What is the Wheel of Fortune?

Cartomancer

What is the Wheel of Fortune?

The Wheel of Fortune is a portrayal of northern circumpolar constellations including Cepheus, Cassiopeia, Ursa Major, Ursa Minor, and Draco. North pole star maps with illustrated constellations show the figures on the Wheel of Fortune. The constellations Auriga, Camelopardalis, Cassiopeia, Cepheus, Draco, Lynx, Perseus, Ursa Major, and Ursa Minor are always visible in the night sky of the Northern Hemisphere and may be pictured on the Wheel of Fortune card.

The Wheel of Fortune illustrates the motion of the night sky as the northern polar constellations spin around the polar star Polaris. It is easy to see the Wheel of Fortune figures if you look at constellation myth star maps for Draco, Cepheus, or Cassiopeia.

Wikipedia describes the circumpolar constellations in this manner:

“In astronomy, the circumpolar constellations are constellations that never set from the viewer's perspective. Considered a very important effect in astronomy, it is different from seasonal constellations. Circumpolar constellations stay in the sky.

Because of the rotation of the Earth and its orbit around the Sun, we divide the stars and constellations into two groups. Some stars and constellations never rise nor set, and they are called circumpolar. All the rest are divided into seasonal stars and constellations.”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circumpolar_constellation

The Northern Hemisphere, Circumpolar Constellations
http://www.astro-tom.com/getting_started/mythology.htm

Links to Wheel of Fortune like polar constellation illustrations:

http://www.astro.virginia.edu/class/whittle/astr1230/im/atlas-cellerius-prt.jpg

https://img0.etsystatic.com/000/0/6370118/il_fullxfull.337492472.jpg

http://astrobob.areavoices.com/files/2012/01/Star-chart-ancient-400x229.jpg

https://camel76.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/northern-constellations.jpg

http://images.fineartamerica.com/im...the-northern-hemisphere-andreas-cellarius.jpg

The Christian version by JuliusSchiller:
http://www.1st-art-gallery.com/thumbnail/131478/1/Map-Of-The-Christian-Constellations-As-Depicted-By-Julius-Schiller,-From-$27the-Celestial-Atlas,-Or-The-Harmony-Of-The-Universe$27.jpg

http://members.westnet.com.au/gary-david-thompson/class-const-nth.jpg

http://www.stargazers.iinet.net.au/images/Northwoodcut.jpg

http://www.starsurfin.com/constellations/images/constellations_figures.jpg

Search for: “polar constellations myth images”.

It is apparent to me that the Wheel of Fortune pictures northern circumpolar constellations.

- Cartomancer (Lance Carter)