Chesed to Netzach as path number 21 of the Tree of Life
 * Yetziratic Intelligence - the Rewarding intelligence
 * Organic Time - Ancient Civilizations The development of humans culture into the first governing civilizations of the past. Each of these civilizations evolved according to the elements of their environments. As they grew, they fell, and grew again, and fell again. Examples include Mesopotamia, the Maya, the dynasties of Ancient Egypt and Ancient China.