Wheel of Fortune as a Person (Upright & Reversed) Tarot Card Meaning

The Wheel of Fortune is the card of luck, karma, and life cycles. A giant wheel turns, showing that life is cyclical. What comes up must come down, and what is down will soon be on its way up. In the corners of the Wheel of Fortune are four winged creatures, each corresponding with the four fixed signs of the Zodiac: Aquarius as the angel, Scorpio as the eagle, Leo as the lion, and Taurus as the bull. Though life turns, there is always stability and wisdom amidst the movement. 

The Wheel of Fortune is a reminder that the wheel of life and love is always turning. Life is constantly changing. If you are going through a hard time now, know that you may be at the bottom of a cycle. Similarly, if things are going well for you, appreciate what you have at this moment. Practice loving kindness, no matter what. As the saying says, “What goes around, comes around.” 

Upright Wheel of Fortune as a Person

If the Wheel of Fortune appears in a Tarot spread as a person, that means that this person is a very happy-go-lucky person. It is astrologically associated with the jovial, humorous Jupiter. Because Jupiter carries a masculine energy, this card carries an active, assertive energy. We all have a little bit of both energies expressed in a balanced way, regardless of which gender we identify as. Because this is a Major Arcana card, some of these defining traits make up a major part of their identity. So, for example, being a cheerful person will play a major role in who they are, or how they view themselves. Note that they may not reveal this side to you at the beginning stages of your relationship, to others, or ever.

For physical characteristics, the Wheel of Fortune as a person represents someone who is Jupiterian and an eclectic mix of the fixed signs. Their individual style is like no other. Jupiter is astrologically associated with international and long-distance travel. This is the type of person who will track down their heritage, learn all about their ancestors, and incorporate their ancestorsʼ culture into their personal style. They will be flamboyant like a Leo, luxurious and value-centered like a Taurus, mysterious like a Scorpio, and unique like an Aquarius. However, don’t be fooled by this person’s put-together image. They are by no means shallow. In a nutshell, a good description of their style is YOLO (you only live once). It is a reflection of their approach to life, which is to live it to the fullest while they can.

For emotional characteristics, the Wheel of Fortune as a person represents someone who is a lucky person, for example, this person may have been born into privilege. However, you will notice that no matter the circumstances this person was born into, they will be born with an innate sense of impermanence and detachment from material things. This person may have learned this as a repeated life lesson throughout past lives. Or, alternatively, they either had a childhood where they learned to never be attached to an outcome. Perhaps their parents/caretakers taught them that being born into privilege comes with social responsibility. They may exhibit the traits of fixed signs of being very strong in their convictions. Because this card is astrologically associated with Jupiter, karmic lessons about finances and material things may play a major role in this person’s life. They may teach you an important lesson around money.

For careers, the Wheel of Fortune can represent someone who is working with uncertainty and volatility. They may be financial advisors, or if their primary income is from speculative investments, they may invest in stocks or crypto. Or, they may be someone who works in an industry where work is uncertain. For example, they may be in the gig economy, or they may work in the entertainment industry. This person may also have started their career in some sort of lucky way. However, the Wheel of Fortune indicates that their luck comes and goes, and they end up having to always be on their toes thinking of what they will do next when their luck runs out. Life’s ups and downs have made this person wise beyond their years. They may travel a lot for work, due to the influence of the Jupiterian/Sagittarian energy. 

The Wheel of Fortune as a person represents someone who makes you feel like they are your good karma. You may also feel like this person serendipitously came into your life at an important or fateful time. This person may be unpredictable, but in a novel, exciting way rather than in a negative or scary way. They don’t tend to have explosive or fluctuating moods. However, they might crack the most outlandish jokes. 

Reversed Wheel of Fortune as a Person

If the Wheel of Fortune reversed appears in a Tarot spread as a person, that means that this person is someone who’s gone through a lot of hardship but never learned any lessons from those difficult situations. This is a type of person who refuses to do their shadow work. They may believe that they’re always right and therefore they don’t need to self-reflect. Alternatively, they may also believe that they’re a perpetual victim. They could be very fatalistic in their worldview. Because this is a Major Arcana card, some of these traits will be inherent to their identity. Good or bad, nobody is perfect and people can change, if they choose to.

For physical characteristics, the Wheel of Fortune reversed as a person represents someone who is meek and modest. They may be overly shy and have low self-esteem. They may hide their authentic self in fear of judgment. They may behave in this manner due to negative experiences in the past, or they could be so worn out from being at the bottom of the wheel that they have no energy to groom or be creative with their physical appearance. They may appear unkempt due to mental health struggles or overwork. 

For emotional characteristics, the Wheel of Fortune reversed as a person represents someone who rarely takes personal responsibility for anything that happens in their lives. This is the type of person who will script tons of intentions and put together the biggest vision board, but they never do their part in making those intentions manifest in the real world. This is somebody who takes the belief that the Universe has their back to a lazy, fatalistic extreme. Nothing is ever their own fault, and everything is unfair. They either play the blame game, or they will throw a pity party. This person may have gone through many hardships in their past, but they never seem to learn anything from them. Alternatively, this could be somebody who will exaggerate, or in some extreme cases even outright fake, tragedies for sympathy.

For careers, the Wheel of Fortune reversed can represent someone who works in the same professions and industries as the Wheel of Fortune in the upright, however they’re not very good at it. For example the upright Wheel of Fortune thrives in volatility; they would see market uncertainty as a pattern to study and master and conquer. The reversed Wheel of Fortune on the other hand, complains and blames others. In essence, this person does not like a challenge. They want everything to be easy and to just fall into their laps. This person may exhibit narcissistic traits and entitlement, such as assuming that people should like them and celebrate them just for existing. They may have been very unlucky in their career. So rather than having been scouted to be a model, this person could have pursued acting or modeling, and their career never really took off. They don’t know how to go with the flow, and can be quite stubborn in pursuing career paths that may not be the best suited for them.

The Wheel of Fortune reversed as a person represents someone who makes you feel either very unlucky or very guilty. Meeting somebody who is signified by The Wheel of Fortune in reverse can make you feel like meeting this person is your bad karma. They may remind you of somebody that you wronged in the past. Perhaps you are meant to learn through this person how it feels like to be treated that way. Nobody’s perfect, and we all have made mistakes in our past. So, if this is the case with you, make peace with the universe and acknowledge your past wrongdoings, and focus on creating a more positive future. If you are involved with this person romantically, they could be a karmic partner.

Conclusion

For love readings, the Wheel of Fortune reveals the cyclical and karmic nature of love and life. It reminds us to practice loving kindness, because “what goes around, comes around.” If we lean into the Wheel’s true nature, we will be more appreciative of the good times we have, and also understanding that the bad times will pass. Knowing this, you will be a more compassionate and empathetic partner, inviting positive energy into your life.

If you find yourself needing further clarity in your relationship matters that go beyond reading for yourself, Sibyl offers unlimited tarot readings on love & relationships, as a neutral and objective third party.