The Wheel, Judgment, Justice, the Moon… These were the last cards of the tarot to make sense to me.
And, I’ll admit, I still struggle sometimes.
So when DePaul University’s Tarot Project asked me to design a card and assigned me the Wheel of Fortune, I grumbled. Why couldn’t I have gotten a good card, like the Lovers?
Then I remembered that my theme song is David Bowie’s Changes. And if there’s one card that is the harbinger of change, it’s the Wheel.
The Wheel card has enough imagery and symbols on it to make my head spin. (See what I did there?)
A sphinx. And not just any old sphinx, one holding a sword. A demon. A snake. The alchemical symbols representing the elements, air, fire, water, and earth. The Hebrew letters for Yahweh. Plus T-O-R-A. Or is that R-O-T-A, as in wheel? Or T-A-R-O? An angel, an eagle, a lion, and a bull reading books, all surrounded by big puffy clouds…
What the hell?
The Wheel represents cycles. Everything in the Universe has a cycle of change, of growth, of birth and death. Sometimes the turning is positive and beneficial, other times it’s not. But only one thing remains constant—change.
When we feel like we’re caught in a tornado, it’s natural to want to do whatever we can to get out of it. But a powerful storm is felt for miles. Instead, if we can find the center of it, the eye, we’ll have found the calmest spot. The outside of the wheel moves much more than where the axle is. Being a part of the changes, not looking to run from them, while not allowing them to upset us too much is the key.
If you pull this card when doing a reading on an important question, remember that even seemingly negative events can bring about positive change. Stay open and adaptable. Let life flow. Let it go.
If the Wheel card comes up as your card of the day, try something different. Look for something new to learn. Take a chance. Chances are you’ll find it’s your lucky day