“Of the Fates of Illustrious Men” by Eitenne Colaud. Photo credit Wikicommons

Living Madly: Wheel of Fortune

By Emilie-Noelle Provost

When most Americans hear the term “Wheel of Fortune,” the long-running television game show is probably what comes to mind. But the original Wheel of Fortune, from which the show took its name, dates back to the ancient Romans. Known as Rota Fortunae in Latin, the Wheel of Fortune was named for Fortuna, the Roman goddess of fate.

The ancient Romans believed Fortuna possessed a wheel that, depending on where it stopped when she spun it, had the power to bring an individual, or even an entire society, prosperity, joy, sorrow, or hardship. Every time Fortuna turned her wheel, lives were subject to transformation. The poor might become rich, the misfortunate lucky. Healthy people could become ill, the sick miraculously cured.

The wheel’s stopping point was determined solely by chance. Even Fortuna couldn’t control or predict where it would land.

Representing the unpredictability of fate in Western culture for thousands of years, the Wheel of Fortune has been used to explain why terrible things happen to good people, and why people who commit crimes and other malicious acts sometimes prosper.

For centuries, the Wheel of Fortune has been appeared in a variety of Western literature. In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the character Polonius curses Fortuna and her wheel in frustration, conveying the idea that our destinies are determined by fate, and that any sense of control we might have over them is an illusion:

Out, out, thou strumpet, Fortune! All you gods,
In general synod take away her power;
Break all the spokes and fellies from her wheel
(2.2.493-495)

Created in the early 13th century, the rose window in the Basel Cathedral in Basel, Switzerland, depicts Fortuna and her Wheel of Fortune. The image shows the goddess spinning the wheel blindfolded, indiscriminately bestowing good and bad luck upon sinners and the virtuous alike.

In the contemporary world, the Wheel of Fortune is often associated with gambling, especially with the roulette wheel and dice. Although they might not realize it, gamblers’ personification of luck as a woman, as in Frank Sinatra’s song Luck be a Lady, harkens back to Fortuna.

The Wheel of Fortune is also seen in the modern tarot deck. Because no one can escape fate, the illustrations that commonly appear on the card feature a king, sometimes represented by a lion, perched on top of the wheel.

Contrary to what most people might think, when this card appears it’s often interpreted as a positive sign. It tells us to have faith, to do our best to embrace the uncertainty that comes with change because new circumstances often usher in unexpected opportunities. Even if we don’t understand why things are unfolding the way they are, even if they frighten or intimidate us, this card lets us know that everything will eventually make sense.

The beginning of 2025 finds my life at a crossroads. My husband was laid off from his job at the end of September. Where he will end up, and what our fate will ultimately be, is still unknown.

Strangely, for the last couple of weeks, I’ve been coming across reminders of the Wheel of Fortune. It appeared face up in front of me one day when I dropped a deck of tarot cards on the floor. An image of the painting Wheel of Fortune by 19th century British painter Edward Burne-Jones showed up in my Facebook feed as part of an advertisement one day. And last week, when my husband and I walked into a restaurant, an old episode of Wheel of Fortune, hosted by Pat Sajak, was on television in the bar.

These events could be coincidences, of course. But I prefer to see them as hopeful signs.

The phrase “fortune favors the bold” also comes from the ancient Romans. The line, audentes Fortuna iuvat in Latin, first appeared in Virgil’s epic poem, The Aeneid, written sometime around 19 BCE. Today, it’s used to express the idea that successful people are often those who work hard and take risks, who refuse to give up when things don’t work out the first, third, or even the fifteenth time.

I’ve been around long enough to know that it’s this last part that matters most.

The Wheel of Fortune is forever spinning. No matter how wild the ride, those who somehow manage to hang onto its spokes are the ones who will be ready when the wheel eventually turns in their favor.

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Emilie-Noelle Provost (she/her) is the author of The River Is Everywhere, a National Indie Excellence Award, American Fiction Award, and American Legacy Award finalist, and The Blue Bottle, a middle-grade adventure with sea monsters. Visit me at emilienoelleprovost.com.