The Wheel of Fortune

The oldest wheel artifact is from Mesopotamia and dates around 3500 BC. It's believed that as early as 8000 BC the wheel was used in Asia. The wheel also functioned as a description of the soul (mandala) and as a calendar (seasons). The concept of cycles came from the moon and was transmigrated into the wheel. Because it has it's ups and downs when turned the idea of fortune has been attached to the object. But the real take away is that of the cycle and the continuous dynamic nature of life.

Just like the song says, 'What goes up, must go down. Spinning wheel, got to go round,' illustrates the essential message of this card, as does the lyric 'For every season, turn, turn, turn, there is a reason, turn, turn, turn, and a time for every profit under heaven.' Without beginning and without end, fate casts the marble on the roulette wheel, unwittingly perhaps, or knowingly following the lead the universe always makes the first play. The life cycle, birth, life, death,and rebirth continuously cycle until full awareness of the cycle is known.