This was an interesting card. When it first appears in Bembo’s deck it appears to concern itself more with the rise and fall of kings. Often the goddess or angel of fortune is blind folded and turning the wheel behind herself so she does not see what she is doing. Someone is climbing up the wheel who will become the king at the top, someone is a king at the top of the wheel and someone is falling face first down the other side who was king before. The wheel rests on the hermit’s back. This is similar in design to a 13th century benedictine manuscript where the old man has “I am without kingdom” wirtten near him in Latin. There are some similarities with what we see on Smith and Waite’s deck, but its very different by that point.
The Wheel
The wheel then taking from the medieval symbolism is the means through which a person ascends to king hood and his very down fall. There is a distinct absence of blind fate turning the wheel. Could this absence mean that for Waite fate is not alotted blindly at random? Perhaps for him there is more purpose in it.
The snake and the jackal-man
Before we reach Waite’s card, the wheel is ascended and descending by all sorts of animals including dogs, rabbits, demons and mice. What we are left with on Waite’s resultant card is two creatures a snake and a dog-man or jackal-man. The jackal-man is likely to be hermanubis who is mentioned in Eliphas Levi’s description of the card. A deity resulting from the syncretism of Anubis and Hermes who both have roles guiding the dead through the underworld. Alternatively on the same coming down from the top is the snake which is likely Typhon also described by Eliphas Levi. Typhon is a Greek demon-god known for its attempt of destroying the world, but it is like to Waite this snake is the very same snake we saw in the garden of eden giving self indulging advice. We then have two guides one that selflessly guides the dead throught the mysterious realm and the other that guides humans to self-indulgence. The selfless god is on the side that ascends the wheel and the self-indulging god on the side that descend the wheel. Also the wheel is partly on the back of the selfless god indicating he like the hermit who appeared under the wheel will never reach the place he guides the souls to.
Sphynx
The sphynx or sphinx indicates the mysteries contained. Waite, who commissioned this card, translated Waite who often conflated the word sphynx for cherubim so it would likely have been a sphynx that guarded the return to the garden of eden with a sword of fire that goes every which way (E, S, W and N). The sphynx at the top of the wheel is the embodiment of that mystery which is also the original edenic state prior to the fall of man in Christian symbolism when man walked with the gods and fate. In the temple of Solomon the entrance to the holy of holies was between two cherubim (or sphynxes) and the arc of the covenant was decorate by two more.
4 Kerubic Beasts on Clouds
The four kerubic beast symbolise our relationship to the four elements and their potential to take us from Malkuth to Yesod. More on this on my discussion of the Universe card of the Thoth tarot, where I conclude they are the mystery of the Tau path in the Golden Dawn Kabbalah. In the writing of Eliphas Levi they symbolise the means of summoning the four elements and their kings and the terms cherub and sphynx are often used interchangeably. Each one relates neatly to a zodiac symbol. The man to aquarius, the lion to Leo, the bull to Taurus and the Eagle is an alternative symbol for Scorpio. There is a reference to 4 living creatures in the book of revelations which bare a striking ressemblance to these. One is in the form of a lion, another a bull, another a man and the other an eagle, but here they are covered in eyes and have 6 wings. So perhaps the theory here is the deification of the 4 elements is a secret means to return the soul to the pre-fall state. As mentioned before the entrance to holy of holies was between two such beasts and the arc of the covenent hedl the law between two more. Could these 4 cherubim be the 4 kerubic beasts?
TARO / ROTA / TORA
These letters form many symbols in one. Tora meaning Torah which is Hebrew for the law. Rota meaning the wheel. Taro(t) meaning the tarot. Also it can be rendered as P (R in Greek) on T which symbolises Jesus on the cross with A and O either side for Alpha and Omega. It is likely the TR originated as an Chi-Rho for Christos but TR often appears in version of the New Testament as a shorthand for cross. The letters are often laid out so they ready taro when read clockwise from the top or rota if read likewise from the bottom. Eliphas Levi associated this word with a key to the tarot.
Tetragrammaton
The letters TARO are interspersed with the Hebrew letters forming the Tetragrammaton. That has some significant mysteries for the practitioner of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. Each letter is related to one of the court cards in the tarot. The Prince and Princess when married then take on the characteristics of the King and Queen so they are magically lifted up.
Cross in the middle
In the middle are the symbols for the 3 Primes of Alchemy. These are reference back as far as an 8th century text on alchemy. They are Sulphur, Mercury and Salt. Sulphur has male associations and is often symbolized as the red king and some people associate it with fire. Mercury has female associations and is often symbolized as the white queen and is frequently associated with water. It is said that true sulphur and mercury once came from one substance, but in order to return them to that substance they need a stabilising element which is where salt comes in. Salt is often associated with the earth. The missing element is air which is represented here with the symbol for Aquarius. Aquarius has enough symbol which is the man. So this could be the alchemist and his 3 primes trying to form the Aozth or original source material of the universe AND himself.
Interpretation
This card symbolises the turning of the wheel of fortune. The wheel is turned by someone who does not choose the fates she alots. The person for whom the fate falls must accept that they cannot control what fate is coming their way, but there is change coming fast. It will impact their fortune, but that does not necessarily mean money.