The World (Tarot card)

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The World (XXI) is a Major Arcana Tarot card. It is usually the final card of the Major Arcana.

Description

A naked woman or hermaphrodite hovers or dances above the Earth surrounded by a green wreath, being watched by various creatures. In older decks, these are usually a human face or head, a lion, an ox, and an eagle, the symbols of the four Evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. This is a reference to the all-emcompassing knowledge of the Bible, the Word of God. Later decks avoid such blatant Christian symbolism, or ignore it altogether, choosing to explain these observers as representatives of the natural world, or the kingdom of beasts. In some decks the wreath is a basilisk (crowned snake) biting its own tail - this basilisk is also sometimes called an Ouroborous.

In some decks, this card is also called 'The Universe'.

Interpretation

The World represents an ending to a cycle of life. Everything is complete and as it should be. There is a pause in life before the next big cycle - a cycle beginning with the fool. The figure is at once male and female, above and below, suspended between the heavens and the earth. It is completeness.

The woman is surrounded by th ewreath representing water, hawk-air, lion-fire, ox-earth and male figure as a spirit. The five elements.

References

• A. E. Waite's 1910 Pictorial Key to the Tarot

External links

• ["World" cards from many decks and articles to "World" iconography]
• [The signifigance of the four symbols of the Evangelists]

Major Arcana
0 The Fool (Zero)>The Fool	I The Magician (Tarot card)>The Magician	II The High Priestess	III The Empress (Tarot card)>The Empress	IV The Emperor (Tarot card)>The Emperor	V The Hierophant	VI The Lovers	VII The Chariot (Tarot card)>The Chariot	VIII Strength (Tarot card)>Strength	IX The Hermit	X Wheel of Fortune (Tarot card)>Wheel of Fortune
XI Justice (Tarot card)>Justice	XII The Hanged Man	XIII Death (Tarot card)>Death	XIV Temperance (Tarot card)>Temperance	XV The Devil (Tarot card)>The Devil	XVI The Tower (Tarot card)>The Tower	XVII The Star (Tarot card)>The Star	XVIII The Moon (Tarot card)>The Moon	XIX The Sun (Tarot card)>The Sun	XX Judgement (Tarot card)>Judgement	XXI The World (Tarot card)>The World
Tarot

 

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