Tarot Card Meanings
To encounter the World in your cards is to encounter a great unity and wholeness.
The World card depicts a naked woman in a purple cloth dancing within a large laurel wreath. She looks back into the past as her body moves forward into the future. She is holding two wands or batons similar to the one The Magician is holding. It is a symbol that what began with The Magician has now been completed with The World. The wreath is circular, representing a never-ending cycle of successful completion and new beginnings because as the woman walks through it, she is finishing one phase but starting another almost immediately.
Around the wreath are four figures from the Wheel of Fortune (a lion, a bull, a cherub, and an eagle). The World and the Wheel of Fortune both speak to the cyclical nature of your life and how you progress through it. The four figures represent the Zodiac’s four fixed signs: Leo, Taurus, Aquarius, and Scorpio. They represent the four elements, the four Tarot suits, the four compass points, the four seasons, and the four corners of the Universe. They are here to help you transition from one phase to the next, bringing harmony and balance to your journey.
NOTE: The Tarot card meaning description is based on the Rider Waite cards.
Upright Keywords:
Reversed Keywords:
When The World card appears in a Tarot reading, you feel a sense of wholeness, accomplishment, fulfillment, and closure. A long-term project, period of study, relationship, or career has been completed, and you are now reveling in the sense of completion and accomplishment. This card could symbolize graduation, marriage, the birth of a child, or the fulfillment of a long-held dream or aspiration. You have finally completed your objective or goal. Everything has fallen into place, and you are in the right place, doing the right thing, and achieving your goals. You have a sense of wholeness and completion.
Now, The World card invites you to reflect on your journey, celebrate your successes, and tune in to your spiritual lessons. Celebrate your accomplishments and revel in the satisfaction of achieving your goals. All of your trials and tribulations have shaped you into the strong, wise, and experienced person you are today. Thank you for what you’ve created and harvested. Finally, don’t rush into the next big project; celebrating your journey will help you succeed when you’re ready for the next challenge.
If you haven’t reached this point of closure yet, you’re almost there! You may still require additional understanding to advance to the next level and achieve true success. Examine your past experiences and recognize how far you’ve come and what you’ve learned along the way. Looking back on your progress and seeing how far you’ve come may surprise you. This reflection may also be what you require to complete your project.
If any loose ends remain, The World card asks you to tie them up. This will clear the way for new beginnings and opportunities to emerge.
More literally, The World can refer to large-scale world travel. You may be fortunate enough to embark on a six-month overseas trip, or you may be working, studying, or living abroad for an extended period. This card reinforces Universal understanding and global awareness, and you will gain a new appreciation for people and cultures from all over the world as a result.
The World Reversed indicates that you are seeking a resolution to a personal matter. Maybe you’re still emotionally attached to a previous relationship and want to move on. Or you fantasize about fitting into your old skinny jeans but realize that your metabolism and body shape has changed in the last ten years. Deep down, you know that to accept and embrace where you are now, you must let go of the past and move on. Finding closure can be a deeply personal journey, which you can manage through journaling, visualization, energy work, and therapy.
The World Reversed can indicate that you want to achieve a big goal or finish a big project, but you’re not taking all the necessary steps to get there. You may choose the simplest or quickest path to your goal, but it will not result in the desired outcome. Even though the destination is the same, climbing a mountain from the bottom up is a completely different experience than taking a helicopter ride to the top.
You must go through the ups and downs of life to learn and grow. And when you do achieve your goal, you will feel a fantastic sense of accomplishment. Set stretch goals for yourself, even if it means enduring hardships or challenges along the way; the reward will be even sweeter.
The World Reversed can also represent a time when you are nearing the end of a project or goal, but for whatever reason, you lose focus and slack off. You only have a short distance to travel, so why stop now? Recharge your batteries and remind yourself how wonderful life will be once you have what you’ve desired for so long.
The World Reversed can sometimes cause a frustrating delay in completing your projects. You might miss an important piece, and you won’t find closure until it’s resolved. You may need to be more inventive to cross the finish line.