Sphinx in tarot
The Greek sphinx asked riddles and killed those who failed to answer; the Egyptian sphinx guarded tombs and temples. Both became emblems of mystery and hidden knowledge, and Lévi gave the sphinx a central place in his occult symbolism. A blue sphinx with a sword sits at the top of the Wheel of Fortune, steady while the wheel turns. Two sphinxes, one black and one white, rest before the Chariot, which they appear to draw without reins. In readings the sphinx is the riddle at the heart of a situation, and the composure of whoever can answer it.
Cards that show sphinx
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The Chariot
The Chariot: The sphinxes
A black sphinx and a white sphinx lie before the chariot, both in striped headdresses. They stand for opposites, light and dark, mercy and severity, which the charioteer must hold together. Waite took the sphinxes from Éliphas Lévi in place of the older horses.
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Wheel of Fortune
Wheel of Fortune: The sphinx
A blue sphinx in a striped headdress sits on top of the wheel holding an upright sword. Waite calls it 'the equilibrium therein': judgement and wisdom staying steady while everything beneath it turns.