Fate, destiny, free will, karma, changes, control
Wheel of Fortune Tarot Guide
Table of Contents
The Wheel of Fortune tarot card represents a game of fate versus free will. There’s a fine line where our free will ends and our destiny begins. And this is not to be feared or faulted.
Fate and free will cannot exist independently. Depending on your frame of mind, you’re at the mercy of fate with no personal responsibility, or you’re destined to experience certain life paths that you have chosen for yourself before you came here.
There are many things we can and cannot control in life. What we can control allows us to co-create our reality with the Universe (aka manifest). What we cannot control plays a greater role in our lives and in the story of all things.
How we respond to limitations defines us. And these definitions are not permanent.
The Wheel of Fortune represents our attitude towards what we cannot force or change. As well as our willingness to be an active participant in our own destiny.
See The Full Total Tarot Series Here!
The Wheel of Fortune Tarot Meaning
In a reading, the Wheel of Fortune tarot card is likely guiding us to concentrate on what is within our free will. There is a cosmic machine at work behind the scenes, influencing our experiences.
Keep in mind that we purposefully decided on specific life events before we were born. And The Wheel will ensure these events happen for the sake of our own spiritual evolution.
The Universe does not punish us with fate. It is actually rewarding us with destiny. Challenge your current mindset around the amount of control you have over your own fate.
There is an element of karma in the Wheel of Fortune card. Karma is when our previous actions circle back around to affect us now–whether positive or negative.
Whether it was this life or a previous life, karma influences some things we cannot control. And on a soul level, we accept this as part of our cosmic journey of growth.

Wheel of Fortune Reversed
When the Wheel of Fortune card is reversed in a reading, we’re probably feeling like a victim of circumstance. We’ve relinquished all responsibility, and solely blame the Universe (or God, or the Fates, or whatever else outside ourselves) for our unfavorable experiences.
There’s a sense of bitterness. We feel as though “life isn’t fair,” and “woe is me.” We are putting a lot of emphasis on the perceived advantages others have over us.
The Wheel of Fortune reversed is calling us to make a change before it forces us to change. That idea of free will comes into play here because the change will be a lot easier if we’re already in the right mindset.
Life sometimes feels like gambling. Your “hands off” approach to your choices is doing you a huge disservice. Adaptability will take you so much further.
No, we don’t have control over every little thing. At least not in the way we’d prefer. So if you’re too focused on what you cannot control, or too focused on attempting to control, the reversed Wheel of Fortune card will remind you that this attitude is a choice. And at any moment, it can change.
Featured Tarot Deck – The Tarot of Dreams
Wheel of Fortune Card
The most wonderful thing about the Wheel of Fortune tarot card is the invitation to creatively problem solve. Because the entire Universe won’t bend to our every whim, we need to reconsider our actions.
Step outside the box, push boundaries, and release attachment to any specific outcome or situation.
The Wheel of fortune tarot card wants us to ask ourselves–how am I taking part in my fate and destiny?
