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XXI. The World

Fulfilment, Harmony and the Completion of a Cycle

The World Tarot card

Symbolism and Meaning

The World is a card of triumph and culmination. The Fool's journey, which began with a leap into the unknown (card 0), comes to an end here. He has reached the fullness of knowledge and experience. The central figure (often a dancer) floats within an oval laurel wreath (a lemniscate), which symbolises infinity and victory.

In the four corners of the card are the same figures as on the Wheel of Fortune: the Angel, the Eagle, the Lion and the Bull. They are the guardians of the four elements and symbolise the four fixed signs of the zodiac (Aquarius, Scorpio, Leo, Taurus). This means the complete integration of all aspects of reality: body, mind, feelings and spirit. The World is not an end, but a moment of perfect harmony before a new cycle begins on a higher level.

The card says: "You are exactly where you are meant to be". It is a state in which we feel at one with the universe. All the pieces of the puzzle finally fit together. It is a joy that is not euphoric like that of the Sun, but deep, stable and lasting.

Interpretation of the Card

In a spread, the World is the best card you can draw. It means absolute success, the achievement of goals and a happy completion of projects. It may herald long journeys (literally seeing the world), emigration or opening up to new cultures. It is also a sign of spiritual fulfilment and of a feeling that our life has a deep meaning.

Upright
  • Complete fulfilment and success
  • The end of an important stage of life
  • Travel abroad, contacts with the world
  • Harmony, integration, unity
  • Achieving a goal, a reward
  • A feeling of being in your rightful place
  • A happy ending
Reversed
  • Lack of closure, unfinished business
  • A feeling of emptiness despite success
  • Delays in achieving your goals
  • Fear of change or travel
  • Perfectionism that blocks action
  • Clinging to the past
  • Lack of inner integration

Card Attributes

Number: XXI (Twenty-one)
Archetype: Wholeness, the Dancer, the Cosmos
Element: Earth (manifestation and matter)
Keywords: Success, wholeness, journey, fulfilment, the end of a cycle.
Astrology: Saturn (the planet of limits, time and closing cycles)
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