Triskelion: the Wheel weaves…

Triskelion: The Wheel of Fortune of the Incidental Tarot

And the wheel turns; it turns.

I’ve always known that each card of the Tarot—the Major and Minor Arcanas—has a twofold meaning.  Not just right or reversed, but a shadow if you will.  Just as every person on the earth casts a shadow when the sun shines on them, so does every trump when it is pulled for a reading.  The Wheel of Fortune is no exception; in fact, its shadow may be one of the Tarot’s most frightening…because it is completely unpredictable.

Triskelion, the Incidental Tarot’s Wheel of Fortune, is a metaphor for the movement of the world and all its interconnectedness. One cannot force it to turn, or even to reveal where in its rotation it is at any given point. Unlike the Red King, who has the force of will and the power of magic to manifest his desires into being, Triskelion represents the heretofore unseen manifestations of our thoughts and actions coming forth.  And not just our own manifestations, but the collective expression of all lives and fates that come into contact with us.

Composed in whimsical greens, blues and purples, the colors of Triskelion reflect the high vibrations of its nature. The warm greens represent growth, movement and prosperity, the blues for peace and tranquility, and violet for the spirit’s connection to the universe. But don’t be deceived, the Wheel turns through all the colors of the rainbow; when one side of it is basking in the sun, the opposite side may be shrouded in darkness.

I have recently found myself riding the rollercoaster of the Triskelion’s movement.  My job has recently experienced a completely unexpected turn of fortune.  Working for an established non-profit seemed to be a lucky stroke of grace for me (one who has been  a struggling self-employed artist for most of my life). It is an organization with two decades of growth and an ever-widening sphere of influence, a seemingly failsafe position.  In the current economy of scarcity and fear, I know just how lucky I am to have found this place, and thank the stars for that blessing every day.  But in recent weeks it became clear that the primary funder for our program had disappeared (literally and figuratively), and last week a very difficult decision was made.

Again, I was one of the lucky.  But two wonderful people who each gave a decade of their lives to the work were let go, and in an office of just 7…it is like having your legs cut off.

That is the shadow of the Wheel at work.

We have no control—over anything really.  We can plan and work and hope and dream, but when Triskelion rolls through our lives, it can roll right into the mud. We are pinned, powerless.  Or sometimes even worse, we can end up with a tremulous hold near the top, watching helplessly as our friends and loved ones disappear beneath the wheel. It is the way of Nature at times: eternal, dispassionate, random.  But the redeeming virtue we must not forget when we are in the mire, is that the Wheel never stops turning, and will always naturally come back into the light.

Inspired by last week’s experience, I created a collage for the Wheel of Fortune.  Here it is, with its full range of beauty, intrigue and fear.

Some call it luck, some call it fate. Triskelion is a symbol of the trifold pattern of thought, action and consequence. The number three is sacred in almost every spiritual belief system. The Threefold Law, the Triple Goddess (maiden mother and crone), the Hindu Trimurti, and the Christian Trinity are all reflections of Triskelion. Each wave rolls out of the one before it, and each gives birth to the next in a continuous flowing form. Birth, life and death. Growth, prosperity, loss. Misfortune, redemption, destiny. All these patterns embody the essence of Triskelion, the threefold Wheel in motion that governs the energy of the Universe.

In a reading, Triskelion represents the turnings of Fate that the querent may have no conscious control over. It is almost always a card of great positivity, signifying good fortune, completion, and gratification. It can also represent unforeseen windfalls and unexpected strokes of luck. The surprise element of this card comes from the fact that we can never have complete knowledge or control over our destiny, and Triskelion appears to let us know that even when we feel out of control and fear misfortune or loss, the universe has our back. It tells us that the workings of Nature are still mysterious even to the adept, and to trust in its inherently benevolent nature.

To define Triskelion in a word: FORTUNE.

REVERSED. The stalling or impeding of plans; trying too hard to force change or influence results. Unforeseen consequences, unintended side-effects.