The Empowering Symbolism Of The World Card

The World card in the Tarot remains one of my firm favorites. I am all for personal and spiritual growth, the completion of cycles, and new beginnings. The World represents exactly that: the ending of a cycle and pause in life, before the next major cycle begins with the fool.

The journey from the new beginnings of The Fool to the fulfilling endings of The World is a constant evolutionary process in our everyday lives that is represented by the sequence of the 22 Major Arcana cards of the Tarot. The World is the 22nd trump and therefore final card of the Major Arcana.

I have reflected on the imagery of the Rider-Waite version of this Tarot card in great detail. Rider-Waite is probably the most popular and universally recognized Tarot deck. The illustrations by Pamela Colman Smith at first glance appear simple, but the details and backgrounds feature abundant mystical symbolism.

The World pictures an empowered figure within a wreath – traditionally a symbol of victory, success, achievement, and eternal life. The figure holds a wand in each hand, which is reminiscent of the Magician card and the Two of Wands. However, while The Magician holds only one wand, the two wands in the The World card represents fulfillment, wholeness, balance and coming full circle.

The card is framed by four animals on the diagonal. The depiction of these four creatures parallels the four animal symbols used in Christian art to represent the four Evangelists, namely Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The four animals also represent the zodiac signs of Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius, the four fixed signs in Western Astrology, which in turn represent the classical four elements of Earth, Fire, Water and Air.

The woman on the card is the symbol of the cycle of life, and the progression of life events we all must go through. She is the promise of return and the gratification of a job well done ~ Ruby Miranda

Looking carefully at this card, one also sees a sash draped around the central figure’s waist. This image evokes the thirteenth sign of the Zodiac known as Ophiuchus or ‘Serpent-bearer. ‘ The constellation Ophiuchus is situated behind the Sun from November 29 to December 18, and therefore between Scorpio and Sagittarius.

The brightest star of Ophiuchus, Ras Alhague is traditionally associated with healers and medicines. The zodiac sign is also linked to legendary healers like Asclepius, son of Apollo and the god of medicine in Greek mythology. Asclepius learned the secrets of keeping death’s bitter sting away by observing the effects of healing herbs. Fearing that he might discover the secret to immortality, Jupiter killed Asclepius with a thunderbolt, but later preserved his memories in the heavens with this fabulous constellation.

When The World, ruled by Saturn, shows up in a Tarot spread, it commands we address the hard work needed to raise our vibration to invoke light, love and healing, and purge the darkness. Every time we engage in spiritual self-care and personal healing, we harness more of the mystical power of self-realization and reclaim our divine birthright to live our best life as represented by The World card.

Completion is a great feeling, isn’t it? The satisfaction that you’ve achieved something, and that it’s completely done and gone, is psychologically thrilling ~ Graham Allcot

Only when we have truly released what no longer serves us, and found forgiveness, acceptance and healing, will be ready to enter the next cycle of our life and embark on a brand-new journey with the adventurous innocence of The Fool.

For me the status of the serpentine ‘sash’ represents the achievement of spiritual triumph over existential darkness, the attainment of self-healing and personal empowerment, and a consistent state of higher consciousness. Those of us with ‘bigger sashes’ the size of dragons, further have the privilege of having accumulated additional kundalini energy to not only empower and enlighten ourselves, but also to lead the rest of the world in grace, inspiration, and beauty. Kundalini energy is the ultimate life-force and the source of our creative power, spiritual gifts, and divine feminine energy.