X. The Wheel

Upright

• Gambling, poking at fate.
• History-making events rife with risk and reward, like the California Gold Rush.
• The feeling of "fate" overtaking a person's life, of being directed by something greater. Perhaps huge, powerful forces coming into play.
• A deluge of opportunities combined with uncertainty; a time to pay close attention if gains are to be made.

The wheel may represent something unexpected and extraordinary, an event which sweeps up everyone in its path, and most of the time it cannot be easily or effectively controlled by the people whom it affects. Everything is normal, perhaps banal; people live their lives as usual, until one day something happens. Someone wins the lottery, a new acquaintance or event brings about great unexpected opportunity, or an election or contest is won against great odds.

This card could also represent the force of fate, or the feeling of one's life being directed by something greater. Sometimes it could feel like one is simply along for the ride as things move quickly and take shape seemingly all on their own. The pace of life changes, usually speeding up significantly, as there is significantly more to deal with. Extraordinary things may be happening, but those don't imply that the ordinary, the mundane yet necessary aspects of life, can simply cease.

The Wheel sometimes represents testing fate, playing with unknowns in hopes of a great reward. In such situations the results are largely unpredictable products of mechanisms and designs beyond one's control. While trying to bring about amazing outcomes against odds may seem enticing or romantic, it is important to keep in mind that there are never any guarantees. It is said that fortune favors the bold, but one should also take care to not meet destiny on a road they take to avoid it.

Because The Wheel's meaning is intertwined with the idea of paths and movement through the integrated cosmos, it is a major in the realm of Ether.

Reversed

• Accidents, losing control. (A cart losing control and overturning is reminiscent of the image of an upside-down wheel.)
• Slowly losing control of a situation. Such loss of control need not be instantaneous.
• Vicious cycles which cause deterioration in the long run, and likely won't lead to growth.
• Catastrophes caused by potent or pervasive external factors— the proverbial fates at work for ill.

The Wheel Reversed oftentimes points to something that is out of control, and perhaps even a loss of control, like a driver losing control of a vehicle. Without proper safeguards in place — without proper practices — chaos can win out especially in hectic situations, like those indicated by The Wheel oriented upright.

Such loss of control may not be sudden, as the vehicle metaphor suggests. It may be that too many things are left by the wayside over time, and sometime down the line regaining control becomes either difficult or impossible. Consistently putting off things dwelling repairs could make turn several small annoyances into one large catastrophe.

This reversed card may well carry connotations of greater forces getting involved, just like its upright counterpart, but it's unlikely that all of the hubbub is going to lead anywhere. The proverbial cart may have already turned upside down— the wheel may be freely spinning for naught.