The Wheel of Fortune

wheel of fortune tarot card meaning
Rider Waite Tarot by US Games Systems, Inc.

The Wheel of Fortune Tarot card meaning: Cycles, change, ups and downs of life, good luck.

The Wheel of Fortune reminds you that life is constantly in flux. The world turns around and around and similarly, we too go through phases and cycles so that there are times of plenty and joy and times of scarcity and sadness.

The Wheel of Fortune typically represents circumstances in the physical, outer world (as opposed to the inner, spiritual world). The wisdom of this Tarot card is not to base your happiness solely on outer circumstances. The Wheel of Fortune Tarot card challenges you to go deeper. The more centered you are on this wheel, the less effected you will be by life changes.

 The Wheel of Fortune often foretells a stroke of luck, appearing when things are on the upswing. Yet it encourages you to get centered within yourself and detach from the worldly drama and desire for material objects and social status, so that you do not feel pulled in all directions as you move through life. This is when true wisdom and joy arise.

When:

  • There is a turn of events in your life and luck is on your side!
  • Things are changing and shifting and you are feeling excited, yet stressed
  • It is important for you to stay true to yourself and not get lost in life’s dramas

Inquiry:

  • What does being “centered” mean to you? How can you do this?
  • What stage of the wheel are you in right now?
  • How can you make the most of this time?

Action:

  • Make a note of the things that tend to pull you out of yourself (anything that makes you feel anxiety, fear, anger, distraction)
  • Practice breathing and grounding exercises to stay calm and centered
  • Take a risk! Luck is on your side.

12 thoughts on “The Wheel of Fortune”

  1. I found this page as I’m attempting to make my own tarot deck based on a game I’ve recently discovered. This page, as well as the list of the meanings of all cards, has been very useful. Thank you for making this page!

    Off the topic of the page though, I have a question. I’m feeling stuck between religions. I’m a devout Christian, but at the same time I believe in much of the pagan beliefs. Does that make sense?

    1. I am the same way too…but as I’ve gotten older and learned more about the other religions and ways of life I realized its kind of all the same…but as long as we have a path and a higher power to answer to, it doesn’t matter and what we do to connect to that higher power is our choice and our choice alone. For me, I don’t really feel the need to go to church, but often times I feel like I need to sit down with my cards and have a conversation with my higher power, and that’s okay. It might be different for you, it may not. 🙂 I feel like as long as you have your moral compass, and it does not harm to others, whatever you feel like you need to do to connect and better yourself, is what you need to do. I apologize, I kind of ranted there. Take it with a grain of salt, but I hope this helped at little bit.

  2. Hi Kate! Thank you so much for the article. It really helped me to grasp the idea of the card. The Wheel of Fortune can be a bit tricky one to read (especially if you´re reading for yourself…), but this really helped!

    Best wishes from a fan of yours from Finland 🙂

  3. I just got a deck of tarot cards called the wheel of. fortune. it has 78 card. some have the meaning on the . then there are some with cups some with bats like a base ball bat. some with scoreds and they have numbers in the corner what are they for how do I use them? No meaning on them ?

    1. Hi Char,
      I think maybe you are referring to the minor arcana cards, which just have a number on them, no words. I suggest you get a good book on Tarot and read it – that will clear things up for you and really help you understand your cards. A book I recommend is Learning the Tarot by Joan Bunning or A Magical Course in Tarot by Michele Morgan.
      Good luck!
      Kate

  4. Just stumbled upon this website (through one of your youtube videos) today, and I’m so glad I found it.

    I am definitely a beginner so when this card came up for me today and I read its meaning elsewhere, I didn’t fully understand it. Reading its meaning HERE, I actually started to tear up because it just speaks to me so much right now… nothing could be more on point. THANK YOU for this. I have yet to really explore the website further, but I love the When / Inquiry / Action points you have listed, along with the meanings. I am hoping to use Tarot as a meditation technique because it seems I have had difficulty connecting with my true self for a long time now…

    Really looking forward to starting my own “Tarot Journal” now too… thanks for all the wonderful ideas, so helpful 🙂

    1. Welcome, Heidi! So glad you’ve found my site 🙂 And that’s great to hear your getting into Tarot to connect to your deeper self. Thank you for letting me know how much my Tarot meanings have helped you and best of luck on your Tarot journeys – I hope you come back to my site many times!!

      Hugs,
      Kate

  5. There are times that I feel so empty inside as if nothing matter. I was born with life path 8 and Karmic debts 13 and 19. I am trying my best, but there are times, I feel that on one hears me.

    Sadness can wash over me at any given time for no reason. I am a hard worker but right now I have Neptune and Pluto going through my houses

    1. Lelia, I feel that way too sometimes and I think it’s just part of being human. It’s important to find a way to nurture yourself when you feel this way – I find meditation, writing and drawing works for me and finding a good counsellor has also helped me quite a bit.
      It’s best not to try to ignore the feeling or distract yourself, but to just be with it and observe it and notice what it’s all about.

      Best of luck, Lelia,
      Hugs,
      Kate

    2. Hello Lelia, I just stumbled upon Kate’s website. I think she is great and very insightful. I was reading your post and it reminded me how I used to feel. One person that has helped me tremendously is Byron Katie, she has many videos on YouTube discussing different topics, but all topics have the same underlining …. “Our thoughts and perception” and how they affect our lives. Byron has develop a system called “The Work” … It is all Free on her website…. You may find it life changing if you give it a chance.
      Best of Luck
      Alicia.

      1. Alicia, I agree! Byron Katie’s work has helped me as well and I’m always printing out the worksheets from her site. I have a couple of her books and I refer to them often. I find my life is so much more peaceful and happy when I use her 4 step process 🙂

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