What does it take to enter a new cycle of evolution and turn it into a power-filled renewal? It takes a new and higher state of awareness. What does evolution really mean? It is a sequence of gradual movements going into the same direction. So it’s clear that the term "evolution" doesn’t guarantee the destination. 2008 has the potential to host many turns and major twists to redirect these energies of evolution into an upward spiral.
A new cycle, a new tide, a repetition, a recurrence, a habit, a mechanism, etc. – the Wheel of Fortune, the tenth major arcana of the Tarot of Marseille, talks about the notion of "return." By definition, a return describes a phenomena of repetition, something that comes back. So a new cycle is a time where we are in conjunction with a renewal. The notion of repetition is maintained and yet there is an opening to something new. This newness belongs to the changes and alterations we carried forward and through the last cycle. A new cycle carries its uniqueness based on the past.
The number 10 symbolizes a beginning (1) and an achievement (0). Consequently, their union, (1 + 0), represents an evolution. This vibration 10 for the year 2008 (2 + 8 = 10) brings evolution. However, there is a condition to this evolution. It implies that a new state of awareness is reached and it becomes the basis upon which the new cycle takes off. Otherwise it’s only a mere repetition of what has been experienced before, of what has been done before.
The 2 and the 8 contained in the year 2008 bring information about the areas in which areas this evolution is going to take place. Within the Tarot of Marseille, the vibration 2 corresponds to the High Priestess and the 8 to Justice. In a very simplistic, yet profound, way we could have named the year 2008 as the defender, the protector of divine Justice. It is a year during which we can make important reforms in the way we exercise the human laws and bring amendments to the laws themselves. There are forces that are pushing and supporting us to work toward a state of balance and harmony. Letting go of sterile endeavors that have brought hypocrisy and depression is a must. Facing the damage generated during the last cycle is a priority.
There are the two zeros that link the 2 to the 8. The zero on its own has no value, however it changes the value of other numbers depending on its position. This is why, within the Tarot of Marseille, the zero corresponds to the Fool, the one who has no place and yet is everywhere at his place. In its highest degree of expression, the Fool represents the one who has given up everything except the essential, that he brings wherever he goes. The bag that the Fool carries over his shoulder symbolizes that irreducible part of our being: our essence. It is also the sum of our experiences that allows us to get in touch with this essence. The presence of these two zeros has been here since the turn of the 21st century. The universal message is not new. As the zero contributes to change the value of other numbers placed to its left, similarly, we need to collaborate, delegate, assist and trust in order to grow as a world community. We need to consciously position ourselves to promote this growth.
This contribution has specific parameters for 2008. It has to promote harmony, balance, healing and awareness of the natural laws. An invitation to alter our belief system
2007, the year of the Hermit (vibration 9), brought the deepest reflections on the evolution of humanity, on the evolution of our planet. 2008, the year of the Wheel of Fortune, will see the results of these reflections. These results will be proportional to the depth of our reflections as a collective unit. These results themselves will represent the key to what will be next in 2009 (the year of Strength.) This key will give access to a higher level of expertise and mastery in directing the world’s matters.
In 2008, if we stay in the shallow waters of our understanding, life will appear with its ups and downs, offering images of instability, injustice and insecurity. When the winds of evolution blow and penetrate the new cycle, their manifestation can be dramatic and lead to an apparent chaotic movement. It’s as if we were shuffling cards and suddenly, the cards are strewn about and what was up is now down. This process is particularly tricky, because it can lead us to a fearful attitude that will put us in a frozen mode, a mode of stagnation. The inherent danger to 2008 is this: the wheel gets stuck and nothing can move. This is why the notion of taking risks is linked to the vibration of the Wheel of Fortune.
2008 is an opportunity to take risks to truly answer the many questions that are presented today, such as: Who is and what is really responsible for terrorism and its threats? Who is and what is responsible for the alarming planetary changes? These questions are directly linked to the vibration 8, the vibration of Justice. Justice from a Tarot viewpoint puts us in front of what we have done, created, manufactured and thought. It’s a merciless mirror, an inevitable face-to-face with ourselves. However, this Justice doesn’t punish, blame or accuse. This Justice heals. It heals the imbalances that threaten our inner and outer worlds. It’s equal to the constant power that animates our body and maintains a perfect state of balance within the cellular realm. This Justice is to the world what the function of homeostasis is to our body. It is a constant vigilance and a willingness to give warnings so that we can go back into our midline position before we act and decide the course of action to be taken.
One of the lessons that accompanies the vibration of the Wheel of Fortune is that a fall or a failure is not a punishment or a castigation from destiny. It’s an opportunity to renew our perspective, our perception of this incessant dance, incessant movement that is the world, that is life. The Wheel of Fortune symbolizes the energies of renewal, of a new beginning, of a refreshment. It’s a perfect time to align ourselves with the demands of our environment, with the demands of our societies and take the risks to see old issues, old crises from another angle. 2008 will bring us the strength to question our perception and question our position in relationship to that perception.
Therefore, 2008 can bring a new state of awareness while facing the same old dilemmas. With the Wheel of Fortune, we are pushed to drop the heaviness of received values that inhibit our true movements, our real progression. We are summoned to let go of our distorted beliefs that hinder the positive movements within our evolution.
A rendezvous with destiny
The image of the wheel brings into perspective the spinning forces that are at play in anyone’s existence. The center of the wheel represents the concept of stability and steadiness. It’s the anchor around which the wheel revolves. Therefore, 2008 is an invitation to find that center from which we can manage the ups and downs of our lives. To stay at the periphery of the wheel, to separate ourselves from what has actually generated the movements in our lives, is equivalent to a fateful attitude, leaving ourselves out of the equation. To be successful in handling the new cycle and signing up for a change (an evolution) is to move toward the center of the wheel, which symbolizes the center of our being. In another word, it’s to accept in all their dimensions the "fortunate" responsibilities inherent to human nature and by extension, all responsibilities linked to today’s world situation.
This is why the Wheel of Fortune represents opportunities to make a move toward a better way of handling our collective or individual destiny. Destiny? A collection of past actions that are ripe to come into manifestation. This intricate tapestry of forces has its logic that we don’t perceive most of the time. This is why the motto of the Wheel of Fortune is the Socratic injunction: "Know your Self." Therefore to get off the wheel of repetition of patterns, whether these patterns are global or individual, is to embrace the power of self-introspection, self-inquiry, which leads us back to the core of the wheel, the core of our beings.
2008 calls upon our evenness of mind and, therefore, our evenness of perception. To be humble while facing success, to be open while being established, to be confident while facing challenges are the three key attitudes that the vibration of the wheel of fortune urges us to embrace at the beginning of this new cycle.
2008 brings us to a new dawn. It requests from us a new and higher state of awareness. It offers us the opportunity to have a grasp on the development and the evolution of our lives, our world, our destiny. To perceive the hidden wholeness in everything is a source of global upward evolution.
