Wheel of Fortune

Wheel of Fortune quick reference

What does the Wheel of Fortune card look like?

A great wheel marked with letters and symbols turns in the sky. A sphinx sits on top, a serpent descends on one side and a figure rises on the other. Winged figures read books in the four corners. A great wheel marked with letters and symbols turns in the sky. A sphinx sits on top, a snake descends and a jackal-headed figure rises. Four winged creatures read books in the corners, linked to the fixed signs.

A large orange wheel floats in a blue sky, marked with the letters T, A, R and O, which can be read as Tarot, Rota (wheel) or Tora (law), and the Hebrew letters for the divine name. Alchemical symbols for mercury, sulphur, water and salt sit on the inner spokes. A blue sphinx with a sword sits on top, a picture of wisdom and balance. A yellow snake descends on the left, often linked with the Egyptian god Typhon and the downward turn of fate. A red jackal-headed figure, Anubis, rises on the right, carrying the wheel upward. In the four corners, an angel, an eagle, a lion and a bull read books, the fixed signs studying their lessons. The wheel keeps turning, and every position on it is temporary.

What number is Wheel of Fortune and where does it sit in the Fool's Journey?

The Wheel of Fortune is number ten, which reduces to one and links it with The Magician: the will that starts things meets the cycles that turn beyond any one person's control. Medieval art often showed Lady Fortune turning a wheel with kings rising and falling on it, and early tarot decks used that image. Waite and Smith replaced the human figures with symbolic creatures and Hebrew letters, making the card about cosmic cycles rather than personal luck.

The Wheel is number ten, completion and a new cycle.

After solitude, the traveler sees life's larger cycles.

Keep an eye on Jupiter, the planet of growth and expansion. Jupiter energy favors new opportunities and a wider view.

What does the Wheel of Fortune mean upright?

The Wheel of Fortune is about cycles and turning points. Life moves, and this card suggests that a shift is underway. Upright, the card calls on you to work with change rather than against it.

The Wheel of Fortune is full of symbols: the sphinx at the top, a snake descending, the jackal-headed Anubis rising and the four creatures of the fixed signs reading books in the corners. The letters around the wheel spell TARO and the divine name, which Waite described as a key to the cards. The card speaks about cycles and change beyond your control.

What does the Wheel of Fortune reversed mean?

Reversed, the Wheel can show resisting change or feeling caught in a repeating loop. It asks what pattern you keep meeting and what you could do differently.

Reversed, the wheel feels stuck or turns against you. You may resist change or feel unlucky. The reversal asks what you can control.

Blocked or internalized: two ways to read the Wheel of Fortune reversed

When the energy is blocked

The Wheel reversed shows a run of bad luck or delays. Circumstances feel stuck or unfair, and it is hard to see the next turn.

When the energy is turned inward

The reversal hints at resisting change or repeating the same pattern. Breaking the cycle may require doing something different.

What does the Wheel of Fortune mean in love?

The Wheel can mark a turning point, a fated-feeling meeting or a new chapter in a relationship.

If you are single

The Wheel suggests a lucky turn.

If you are in a relationship

The Wheel points to a new phase.

If you are hoping to reconcile

The Wheel suggests timing matters. A chance reconnection may come, but whether it lasts depends on what both people have learned since the last turn.

What does the Wheel of Fortune mean as feelings?

The Wheel suggests feelings in motion, often a sense of destiny or surprise.

What does the Wheel of Fortune mean for career?

The Wheel can show a change in role, timing or opportunity. Stay flexible.

If you are job hunting

The Wheel can bring unexpected openings. Keep your options open, follow up on chance connections and stay flexible about where the right role might appear.

In your current role

Picture change in the organization, a new manager or a shift in your responsibilities. Adaptability helps.

In creative work

The Wheel favors experimenting and following happy accidents. A chance idea could become the heart of the project.

What does the Wheel of Fortune mean for money?

The Wheel is a reminder that circumstances shift; build some steadiness for both ups and downs.

Is the Wheel of Fortune a yes or no card?

Yes The Wheel leans yes because fortune is turning in your favor. Reversed, maybe.

What is the Wheel of Fortune advice?

Notice the cycle you are in, and move with it.

What does the Wheel of Fortune mean in past, present and future positions?

In the past position

The Wheel can point to a turning point you did not plan, such as a chance meeting, a sudden opportunity or a change in circumstances that moved your life in a new direction.

In the present position

The card suggests that things are in motion. Some of it is out of your hands. Focus on how you respond, and be ready to move with the turn.

In the future or outcome position

The Wheel points to change and a new cycle. Many readers see it as a hopeful turn, while remembering that cycles rise and fall.

What is a common misreading of the Wheel of Fortune?

The Wheel is not only luck. It is about cycles and how you respond.

Example readings with the Wheel of Fortune

Lia asks, "Will things improve?" She draws the Wheel. The turning wheel suggests change. She prepares for it.

A woman asks why her plans keep changing. Out come the Wheel of Fortune, the Two of Pentacles and the Seven of Pentacles. The combined message is a season of change, a need for flexibility and the value of patience while results grow. The question to sit with: what part of this cycle can I influence?

How does the Wheel of Fortune read next to other cards in a spread?

• Next to The Hanged Man, the card shows timing out of your control and the need to wait.
• With the Ten of Pentacles, a family cycle or legacy is turning.
• Beside the Eight of Wands, change moves quickly.
• With The World, a cycle completes and another begins.
• Paired with the Five of Pentacles, the card can show that a hard turn is temporary.

What does the Wheel of Fortune mean with other cards?

• 
  Wheel of Fortune + The World

  Completion.

• 
  Wheel of Fortune + The Tower

  Sudden change.

• 
  Wheel of Fortune + Eight of Wands

  Fast change.

Crystal and reflection prompt for the Wheel of Fortune

Green aventurine Green aventurine is popularly associated with luck and openness to opportunity, a fit for a card about turning fortunes.

What pattern keeps returning in my life, and what is it asking of me?

Journaling prompts for the Wheel of Fortune

• What pattern keeps returning in my life, and what is it asking of me?
• Look at the turning wheel and its four winged figures. Where in my own life do I see something like it right now?
• What would one more ounce of cycles change for me today?
• Is there a part of me that leans toward repeating patterns? What does it need?
• If Wheel of Fortune were a chapter title in my life story, what would the chapter be about?

More on the Wheel of Fortune

• Wheel of Fortune and Justice
• Wheel of Fortune and The Star
• Tarot and the zodiac
• Crystals for the Major Arcana cards

Wheel of Fortune FAQs

What does the Wheel of Fortune mean in love?

Think of a turning point.

Is the Wheel of Fortune a yes or no card?

The Wheel of Fortune sits on the side of yes.

What does the Wheel of Fortune reversed mean?

In reverse, look for resistance or bad luck.

What do the four creatures mean?

They are linked to the fixed signs.

Does the Wheel mean luck?

Pay attention to luck and cycles.

Is the Wheel of Fortune a yes or no card?

Mostly, the Wheel of Fortune says yes with change.

What zodiac sign is the Wheel of Fortune?

It is linked with Jupiter.

What does the Wheel of Fortune mean as feelings?

Your person may feel that the connection is fated or unexpected.

What does the Wheel of Fortune mean in love?

Consider change, timing and a new chapter.

What does the Wheel of Fortune reversed mean?

Pay attention to delays, setbacks or resisting change.

What does the Wheel of Fortune mean for career?

Think of unexpected opportunities, changes at work or a turning point in your career path.