Humans have been fascinated by cycles since the dawn of time. Ancient philosophers have thought of circles as the continuation of life, the ever-changing seasons, the rise and fall of civilizations, and even the way our blood circulates through our bodies in a circular movement. Nothing stays the same forever, so in this light, the roulette wheel is one compelling simple.
At first glance, roulette looks like any other game of chance. You place your bets, wait for the wheel to spin and the ball to land on a number, and you get your result. But beneath this surface lies a deeper metaphor for the eternal movement and the cycles that define our very existence.
The Wheel of Life
The entire idea behind the whole ‘wheel of life’ notion is that the roulette wheel spins endlessly, turning over and over in a continuous motion. This mirrors the cycles we experience in life. We move through periods of joy and challenge, ups and downs, success and failure, just as the wheel alternates between numbers, colors, and sections. Each spin, be it on live roulette tables online or at the biggest Las Vegas casinos, carries uncertainty. You can never be certain where the ball will land, just as you can never be certain what comes next. Change is inevitable.
Players can’t control where the ball will land, just like we can’t predict every outcome in life. Yet, here lies one big similarity: both life and the roulette wheel give us opportunities for trying again. Every difficult phase will pass eventually, and it will make way for new beginnings. Every loss is a chance to learn and try again.
The wheel also teaches us to accept the unpredictability. It’s in the human nature to want to know everything before it happens and be able to predict it. It’s a defense mechanism that many of us adopt, but the wheel teaches us that we can’t control everything, and it’s okay to let things be as they are and embrace each moment fully. This acceptance brings peace, and it encourages us to take risks, knowing that change will always bring new outcomes and new lessons.
Movement, Flow, and Renewal
The spinning roulette wheel is more than a symbol of chance. It represents the constant circular motion that mirrors the cycles of life itself. It reminds us that everything is in constant movement, shifts, changes, and in the end returns in some form. Many spiritual traditions take the idea of flow as central. Resisting change leads to struggle, while moving with the ‘flow’ or ‘rhytm’ of life is harmonious. So, in a way, every turn of the wheel represents Heraclitus’ famous ‘Panta Rei’ – everything flows.
We see the cycles of growth, decay, and rebirth are all around us in nature. The seasons shift from spring to winter, civilizations rise and eventually decline, and even the human body follows patterns we rarely notice. The roulette wheel embodies these truths in a simple, visual form, reminding us that nothing is permanent, yet everything is part of an ongoing cycle.
The roulette wheel depicts these truths in a simple visual form, so if we look at life through this lens, the wheel can teach us that:
- Change is inevitable, just like each spin brings a new outcome.
- You have to be patient, as results often arrive in their own time.
- You can always start again, since a new cycle begins the moment one ends.
- Flow is the path of least resistance, helping us adapt instead of fight what we cannot control.
The Roulette Wheel Was Invented For Perpetual Motion
Interestingly, the roulette wheel itself was not originally created as a casino game. In the 17th century, French mathematician Blaise Pascal designed an early version of the wheel while exploring perpetual motion. The perpetual motion is a concept that dates to the 12th century and is tied to eternal movement. Over time, Pascal’s invention transformed into the game of roulette we know today and uses his wheel.
Although Pascal never achieved his goal of building a ‘perpetuum mobile,’ his wheel continues to live on centuries later. It has become the centerpiece of one of the most popular games worldwide, so in a way, his creation did fulfill its purpose (although only symbolically). The wheel does not run forever, but it spins again and again with every round, bringing joy and despair to players, and constantly reminding us of the cycles we live through. Everything has a beginning and an end, but every end marks a new beginning, and each new turn carries a new possibility.
The idea of perpetual motion may be unattainable, but Pascal’s wheel turned into a symbol of endless renewal, and it continues to carry the spirit of his vision forward with every spin.
Featured image photo by Ashish Kumar Senapati on Unsplash
