Card of the Week: Wheel of Fortune
“ Life is in different stages. Every stage of life is the foundation for the next stage. Every stage of life must be fully-lived.”
- Lailah Gifty Akita
It was the Wheel of Fortune that clung to me so strongly when I first began reading tarot. I couldn't pull more than five cards without it falling out. Now, almost two years later, I know it's because I needed to hear that message almost every day because it was not clicking. "The Wheel of Fortune" is derived from the term " Wheel of the Year."
The Wheel of Fortune speaks to the uncertainty and course of life. You have no idea where you will land when you spin a wheel, all you know is that you will land somewhere.
If you have a spot on the wheel, you are alive or you once were. Whether you are on top or on the bottom of the wheel, you should be grateful to be anywhere at all. You won't always be where you are right now, as this card reminds you. In many decks, there are winged creatures in the four corners. These are the bull, lion, man, and eagle symbolizing fixed signs in Astrology, Taurus, Leo, Aquarius, and Scorpio. Despite the fact that things change all the time, fixed signs remind us that we can become fixated on one specific place or idea. The goal is to not spend your whole life trying to land on that one spot and end up ignoring everything else.
This card is also a sign that you can expect something that feels like a miracle from above! Lastly, “ The Wheel of Fortune is a reminder that every period of intense activity must be followed by a restful time of inactivity (Alexander and Shannon 65).”
Upright
Past: Circumstances in your life could have felt left up to chance in the past. You were probably going with the flow and releasing control from situations in your life. Due to this, you saw things just fall into place for you. You could have unexpectedly lost some friends, a job, or a relationship that was no longer good for you. You could have also come into some material fortune. Whatever shifted in your life in the past was for the better and took out the stagnation you could have been feeling.
Present: You have very recently got the ball rolling with something in your life. This could be anything and can be clarified by pulling another card. Whatever you started is divinely guided and all you have to do is go with the flow. Try to hold back the urge to interfere and control matters right now.
Ex. You just quit your job to pursue entrepreneurship and you are beginning to have doubts and question if you should go back to your 9-5. If you pull this card, your guides are asking that you learn to trust the process. Every step of it not just the ones that make sense to you.
Future: If life has been feeling stagnant and stale expect a push in the right direction. Things will be getting more interesting just remember that divine work is at play and everything is fated to happen. If you are someone who needs to know exactly what is going to happen and when then this time period may prove to be a little difficult. It is best to release expectations now and allow destiny to do its thing. Lastly, if you feel life has been hard on you expect a change in the right direction. It’s going to feel like God is shining down on you and you only.
Reversed
*Disclaimer: Reading tarot cards in reverse is totally up to the reader. There are many who choose not to. There is no right way to do it; go with your intuition. For some readers, a reverse means that the energy of that card cannot manifest into reality due to a block. So if you are someone who chooses to not read reversed cards you may skip this part, however, if you are that reader, keep reading!
Remember to always be authentic with your spiritual practices.*
When the Wheel of Fortune comes out reversed, you are rejecting change and causing stagnancy. If you have been feeling anxious, irritable, and bored it is due to you not relinquishing control. I always like to say if humans actually were allowed to control the ins and outs of our lives, we would be so bored and over everything 10x faster. The fact of the matter is there are things beyond our control, you can either let that scare you or reassure you. This card is telling you to surrender and go with the flow.
If you know what you want but are unsure of what to do, ask your guides, and pull another card. Simply put stop cock-blocking your own blessings. It’s time.
Advice
When this card comes out it is a reminder that things are in fact moving and changing even if you cannot see. You are being guided to surrender to divine intervention and timing.
Allow good things to happen to you. You should not doubt or question the blessing of money if it comes your way legally. In the same way, we expect things to go wrong we also have to expect things to go right. The Wheel of Fortune is about accepting life's highs, lows, and in-betweens and not running from them. There are some people who spend their whole life resisting change only to wake up one day living a life they don’t feel connected to. Don’t be this person. Change intentionally and if you can’t do that at least be aware that it’s happening whether you like it or not.
If you have been lacking commitment to certain matters in your life it’s time to get serious and dedicated. The universe will not give what you are not prepared to receive. If you do get it, it's going to be a lesson attached and still might end up losing it.
-Symone Smith, @aquapriestess
Work Cited
Alexander, Skye, and Mary Shannon. The Only Tarot Book You'll Ever Need. 1st ed., vol. 1, Avon, Adams Media, 2019. 1 vols.