Tarot Discussion Group, Card of the Week.
Wheel of Fortune

The spread I posted the other day, made me think that the wheel might be a good card for this week. I have in front of me at this very moment 4 images of the wheel. It is simply amazing the variety of interpretations artists have found for the symbol.

The Tarot of Marseilles depicts a wheel with 3 animals riding it around. The animal on the top wears a crown, and bears a sword. Like a mockery of a king, he is I think a warning and a reminder. "For What is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul." Matthew 16:26 The Marseilles wheel is the wheel of Karma, and as such it is a warning that each time we come back, and ride the wheel we risk loosing our humanity and becoming one of the ridiculous creatures depicted trapped forever on the wheel and in the material world. The Path, by Whitley Striber explores this vision in great detail. Along with a profound vision of a Tree of Life Mandala created by the Trumps of the Tarot of Marseilles. The book is profusely illustrated and a personal copy of the deck is not needed to read the text. I read the book the first time through in one sitting, which is unheard of with me. I highly recommend it to your attention.

The Robin Wood deck depicts a wheel with various images of a woman drawn in between the spokes, as she goes from Joyous to grief. I see this card more as a Homage to Fortuna than a depiction of the Karmic Wheel of the Marseilles deck. And this I think is the basic tension of the card. Some readers see the wheel as very positive, auspicious card. Promising the favor of chance. Others see it as a warning against allowing oneself to get caught up in the ups and downs of material life, a cosmic nudge to step back and view life with more perspective.

The Gendron deck depicts a woman I take to be Fortuna, it also depicts the wheel as a spiders web. As the spider weaves the web of fate. Yet a spider is ultimately a predatory and voracious thing and the card must be seen, in part, as a warning against staying on the Karmic wheel as well.

The last card I am looking at is the Rider Waite Wheel. The card is the most densely packed with symbolism of any card I am aware of myself. The Angel, the Lion, the Bull, and the Eagle are both symbols of the zodiac. Aquarius, Scorpio, Leo and Taurus and Angels. Raphael, Gabriel Michael and Uriel. Riding on the wheel itself are a Sphinx, Anubis, and Typhon a god of destruction depicted by the snake. I see this as card as not only a warning about riding the wheel like the Egyptian symbols shown. Yet offering a way off the wheel, the Astrological symbols remind us that as above, so below. So Astrology, (and Tarot) offer a vision above the wheel to guide us to enlightenment. The figures are shown are carefully chosen, by depicting symbols that have both Astrological Relevance and Relevance to the Old Testament, the card makes it clear Astrology is not in conflict with religion. Instead both, remind us there is a perspective beyond materialism, beyond riding around on the Karmic wheel through eternity.

The Wheel being a card so steeped in symbols, I think it underlines the importance to take a deep breath before beginning a reading. To pause and look at the cards in juxtaposition to determine which symbols are most important to a given reading. The Card as the Goddess Fortuna or as the Karmic Wheel. The age of the Querent may also play an important role. Meditating before sitting down to write this piece I thought about my daughter. She is still quite young, just 19. Watching her struggle with her love relations the last few years has been a lesson. Her highs are so glorious, her lows so crushing. It seems impossible I was ever so tied to the wheel myself. Yet I know I was at her age. It is appropriate I view life with some perspective at my age. She however is still getting some mileage on her. I can tell her things are not so bad when she is coping with a breakup, but thats not always on, after all, we may be in the same room, but we are separated by 20 years on the road.

Divination: Poise, Balance in the midst of Change, Ability to flow with the tides of life. Perspective, ability to see the karmic wheel and thus remove oneself from it. The Dance of Life. Unexpected good fortune.

Reversed:Attachment to Material things, binds the Q. to the Karmic Wheel. Lack of Perspective, Misfortune, The Unexpected intrudes on the Q.s best laid plans.

Please click on the Tarot Home link, to access a list of all card essays currently online. Please share your thoughts I look forward to your replies in the group.