XXI The World
"You embrace your uniqueness and embody the essence of yourself."
Completeness, Balance
Essential Meanings
Keywords
Fulfilment, Accomplishment, Success, Wholeness, Travel, Contentment, Integration, Totality, Perfection, Harmony, Movement, Universal, Satisfaction, Ecstasy, Accord, Reward, Happiness, Finality, Ending
Element
Earth
Yes/No/Maybe
Yes
What the Card Says
This is what the World would communicate to you if it were able to express itself in words:
"I represent you in a moment of transcendence, in the dance of life. Your brilliance is at work - laugh with joy, live with abandon and follow your instincts. You embrace your uniqueness and embody the essence of yorself. What lies inside you is reflected on the outside and there is no boundary between the two - the integration is complete. Magic springs around you, the world appears to you and you have arrived. You thirst for nothing and yearn for nothing. All you need can be found in the present. I am your moment of arrival."
Historically, the World has been depicted as either the Throne of God or the Anima Mundi (meaning Soul of the World). The latter is usually represented as a naked woman dancing within an almond-shaped laurel crown.
Visconti-Sforza This version of the World card features two cherubs holding up a medieval city as if revealing the possibility. Stars twinkle above the city, which is surrounded by a protective moat.
Marseille The Marseille and Radiant Wise Spirit cards allow for a more personal and immediate interpretation. We discover ourselves through the Arcana. A naked female dances in the sky while holding two wands. A wreath surrounds her and in the corners are symbols of the four Evangelists.
Pictorial Key This version of the World is similar to the Marseille card. The female figure here has an ethereal look and appears to dance in a blue sky.
"You embrace your uniqueness and embody the essence of yourself."
The culmination of all the Arcana, the World stands for interconnectedness and integration, symbolising elevation, completeness and total peace.
The World is the final destination on the journey described by the Major Arcana.
This card represents the harmonious union of all things, happiness, completeness and manifestation. It is a representation of transcendence, the ability of humans to overcome limitations and touch the Divine.
The perfection embodied by this card is real and constant. It represents a point of arrival for each element, as symbolised by the four figures who appear in each corner. They have found their place within the card, within the deck and within you. The World represents success, reward, happiness and the resolution of a problem.
Golden Art Nouveau
Radiant Wise Spirit
Symbols
Angel - Symbol of Saint Matthew, one of the four authors of the Gospels, also known as the Evangelists.
Eagle - This bird stands as a representation of the Evangelist Saint John
Garland - The crown of life and glory surrounding and protecting the figure within.
Naked Woman - The Anima Mundi or 'Soul of the World' is dancing, representing the joy of creation and harmony of Heaven.
Wands - With flames burning in both directions, these express the complexity of the Universe and the four elements.
Ox - This animal is a symbol of the Evangelist Saint Luke.
Lion - Saint Mark is depicted by a lion. Taken together, the vagelists represent the order and meaning of the Universe.
Thelema Affirmation
I dance to the music of all creation. Listen, can you hear it?
The Arcanum of the World will help me understand happiness and find my place regardless of where I am or who is with me.
The Universe
Marseille Keywords
Fulfilment, successful closing of a cycle, squaring the circle, making a link with the world
Pre-Raphaelite
He who is master of himself will achieve his objectives.
Realisation, success, fulfilment, joy, conclusion.
Harmonious Teachings
Completion, success, perfection, end of a personal cycle, sincere love. The World card indicates realisation and victory, that one phase has ended and a new one begins.
Meanings differ depending on whether the World is the right way or upside-down.
Upright - Successful achievement of a goal. Euphoria, travel and integration of all things. Immersed in the dance of life.Pride in your accomplishments. The world is yours.
Reversed - Not being able to move on. Holding in your comfort zone. Missing the point.
Read up on Anima Mundi, Nirvana, Prudence, Arrival
ViceVersa (Back)
If you are not feeling a sense of completion, it may be because you are thinking in terms of a continuum rather than a cycle. It is true that everything in life is linked, but it is important to mark milestones. Eternal renewal relies on an acknowledgement of what has been achieved or accepted, celebrated and released. Don't court exhaustion - of body, mind or spirit - by hurrying onward. Everything is happening just as it is meant to.
Universal Celtic
The World is enclosed among animals that represent the Celtic world. A Gaelic saying goes, 'Thrice the age of a man, the age of a deer; Thrice the age of a deer, the age of an eagle; Thrice the age of an eagle, the age of an oak tree.' Nature is the world surrounded by the perfect circle of a dragon or serpent, the Uroborus, which represents time.
Illuminati
ViceVersa (Front)
The key concept for this card is completion. It is the last card in the Major Arcana. The four divine beings are brought together to witness the ending of a cycle. The dancer evokes the joy of the female figure in the Death card, with her pose mirroring the spiritual surrender of the Hanged Man. Life has triumphed, the soul is renewed. Take a victory lap and get ready to start the next cycle.
John Bauer
A woman in a white and blue dress stares into a reflection in the water. Her red cape gives her warmth and the world around her is supportive and balanced. Standing complete in the world, reflecting on where you have been, feeling whole, giving back to your community.
Arcanum
Visconti
Fairy
Egyptian
Before
White Cats
Draconis
Angels
78 Doors
After
Silver Witchcraft
Manga
Medieval
Pagan
Thoth
New Vision
Runic
Elves
Liber T
Thematic Meanings
More advanced meaning can be read when you draw the World in a reading, depending on the subject you are exploring.
Personal Life
Love: You will discover true love by involving yourself in life, trusting your feelings and finding the world in a grain of sand.
Work: There are no big or small results. The impact of an event depends on expectations and your ability to adapt.
Money: You must be productive to earn, save and invest.
Divination
Answer: Your goal is within your reach. To achieve it, you must observe the movement of life around you at all times.
Tip: There is no need to keep searching and striving - you are already at your destination.
Timing: Everything you need to do must be carried out within the span of one calendar year.
Psyche and Soul
Self-Esteem: Believe in yourself and your opinions. Be calm and do not change your mind.
Meditation: Happiness is a reward that can only be fully appreciated by those who recognise its instability.
Spirituality: Live your life without regretting anything and learn from everything that happens.
Updated
12 January 2025 at 00:15:16