Mystical wanderers,,,,hello. I, Troy Parrott, Tarot Pro, am continuing our journey through and exploration of the Tarot. In this series, we are examining each card of the major arcana, using a special North London themed deck of my own design. What do the cards hold in store for your future?

Today, we move on to Card X: The Wheel of Fortune.

X: Wheel of Fortune

Upright

Karma, good luck, destiny

Inverted

Bad luck, stuck wheel, change

Wheels are round, and they turn. The Wheel is a symbol that appears again and again in multiple cultures across time — the idea that nature is cyclical, that all of this has happened before and all of it shall happen again in the future. The Wheel of Fortune is all about karma, and predicates your future on what you have done in your past: do unto others as you would have others do unto you. Summer leads to autumn, which leads to winter, which leads to spring. Good times lead to bad times which lead to good times, ongoing, ad infinitum. Wheel in the sky keeps on turning, I don’t know where I’ll be tomorrow.

There is massive symbolism in this card. The “wheel” itself is flanked by two depictions of Egyptian gods — Typhon (the serpent), and Anubis (god of death). A sphinx holding a sword rests atop, suggesting there is knowledge to be learned. The corners feature angelic, winged creatures — zodiac, spiritual, terrestrial symbols with multiple meanings.

In the Tottenham Hotspur Tarot, the Wheel is not so much a wheel but rather a casserole of alternating layers of pasta, meat, sauce, and cheese... of fortune. The layers repeat, just as the wheel rotates. It doesn’t turn as much as... squish. It is tasty and can provide energy but can also lead to unexpectedly bad outcomes and seriously you know why this is the chosen metaphor.

At its most basic level, upright the Lasagna of Fortune represents good luck and inverted it represents bad luck. Dig a little deeper and it can be a card representing change — the Lasagna can simply note a turning point in your current status. if you’re going through a rough patch, say a global pandemic that has killed hundreds of thousands of people and left you jobless and stuck in your home for months, the Lasagna can suggest that positive change is coming. Conversely, if times are good, an inverted card can remind you to enjoy the good times, because things can be lost in an instant. Karma is like that.

There’s a certain level of zen-like optimism and comfort at play here. The card reminds us that there are forces that are beyond our control, and that left to its own devices, the universe will take care of itself. It may not be in the way that we would have chosen, but wheels only turn when they are positioned on a point of balance. For every 5-1 loss to Newcastle there is a Miracle of Amsterdam. Well, maybe not for EVERY 5-1 loss to Newcastle. We’d be forgiven for thinking that Tottenham’s particular wheel might spin a little lopsided now and then. Must be all the cheese.

Come back tomorrow and we shall discuss the next card in the Tottenham Hotspur Tarot.