Wheel of Fortune X in the 5-Card Spread with the Rider Waite Tarot

Wheel of Fortune as second card : Challenge / Obstacle
in the Rider Waite Smith 5-Card spread

When placed in opposition, the Wheel of Fortune reveals blockages linked to fear of change, refusal to let go or a difficult feeling of instability.

The consultant may feel that they are being subjected to events, that they have no control over what is happening to them, or that they are going round in circles in a cyclical situation that repeats itself without any progress.

There may also be a difficulty in understanding the meaning of what is happening: why things are changing, why they defy logic or expectations.

This card in opposition often highlights a tension between the desire for stability and the need for movement. Perhaps the consultant is trying to cling to a past that has become obsolete, or is refusing to see an opportunity because it seems risky or too sudden.

The Wheel of Fortune can also indicate a tendency to believe that everything depends on chance or fate, leading to passivity or resignation. The opposition calls for a return to responsibility in the current cycle: even if we do not control everything, we can choose how we react to it.

It also highlights a need for inner fluidity so as not to remain stuck in a defensive attitude.

In short, the blockage comes from a refusal to embrace change, or from the illusion that we are stuck in an endless loop.

Wheel of Fortune as third card : Advice
in the Rider Waite Smith 5-Card spread

In the advice position, the Wheel of Fortune invites you to embrace change with flexibility and confidence. It encourages you to recognise that life is made up of cycles, ups and downs, and that nothing is permanent — neither obstacles nor successes. It is not about forcing fate, but dancing with it.

This card advises you to remain open to opportunities as they arise, even if they come unexpectedly or in an unusual package.

It also asks you not to resist the natural flow of things: if a phase is ending, let it go; if something new wants to emerge, welcome it with faith.

The Wheel teaches you that every moment is a step, and that absolute control is an illusion. It encourages you to trust the process, listen to synchronicities, and read between the lines. It may also be wise to observe repetitive patterns in your life: what keeps coming back? What lesson has not yet been learned?

The advice of this card is therefore to position yourself as a co-creator of the movement of life: be open to change without suffering it, know how to turn the page, seize the momentum, and ride the wave rather than resist it.

Wheel of Fortune as fourth card : Outcome
in the Rider Waite Smith 5-Card spread

In the outcome position, the Wheel of Fortune announces an unpredictable but potentially very positive outcome.

It signals that things will change — sometimes quickly — and that the outcome will depend largely on your ability to embrace what comes. This is not a card of stability, but of opportunity.

The consultant may experience a reversal of fortune, a surprise event, or an encounter or decision that disrupts their initial plans for the better.

This card also indicates that the solution will come from a combination of circumstances, sometimes when least expected. There may be a notion of ‘luck’ or cosmic alignment: what seemed stuck may suddenly unblock, provided you are ready to move with life.

The Wheel, here, announces that evolution is underway: it carries away, transforms and redistributes the cards. The outcome is therefore not necessarily predetermined in its details, but it is marked by movement, novelty, and a transition to another level. What ends does so to allow something else to happen, and what arrives brings with it a dynamic of renewal. The consultant may emerge grown, repositioned, or better aligned with their path, provided they have accepted to let the wheel turn without slowing it down.