The Wheel of Fortune from The Wild Unknown Tarot by Kim Krans
Published by HarperOne on November 8th, 2016
in LA.
Tarot
is one of the myriad visual manifestations of occult related art. My focus on
the art elements section is on The Wheel of Fortune tarot card designed
by Kim Krans, the artist behind The Wild Unknown tarot deck. Both
skeptics and occultists can find much to appreciate in tarot as visual art.
Each card in a tarot deck is designed to represent a meaning. Tarot cards began
as playing cards that transformed into the original 78-card deck known as the
Rider-Waite Tarot.
Every art piece constructs a narrative that is portrayed by numerous art elements. Tarot creates a narrative through symbolism expressed through art. The cliché “a picture speaks a thousand words” pairs well in the context of reading Tarot as visual art. Helen Farley stipulates, “Cultural historical studies can provide the context in which tarot resides; providing clues as to why tarot was used so differently at different times” (Farley, pg. 5). Tarot is intended to be interpreted by individuals through symbols that may elicit various emotions dependent on culture, time, and morals. Occult mediums may shape the meaning of tarot as a visual medium. Tarot can elicit emotions through various art elements that can challenge perceptions.
Tarot evolved into an art form that allows others to interpret symbols using art elements. The Wheel of Fortune is my favorite tarot card as it narrates the abundance of the wheel of life. The card can represent luck, life changes, and opportunities. The card reversed can represent bad fortune and upheaval. The Wild Unknown tarot deck uses colors, tone, and lines to evoke the spirit of luck (bad and good). The Wheel of Fortune invokes hope during a dark chapter when upright, however, the card reversed creates an ominous sense that your fortune has turned sour.
The theme of the tarot deck
incorporates the rainbow in various cards, in this card particularly it helps
to highlight the way the circle of life is defined through emotions and experiences.
The Wheel of Fortune tarot art explores color by placing rainbow branches
in the center of the circle of life (this contrasts with the black and white drawing).
The black and white owl remains a neutral observer to the circle of life.
The contrast is significant to understanding the Wheel of Fortune as the prosperity and major life changes can be represented by various colors. When I see this card, I personally view each color as an expression of emotions that are invoked by various life experiences, such as red representing anger during difficult situations. If an individual picks up the card and fixates on the word “fortune” there is little interpretation to be made beyond themes of luck or happiness. Visual mediums can invoke stronger emotions through color. Fortune is not always encouraging, just as our emotions may not always be optimistic while we navigate life. Experiencing multiple emotions at once can be chaotic, but this image helps to bridge a duality that exists between the light and dark entities that are manifested through experiences.
The element of lines helps to enhance the meaning of symbolism. The curved lines and the circle help to enhance a calming sense of self that there is potential prosperity looming. However, the jagged lines extending from the circle can invoke anxiety about an untimely event. When the card is viewed upright, the jagged lines are hidden by the moonlight and exposing the curvature of potential. The card reversed exposes the jagged lines in the sunlight, which may suggest there is time to prepare for anxiety from bad experiences. Lastly, the tone highlights a dramatic rhythm that contorts the way we may view light versus dark. The sunlight illuminates the bad experiences by focusing on insecurities and fear. The moonlight hides any residual hurt that was left behind as a lesson to engage with potential prosperity.
In conclusion, The Wheel of Fortune lends to a multifaceted discussion of how we choose to hide and expose our different realities that are dependent on our perception of prosperity. The presentation of the card enhances a deck that takes pride in dramatizing tarot meanings through myriad symbols. The placement of the card (upright or reversed) determines the emphasis on fortune and where it resides in one’s current reality. This is one of my favorite tarot decks that I own and consistently use for my own enjoyment. Viewing tarot through an artistic lens helps to inspire entertainment through visual story telling. The complexity of symbolism is explored thoroughly through narratives that are best described across art elements.
References
Farley, Helen. Cultural History of Tarot: From Entertainment to
Esotericism. Bloomsbury Academic, 2009.
Krans, K. (2016). The Wild Unknown . The Wild Unknown. Retrieved October 2, 2022, from https://www.thewildunknown.com/
Wheel of fortune! I've been seeing this card a lot in the tarot readings I've been doing so I was pleasantly surprised to see a classmate had written about a deck.
ReplyDeleteThe color schemes of my deck are different, so it was very interesting to read how they were influential to your interpretation of the card/its design. I always feel so excited when I get this card in a reading because it doesn't appear for me often. Hopefully both of our luck is turning for the better!
I love that you used Tarot for this assignment, and I love how you said a picture is worth a thousand words and related it to this! I think everyone interprets art differently, and the same goes with tarot no doubt. A reading that I give from a set of cards might be completely different than what someone else might give. The elements are different in every deck of cards, but one great example is the use of light and dark colors and tone to give the feelings of positivity and negativity. Awesome blog post, thanks for picking unique art!
ReplyDeleteI have been seeing a lot of tarot card readings lately on tiktok! They are really interesting to me and the messages I receive usually resonate with me somehow, I also like your comment about visual story telling, I think these decks do an amazing job of that.
ReplyDeleteLike Alana had said in the comment above, I have also seen a lot of tarot card readings on my tiktok. I haven't really looked into tarot reading, but your assignment has intrigued me. I thought this was very interesting and really enjoyed reading this!
ReplyDeleteYou are so well versed in Tarot, I can tell that it's something you're passionate about! What stood out to me about the card is the owl on the reversed side of the card. To me, it is representative of our higher self observing and remaining constant amid the turmoil, chaos, and uncertainty of hard times or bad fortune. It stood out to me that the owl is white, which contrasts against the black background of the reversed card. It can be interpreted as a light in the dark or an element of ourselves that remains illuminated even when things hit the fan. I love how different Tarot decks can hold different meanings to the reader and uncover different aspects of the meaning of the card based on how they're designed. I also think that this is why certain Tarot decks resonate with people differently than others.
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