The Wheel of Fortune

“Life is a process of becoming, a combination of states we have to go through. Where people fail is that they wish to elect a state and remain in it. This is a kind of death.” - Anais Nin The “Wheel of Fortune” is my contribution to 78 Tarot’s Animal deck that is slated for publication in late 2021. This particular card represents changes in life. Those changes can be in family, employment, social life, etc. The possibilities are rather limitless. The imagery I’ve used in the piece is incredibly personal to me. I grew up in a rural area of West Michigan, and didn’t really fit in with my peers. I found a greater connection with my critters. I loved my hammies, guinea pigs, mice, and my newt, Itty, among others. The Syrian hamster in this painting represents stagnant movement where change happens to someone, but not because they cause it or necessarily welcome it. I also included newts at various points of their life cycle. They represent personal change that is welcomed and met head on. I find a newt’s life cycle to be incredibly fascinating because they start out completely aquatic, then gradually come out of the water, and are completely terrestrial at one point before reaching adulthood where they return to the water once again.