Symbolism of The World in Tarot

Symbolism of The World in Tarot

What is the meaning of symbols in Judgement Tarot Card?

The World closes the series of images of Tarot cards, returning us to the zero Arcana the Fool. At the beginning of the path there was “zero”, but at the end of the path it turned into something completely different. Nothing turned into Something. And something is all-encompassing.
In the center of this card, a circle is always depicted, symbolizing, in contrast to the Wheel of Fortune (X), not eternal movement and the play of chance, but peace and harmonious perfection of the surrounding world. Even when it bears the name “Chaos”, this does not mean disorder, but the original state of the world, perfect in its unformedness. Before the circle was placed the Earth with mountains and seas, forests and cities, crowned with a dome of the sky, then here is a beautiful human figure dancing against the background of the sky. It is impossible to understand whether this is a woman or a man: the figure is often portrayed with signs of both.
This is an androgynous, primordial human being, created by the Greek gods. It united a man and a woman in itself. But the androgynes became proud, and Zeus cut each of them in half, so that since then they are doomed to search for their half all their lives.
In his hand he has a magic wand (sometimes two). The circle is often formed by a wreath or garlands of flowers. In the corners of the card we see the figures of a lion, an angel, a bull and an eagle (compare with the Wheel of Fortune), symbolizing the four Vedas, four stages of knowledge in Buddhism, four Gospels, four elements …
True, in many newer decks, instead of an androgyne, they depict a girl naked or in a white dress, but the meaning of the card does not change from this.
The World card is a person who has found his half, who has reached the highest level of knowledge and harmony with the Universe. He’s free. The journey is over. The soul has fulfilled its purpose.

Archetype: creation, objective reality.

Symbolism of The World

At the corners of the card are the faces of the Angel, the Eagle, the Bull and the Lion – Tetramorph.
The unity of the four guards of the Creator’s Throne, which later came to be considered the personification of the four evangelists Mark, Matthew, Luke and John. The same images are considered a symbol of the seasons and cardinal points, i.e. wear the most collective image of the manifestation of the Universe.

Lion and bull
They are the guardians of the truth.

Figure’s Pose
The figure is depicted simultaneously towards the viewer and away from him. She is calm and excited, half clothed, half naked. She dwells between opposites, always in motion, but also floats with the flow, serenely reconciling all the contradictions of being.

Although the woman’s legs are crossed, one foot stands firm and she is confident in her position.

Female
It has long symbolized love itself, which is given to fill the world. This is a symbol of all beginnings. She personifies both the achievement of cosmic consciousness and the first steps on the path of mystical searches.

Nudity (partial)
A warning against lack of culture. Strengthens the resolve to face the naked truth. Here also: birth, marriage, death – the cardinal points of the cycle of life, always associated with nudity. The scarf hides the genitals, and the fact that it is a hermaphrodite is a symbol of the unity of opposites or the achievement of a mystical unity.

Dance
This is the spiritual dance of life. The dancing figure symbolizes a living person, firmly standing on his feet.

Two wands
The Magician had one rod (his “I”), and the World – two (“I” and “you”). With the help of the twos, you can bring together and reconcile the four elements (sign of the cross). Negative meaning: contradictions remain. These are symbols of wisdom and love. They depict the forces arising from all the efforts described in the previous Arcana, and the effectiveness of efforts through conscious and unconscious concentration. They also mean evolution and its reverse process.
They are also symbols of purification and the final possession of the conscious mind and the forces of the subconscious. It is the wand of the Magician that has expanded to its opposite.

Red Ribbons
Two dressings of red ribbons are in the shape of a lemniscate, an infinity sign. Positive meaning: balance, infinity, vitality. Negative value: to be at an impasse; repetition without growth and maturity.

Green Wreath with Infinity Symbol
This is an indication of the triumphant ascent of the World, the beginning of a new life cycle. The victory is won, the full turn is completed. Also symbolizes great integrity.
Laurel wreath of the winner, but also a wreath placed on the grave. Being a closed oval, it symbolizes the temporal and spatial limitations of human life. The laurel wreath bodes well for long-term success if we learn how to use it.

Two Nodes of Infinity
It is the union of the Masculine (Magician) and the Feminine (Strength)

Oval
An ellipse, like a geometric figure, has two central points. However, sometimes it is necessary to go beyond what is permissible in order to reconcile life’s contradictions.

Purple scarf
Every ascent to heights is done on a spiral staircase (Francis Bacon). It is also a symbol of evolution, DNA, an endlessly winding ribbon, and also a symbol of personal development.
The purple color is the symbols of the final victory, successful completion, the main result.

Number: 21
It was considered the number of the “crown of magic”. From an arcanological point of view, the twenty-first Arcana is exceptional and stands out so much from other Arcana that it was given a second special name – the “zero” Arcana. The number 21 is associated with divinations, incantations and theurgic actions, since it consists of three sevens or seven threes, the combination of which was considered to have extraordinary occult properties. Therefore, prayers, mantras, incantatory formulas of various religions and esoteric traditions require either three or seven repetitions.
The mystical root of the number that comes as a result of the act of theosophical addition of two numbers of its constituents (2 + 1) is the number three – a symbol of Divine Reason, Son, Harmony.
This number has tremendous power. 21 depicts a balanced state, when the will (one) controls thoughts (two). 2 + 1 = 3, the number of the result. 21 = 3 × 7, Divine harmony repeated three times. 21 is the age of majority, the age at which brain development ends. In alchemy, the number 21 symbolizes 21 days – the time it takes to turn base metal into gold. In Hebrew Kabbalah, 21 is the number of God, foreshadowing a meeting with the Creator. 21 years is the time of Odysseus’s wanderings.

Twenty-first Arcana Tarot The World is identified with a person’s full understanding of the inner nature of the forces surrounding him. At this stage of life, you no longer need to be afraid of disasters and crashes, because there is practically no chance of making a wrong choice or making a mistake. Here you can achieve a higher goal than that which a person usually strives for.

The World means reaching the highest point at the stage of our development and indicates the successful completion of the cycle. This card indicates the feeling of freedom and inspiration that we experience as we grow in our self-awareness and spiritual comprehension of the world.

dividers

Discover symbolism of other Major Arcana:

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