Wheel of Fortune

命运之轮

Major ArcanaFireJupiter

A great wheel turns in the sky, inscribed with the letters T-A-R-O (or R-O-T-A, the Latin word for wheel) and the alchemical symbols for mercury, sulfur, water, and salt. Three figures cling to the wheel: a serpent descending on the left (the Egyptian god Set, representing evil), Anubis rising on the right (representing wisdom and resurrection), and a sphinx at the top holding a sword of discernment. In the four corners, four winged creatures read books — the angel, eagle, lion, and bull of the four fixed zodiac signs. The Wheel of Fortune represents the eternal cycle of change — the understanding that nothing in life is permanent. Fortune rises and falls, seasons change, and what seems like disaster may be the turning point toward something better. This card teaches acceptance of life's natural rhythms and the wisdom to know that this too shall pass.