A great wheel turns suspended among the clouds. Around its rim run the letters T-A-R-O and, between them, the divine name in Hebrew; on its spokes sit the alchemical signs for mercury, sulfur, water and salt. A sphinx with a sword crowns it, a serpent slides down one side and Anubis rises up the other. In the corners, four winged creatures read their books. Wheel of Fortune is the energy of change that arrives without asking permission: the cycle that turns and begins again.
Symbolism
- The wheel and its letters: TARO, ROTA, TORA; a law that turns and can be read from any point; fate as motion, not as sentence.
- The sphinx, the serpent and Anubis: what stays balanced on top, what falls and what rises again; the three phases of every cycle.
- The four winged creatures: the angel, the eagle, the lion and the bull; the fixed signs Aquarius, Scorpio, Leo and Taurus, the stable amid the changing.
- The alchemical symbols: the elements that make up every transformation; nothing changes without passing through them.
- Correspondences: planet Jupiter; Hebrew letter Kaph (Golden Dawn).
Upright meaning
Upright, the Wheel announces a favorable turn: unexpected opportunities, strokes of luck, the end of a rough patch or a change brought by forces larger than your will. It speaks of synchronicity, of karma resolving and of circumstances starting to line up. When it appears, the querent stands at a turning point; the task is not to control the spin but to climb aboard with an open mind.
Reversed meaning
Reversed, the wheel jams or turns against you. It can indicate resistance to change, a run of bad luck, delays or patterns that repeat because the lesson has not yet been learned. It also warns against blaming luck for what depends on your own decisions. This is not a sentence: it shows you clinging to a spoke while the wheel keeps turning. Letting go is what allows the cycle to move on.
In love
Upright, it speaks of encounters that feel destined, of reunions, of a relationship entering a new phase or of a fortunate turn after a hard stretch. For someone single, it announces that something is shifting. Reversed, it points to relationships that replay the same conflicts, a partner who resists growing or the sense that love comes and goes beyond your control. Ask yourself which pattern you keep repeating.
In work and money
Upright, it brings sudden opportunities, favorable job changes, financial improvement and a lucky streak worth seizing quickly. It favors those who adapt and take sensible risks. With money, it can indicate unexpected gains, but it also reminds you that what goes up comes down: set something aside for the next turn. Reversed, it warns of losses from the unforeseen, stalled projects or betting more than you can afford to lose.
The card’s advice
Flow with the turn instead of fighting it. Do not cling to what is ending or fear what is beginning; every revolution brings a new perspective. The only thing in your hands is how you climb onto the wheel and what you do while it spins.
If the Wheel of Fortune has started turning in your life, draw your cards with Goetia and discover where this cycle is taking you.
Related cards
- Previous card: The Hermit IX – Major Arcana
- Next card: Justice XI – Major Arcana
- All tarot cards
