Meaning: Changes in fortune, new beginnings, a new chapter in life starting.

Reversed: Ill fortune; setbacks or failures brought upon oneself.

"The rim of the wheel revolves, but the hub remains stable. Your true self is symbolized by the hub, which does not move, but which causes the outer rim to turn. You are thus responsible for your own destiny."

Diana Stewart tilted her head as she heard her father's voice explaining the mysteries of the tarot. He and his client were coming out of his consulting room.

"When joy or sorrow comes into your life, it is not that fortune or misfortune has befallen you, but rather that you have invited it into your life," he continued.

"I do not remember invitin' this particular misfortune into my life," Mrs. Bouvier said fretfully.

Diana wondered what her father had told Mrs. Bouvier.

"Perhaps there is no misfortune," her father mused. "When a card appears upside down in the reading layout, I usually interpret the divinatory meaning in reverse. Perhaps I'm misinterpreting the indications in the cards today."

"Nonsense, Felix! You've never been wrong before," said Mrs. Bouvier with touching faith. "Oh, there you are, Diana! I didn't see you when I arrived."

Perched on a stepladder as she arranged packets of wheat germ on a shelf in the health-food section of the shop, Diana smiled down at the plump, overly blond woman. "I was carrying up some bottles of Vitamin E oil from the storage room."

"You've been working awfully hard these past few months," Mrs. Bouvier went on, fluttering her delicate hands as she gestured to their colorful surroundings.

"Business has been growing fast this year," Diana responded with satisfaction. "The health food and the New Age books have been selling well. I've had to increase my yoga teaching to six classes a week, and I've had a lot of inquiries already about the weekend workshop I plan to do next month."

"I notice you've also got a few tables and chairs out in the courtyard now," said Mrs. Bouvier.

"Yes. We're serving herbal tea, fruit juices, and simple snacks. A bookseller recommended it to me to help pick up sales, and so far it's worked."

"You're quite an entrepreneur, just like my husband."

There was a quality of misty fondness in Mrs. Bouvier's eyes whenever she spoke of her late husband, who had died of stress and overwork nearly two years earlier. Diana knew that Mrs. Bouvier intended to pay her a compliment, but she sincerely hoped she wasn't "just like" the money-hungry, high-society, corporate giant who had ruined his health with his own ambitions. Felix, whenever he was annoyed with Diana, loved to remind her that she and the late Mr. Bouvier had both been born in the sign of Leo.

Mrs. Bouvier glanced at her heavy, gold watch. "Oh my, just look at the time! If I don't hurry, I'll be late." She smiled prettily. "I've been goin' crazy with all the preparations for my daughter's twenty-first birthday party."

"It sounds like half of New Orleans will be there," said Diana.

"I do wish you two would reconsider and come," said Mrs. Bouvier.

Diana and her father exchanged a glance. He shrugged, which irked her. The gesture automatically put the onus of the decision upon her, and Mrs. Bouvier turned to her with hurt, pleading eyes. Diana shifted, wishing the ground would swallow her up. Felix looked away, already losing interest in the mundanities of real life. Mrs. Bouvier's lower lip trembled a bit.

"We'll certainly do our best," said Diana in desperation. Then she added, "Of course, I'll have to be guided by Felix, who will want to consult the stars first." Felix looked at her peculiarly, but Mrs. Bouvier seemed satisfied. She smiled brilliantly before bidding them farewell and leaving the shop.

Once they were alone, Diana regarded her father with exasperation from the top of her stepladder. "Why didn't you tell her no, in no uncertain terms?" she demanded.

"Why didn't you?" he countered.

"I thought she was going to cry. And it shouldn't be up to me to handle her, she's your client."

Felix frowned at the ceiling. "I'm worried about Mrs. Bouvier. There are some very disturbing indications in the cards."

Diana carefully descended the stepladder. "Like what?"

He shook his head. "Client--"

"I know." Diana sighed. "Client confidentiality." Her father took his role of helping people through astrology as seriously as a psychiatrist or lawyer, and he never violated their confidence, not even with his daughter.

"Hold these," said Diana, placing a carton of jars in his arms and moving her stepladder down the aisle. She climbed up and began stocking more shelves with the items her father was holding. He stood looking perplexed and disturbed.

"You're troubled by what you saw in the reading," Diana guessed.

"Urmph."

"Can you tell me anything at all?" She sensed he wanted to talk about it but was reluctant to risk violating his principles.

"A family member will bring chaos and turmoil," he murmured.

"To Mrs. Bouvier?"

He looked up at her, his dark eyes troubled. "No. To us."