The Meanings of the 22 Major Arcana Tarot Cards – The World:
Introduction to The World
The World card is Key 21 of the Major Arcana in Tarot decks. It is the card of reaching a natural conclusion. The World denotes harmony and the conclusion of a chapter of life. It is a card denoting completion and fulfillment, The World is both the card of the element of earth and the card of the planet Saturn.
The World is symbolized in many traditional and online Tarot decks as a dancing figure within a almond-shaped wreath to convey the joyous celebration and success suggested by the card. A lion, a bull, an angel and an eagle sit at the four corners of the World to stand for the four cardinal points of south, north, east and west respectively. These four living creatures also are the meanings of the four fixed signs of the zodiac. The wreath is a traditional emblem of victory and is often bound at the top and the bottom by ribbons to indicated complete triumph. The dancer’s leg is bent to make the shape of the number four, reminiscent of the figure in the Hanged Man card but here her legs are right side up. The Hanged Man is free to see infinitely inward, while the dancer in the World is free to see infinitely outward.
The World has the most favorable meanings of the all cards of the Major Arcana Tarot deck. It denotes celebration and a triumphant conclusion. Winners, achievers and world travelers can adopted the World as adopted birth cards. Both material and spiritual success with wisdom gained are indicated by the appearance of the World card in a Tarot reading. The World is a birth card for those born under the zodiac signs of Taurus, Virgo and Capricorn and the planet Saturn.
The World Upright
The World card upright means the successful completion of a cycle. Sometimes this card can signify a change of career or residence. The World upright is the card of winners and those involved in international travel.
The World following the reversed Wheel of Fortune (rx) card in a Tarot reading means bad luck will soon turn into good luck. If the World is before the reversed Wheel of Fortune (rx) card, things that now seem unfavorable will soon prove to be otherwise. If the World is in a reading before the Wheel of Fortune, success and luck will be continuous. When the World follows the Wheel of Fortune in a Tarot reading, a new career or a new residence will prove in time to be beneficial. If the World appears in any reading along with the Chariot card, travel for work or education will pay off in spades. When the World appears before the reversed Chariot (rx) card, plans may be derailed but only temporarily but if the World follows the reversed Chariot (rx), blessings will be disguised as curses and things in disarray will be corrected.
When the World follows the Hanged Man card, a loving sacrifice will occur. But if the World comes first, it denotes a sacrifice that will result in sadness and separation. The World tends to take on a literal meaning whenever the Magician card, Justice or the Hermit card also appear in the Tarot reading.
The World Reversed (RX)
The reversed World (rx) card indicates stagnation and a lack of progress, Its reversed meanings usual concern a lack of personal development in sex and love and vision. Often it means one is stuck in a rut and needs to become less of a creature of habit. The reversed World (rx) before the reversed Wheel of Fortune (rx) card in a Tarot reading means that it is difficult to break the cycle for now, but if the Wheel of Fortune card is upright in the reading, progress will be achieved very soon.
The reversed World (rx) near the Hanged Man card indicates a situation that needs to be reflected upon carefully before breaking free from a tedious routine or habit. If the reversed World (rx) is before the Moon card in a Tarot reading, intuition should be followed exclusively, whereas if the reversed World (rx) is near the Emperor card, logical thinking is the course of action to take.
The World in Regards to Love, Sex and Relationships
The World indicates completion and reward in love and relationship matters. Often the appearance of the World card occurs when marriage follows a long engagements. The World indicates finality and can denote the last relationship of one’s life. Celebration of an anniversary can often be suggested by the appearance of the World card in a Tarot reading. The World denotes a complete and successful relationship.
