X ROUE DE FORTUNE / WHEEL OF FORTUNE and its handle

[Diana]

It has always surprised me somewhat that few people, when discussing La Roue de Fortune, mention the handle. The handle that no-one is turning.

The word "handle" is from the same etymology as that of “hand”. Same in French “manivelle” comes from “main”. So do we have our destiny in our hands or not ? The Tarot seems to indicate yes. But of course, if we ignore the handle and just continue our old habits and mind sets and refuse to accept responsibility for our lives, we’ll just turn and turn and turn. In the Jeshua channelings to Jayem which I'm going through (Way of Mastery) there’s something that brought this card to mind when he speaks of Desire.

“For when you do not turn to allow the embrace of desire, there is only one alternative. It is to live in mere survival. And when you choose the energy of mere survival, the world is your master, before which you will be made to bow again and again and again and again – lifetime after lifetime after lifetime ! You will be a slave to the insanity that seems to rule this world. And you will never know peace. And you will never know joy. And you will never come home.”


Yes, what do we desire ? To go round and round like monkeys on a Ferris wheel or do we choose to take the opportunity we have to take hold of that handle and go out and create the world that WE desire.

I think this too is one of the messages of this Arcanum.

[inomminate]

Often the wheel will come up for me when I am about to repeat some pattern of behavior that has failed before. This does help me to avoid some repeat patterns. However some things are very deep rooted and hard to stop. I don't think I could stop collecting things. I collect: books,tarot decks,vinyl records,studio pottery. I have more vinyl than I have time left to listen to, more books than I can read this won't stop me collecting more.
I think collecting can be something almost genetic. We have deep patterns in the way we form relationship. Things like a bad boy/girl thing. "I new she/he was trouble but trouble was sure looking good". I agree that we should try to control the wheel. I am just saying this is not an easy undertaking.

[Charlie Brown]

In Camoin's delineation of regarding techniques he will often draw an extra card to see who or what is turning the wheel when it falls at the end of a line

[inomminate]

Flornoy suggests that the wheel image includes a reference to a torture device. Who turns the handle takes on a new meaning in this context.

[Diana]

Flornoy suggests that the wheel image includes a reference to a torture device. Who turns the handle takes on a new meaning in this context.

Curious. But interesting. Do you know what he based this on ?

[inomminate]

Flornoy suggests that the wheel image includes a reference to a torture device. Who turns the handle takes on a new meaning in this context.

Curious. But interesting. Do you know what he based this on ?

He gives the Key to the Arcarnum as:
"The Breakdown of Outmoded Structures"
And sees the card as the last stage of apprenticeship which involves a painful breakdown of the ego. The wheel as a execution/torture device shows the pain that is involved.

[Diana]

He gives the Key to the Arcarnum as:
"The Breakdown of Outmoded Structures"
And sees the card as the last stage of apprenticeship which involves a painful breakdown of the ego. The wheel as a execution/torture device shows the pain that is involved.

This doesn't make sense. That's what one goes through with Arcanum XIII. But then again, there are depictions of the torture wheel that do look very similar to our Roue de Fortune. I went to look them up on google images. I shouldn't have. Now I'm not feeling so good. But I think it's maybe too facile to associate the two.

After the Hermit stage, it seems to me to be too soon for the breakdown of the ego. One is nearing it, but without the Hanged Man stage, I don't believe it can be done.

[chiscotheque]

continuing with the language of the birds' eye view of the Roue de Fortune card, the word Roue can be heard as Rue - to sadly regret, resent, and pity. along these lines, the herb rue has been used for centuries as an abortifacient, as Ophelia knew. Rue is also French for street, as in the route one takes (or doesn't take or regrets taking). the past-tense of rue is rued, suggesting rude - raw, wild, unruly. Rue cognates with the Scottish word rew, meaning row or wave, and is derived figuratively from Latin ruga meaning wrinkle. Words also suggested phonetically from rue include root, room, rule, rube, and ruin. Roue also suggests a roué - a debauched man. we might even think of the French word roux - a slow-cooked mixture of fat and flour used as a base for foods.