Tarot is an excellent tool for meditation to enhance spiritual growth. With Tarot, in our readings we each have subtly different meanings for the different cards, meanings which work well for ourselves better than anyone else’s. Spiritual Tarot works the same way. We each have our own path and we each see subtly different things in the Major Arcana cards to help us along that path.

With this series I’m sharing my journey, in hopes that it might help to shine a little light on yours. I’m using the Rider/Waite/Smith Tarot on this spiritual journey.

On the Wheel of Fortune we see a copper circle with two other circles within it. Between the outer two circles, beginning at the top, are the letters T. A. R. O. By returning to the top again, this spells TAROT. Between those letters are the Hebrew letters for the Tetragrammaton, IHVH.

Inside the second circle, radiating outward from the small inner circle are the eight spokes of the Wheel; four of them have mystical symbols at their ends. These eight spokes represent Universal radiant energy.

At the corners of the card are pictures symbolizing the four ancient elements, Earth, Air, Fire and Water.

A blue sphinx sits on top of the Wheel, holding a sword over her shoulder. She represents equilibration, the eternal balancing of the Universal energies. She also symbolizes wisdom.

To the left of the Wheel we see a yellow serpent, crawling downwards, symbolizing Typhon, one of the aspects of the Egyptian god of evil, as well as the Life-Force coming down into the Earth.

On the Wheel’s right is a figure with the body of a man and the head of a jackal. This is a representation of the Egyptian god Anubis (Hermes), symbolizing the ascension of intelligence into man’s world.

The Wheel of Fortune symbolizes one of the most important of spiritual Laws, the Law of Cycles. The importance of this Law is that, even though we have many hard times in our life, they are cyclical in nature and are always followed by easier times. This is part of our learning experience on the Earth plane; we have trials to teach us certain lessons. Once the lessons have been learned, we get a rest period, until another lesson comes along.

We need to remember this so we don’t get too bogged down in the illusionary reality of this material world. Truly, we are spiritual beings who use these bodies to learn things we could not learn in any other way. However, if we can remember our spiritual nature, this world can never beat us down.

What goes around comes around. The wheel keeps on turning, from day to day and year to year. No matter haw bad things get, the Wheel eventually brings back the good days.

Throughout my rather interesting life, I’ve had a lot of lessons to learn. Many trials and “tests” have come to pass. And, sooner or later, they did pass! And, Usually the tough times led to something better than I had before.

When I meditate on the Wheel of Fortune, it reminds me that, however hard it might be, right now, this too shall pass.

That’s what the Wheel of Fortune means to me.