Mystical Cats Tarot - The Wheel X

Onaorkal

A bronze-colored Egyptian Mau is lying on its back as he playfully makes a huge mandala wheel spin round and round with his paws. His eyes are closed in pure bliss.
He seems to be located in an enclosed space, not very large in length, but with an unknown depth and height. The 3 walls we can see are made of some brownish material and the floor is made of brownish square tiles.
The wheel takes about half the space of the card and contains many details. It's made of 4 concentric circles.
The most internal one contains the Aum (Om) symbol.
The next circle is separated into 4 equal parts by diagonal axes. Each part contains a differently colored drawing/symbol. Red flames on top, green foliage on bottom, yellow bird on the left and blue conch and waves on the right.
The next 2 layers are separated into 8 equal parts.
The third one has green drawings resembling the paddles of a water wheel, one in each of the 8 parts.
The fourth and last layer has beige lotus petal-like drawings, also one in each of the 8 parts. Those petals are frequently seen in mandala drawings.
Around the wheel, there are white sparkles and white lines that seem to indicate movement. I would tend to say that the wheel is being spun in a clockwise direction.


Colors : Mostly tones of beige and brown.


According to the book, the Wheel represented on the card is a great cosmic Wheel and the cat is the 'Spinner of the Wheel'. They are at the center of the Universe and are responsible for all the changing "fortune, fate, luck" in our lives. This card is about movement, but the kind that we don't have control upon. The advice given is to "put yourself into alignment with what the Universe intends for you." Depending on how the Spinner cat feels, you never know where you might end up next!


Symbols :

Egyptian Mau : The cat on this card truly resembles the one found on the Priest card. While searching about this card's symbolism, I made a connection between the Spinner cat and its Wheel and Buddha and its dharmachakra (Dharma wheel). The Priest cat represents all the guides we might meet and learn from during the course of our lifetime. Buddha is definetely a spiritual guide and totally suits the meaning of the Wheel card.

Playing cat : All cat lovers are used to this kind of behavior. When cats find a toy they really enjoy, they become excited bouncing creatures. Until they suddenly grow tired of it. Then, in the turn of a second, they're back on their paws and act as if nothing happened.
It's the same with the Wheel and its Spinner. The card shows him in a playing frenzy, making the Wheel spin quite fast (or so it appears like it), but you never know when he might slow down or even take a break. Sometimes in the course of our lives, we're feeling stuck and nothing we do seems to get us started again. Then suddenly, unexpected events occur and we get dizzy because too much happens at the same time! You can thank the Spinner and its Wheel for that ;)

Brown color : The colorful spinning Wheel contrasts a lot with the minimalistic brown straight walls and floor. This color symbolizes structure and stability.

Enclosed space : The small space puts the emphasis on the fact that they are at the very center of the Universe, influencing everything, yet not in direct contact with anything and anybody. Overall, the background of the card compensates for the spinning Wheel and neutralizes the overflow of energy. It somehow reminds me that beyond chaos, there is an organized scheme.

Circle/Wheel : Circles symbolize wholeness and infinity. Wheels represent cycles, cosmic unity and movement.

8-spoked wheel/Dharmachakra : Buddhist symbol representing the Wheel of Truth. Buddha, the Wheel Turner, spun the Wheel each time he began a new cycle of teachings, changing the course of destiny.

Om/Ohm/Aum symbol : Represents the 4 stages of consciousness in Buddhist teachings. The waking state, the dream state, the deep sleep state and the pure consciousness. It's said to be the sound through which the Universe was created and is sustained.

4 colored drawings : They each represent a different cat clan.
-Red flame for the Fire Clan
-Green foliage for the Earth Clan
-Yellow bird for the Sky Clan
-Blue conch and waves for the Sea Clan

Paddle-like drawings : As I said in the description part, the green drawings in the third layer remind me of water wheel paddles. To me it accentuates the impression of movement, but I couldn't find any symbolism related to it.

Lotus petals drawings : When drawing a mandala, an 8-petaled lotus means cosmic harmony. It's also a symbol of the Noble Eightfold Path of Buddhism.