The Wheel of Fortune is Number 10 of the Major Arcana of the Tarot. It is the 10th archetype to embody while on the Behold Arcana Art and Spiritual path.
The Wheel of Fortune, or simply "The Wheel" for short, represents change, renewal and cycles of nature. The king may sit at the top of the wheel, but as the wheel turns, they can be crushed at the bottom. Nature is constantly in flux expanding and contracting.
The Wheel of Fortune is the 10th archetype and the first of the major arcana that is not based on a personification. Instead the Wheel is more of a concept of nature and about cycles of living beings. Another way to interpret The Wheel is to see it as the 2nd level of the Empress Archetype. It is Divine Feminine beyond duality of male and female. It is the cycle of life itself, of birth and death, loving and letting go.
While embodying this archetype, I have added breath work to something I call: The Divso Salute. It's a way to connect to my higher self, and the divine life force to gain more awareness, access deeper wisdom, and feel the presence of God. I become present to the divine witnessing me and wanting what is best for me. The full salute involves touching my third eye with 2 fingers, then pointing directly upward to the divine. This is followed by conscious and intentional breathing.
Breath 1: For me.
Breath 2: For the divine.
Breath 3: For You.
Breath 4: For Everyone. (optional).
From there I act with the highest integrity available to me. If I need to complete something challenging, I face up to it and work through it.
Part of being present to cycles is recognizing the importance of completing things or bringing them to an end if they are becoming a burden or waste of energy. When things are completed, it allows the benefits to be rewarded, and create more space for expansion.
In the drawing I did representing The Wheel of Fortune, I added civil unrest, protestors and a damaged government with military protection in the bottom left corner. A challenging aspect of a cycle is when it is coming to an end, especially if it is a broken cycle. This is characterized by sorrow and loss. When individuals with power and wealth become corrupt, greedy and destructive, it leads to a broken cycle ending. It is happening now in the USA as corruption from oligarchs buying political power and media corporations. In this cycle we are all being called to rise up and work together to re-build a more sustainable system of people living in harmony with the Earth. It is where we can head towards if we all have a vision for a sustainable future, and are in tune with The Wheel of Fortune Wisdom. It is how we gain true wealth and prosperity.
The circular wheel is also a symbol of equality and harmony. We may have different wealth or social status at different times in our lives, but we are all in a state of change on the cycle of beginning middle and end. In the beginning and the end we are all the same. A round table helps symbolize this equality by not having anyone at the head of the table. If we all work together in harmony with the Earth, we naturally manifest an eco-utopia. This is what I drew in the bottom right of the artwork.
Traditionally many cultures would do a ceremony in the fall to symbolically sacrifice the king to acknowledge the cycle of change. It's an opportunity to let go of the past and prepare for what is coming next. Burning man is an example of this kind of celebration and ceremony which I attended in 2024 at BRC Post Office 9. Everyone gets together to trade and learn from each other. The culmination of the event is when a wood man being burned followed by a wood temple burn. These are sacrifices and symbolic for the temporary nature of beautiful, power, money and things. We are able to collectively let go of old ways of being and old power structures. This allows for new power that is in harmony with nature and the current needs of an individual or society.
One way to move energy in the body is to circulate it while in what is referred to by Taoists as the Microcosmic Orbit. This can be done as part of a morning meditation routine but also when energy arises in the body. This also helps clear any energetic blockages by making them easier to feel. In The Lovers Archetype Drawing, it was represented in the subtle counter-clockwise rotation caused by the movement of energy from positive to negative and then from negative to positive. When there is no blockages, it is easier to feel optimistic, joyful and positive about situations. This is when love can flow freely to and from others.
Studying The Microcosmic Orbit while embodying The Empress and Emperor Archetype is ideal. It is also in alignment with The Lover's Archetype. In particular the practice of Circulating Energy in a Microcosmic Orbit between 2 people of opposite polarities. When done in a ritualistic setting, and with the purpose of personal growth and manifestation, this can lead to sex magic, mixing blissful states with purpose, embodyment, intention and manifestation.
There are several positions 2 partners can be in for a partner microcosmic orbit session. The most basic is back to back is a seated position. Yet it is more commonly done in Yab Yum tantric position. The 2 partners breathe at the same rate while moving energy around their bodies. a figure 8 could be drawn from the 2 energetic circles that are generated.
It will be helpful to have guided music. Turn on breath work such as: Beholdify:
The Wheel of Fortune is Empress Archetype Energy, as they align vertically. You could see it as the 2nd level of the The Empress. It is partnered with the next card: Justice Archetype.
