The Wheel of Fortune
As Depicted by the Rider-Waite Tarot Deck
"[The Wheel] stands for the perpetual motion of a fluidic universe and for the flux of human life… Behind the general notion expressed in the symbol there lies the denial of chance and the fatality which is implied therein." - Arthur Edward Waite
The Divinity
See the sources
→
The Components of 'The Wheel of Fortune'
Waite puts an emphasis on the idea of using cultural symbols without being distracted by their place of origin. Specifically, when describing the use of the Sphynx he says "It is legitimate — as I have intimated — to use Egyptian symbolism when this serves our purpose, provided no theory of origin is implied therein." The sphynx as Waite uses it here represents a wisdom and stability amidst the constant movement of the wheel, balanced despite the constant turning from the balance or imbalance of the fates.
The wheel can easily be seen as a simplistic symbol for the movement of the universe and turning of fates and time. Waite describes it as the fluidic universe and flux of human life when discussing the card. He also states that it by nature implies the fatality that comes with the existence of a higher-order fate. The symbol of a wheel as a marker of fate and the universe or world is a relatively prevalent concept, existing in numerous cultures.
The four figures depicted are referred to by Waite as the "Living Creatures", a name given to four beings in the New Testament of the Christian Bible. A man, a lion, an ox, and an eagle are the four creatures identified in the passage Each figure is represented in a distinct corner of the card. The four living creatures additionally match the description of another being simply called "wheels" in the Bible, aptly relating back to theme of the card.
In an alternative version of the card from a deck commissioned by the Visconti-Sforza family during the fifteenth century the card instead has four distinct inscriptions. In the upper left it bears "I shall rule." At the very top is written "I do rule". Contrastingly, the lower right reads "I have ruled" while the bottom says "I am without rule". Each inscription relates to its placement within the cycle of fortune.