The World

A dizzying card!

In a situational spread, The World foretells unquestionable success of the plan (and regardless of the sphere of activity), fulfillment of all desires, happy completion of the course of events.

The person will get everything they dreamed of. Achievement of the goal (and it may be even higher than the one assumed), completion of the path, apotheosis, full success. Liberation, truth, peace. Achievement by life of perfect form. Affirmation of the correctness of one's actions. The card says that the person can trust their judgments in current circumstances; here they are an expert and hardly anyone can handle this better than them.

With The World, a very interesting experience is undergone, as if the right place for the center of the circle has been found. This is the most important point—the location of the ENTIRE circle depends on its location. And so, something like that has been found, and everything else mystically falls into place.

Problems are solved, health is restored, people are drawn by themselves, and those who need to go—fall away by themselves.

Money, information—literally everything falls into place, and it seems that minimal effort is applied, everything happens by itself. This means that the person has achieved in development everything they were supposed to achieve now—that goal which allows them to achieve success in smaller and simpler affairs without effort (!). Of course, one can try to 'anchor' this state (to which, it seems, almost all of NLP is dedicated), but a path is a path; it is impossible to get stuck at one point, no matter how beautiful it is.

With The World, a person has this feeling that the puzzle has come together, the problem has converged with the answer, something very essential in life 'has gone into the grooves,' and they feel harmony with themselves and the surrounding world.

With The World, something must always come into life, manifest, incarnate, declare itself. This is a very strong card. It makes sense to nurture the brightest hopes for the future.

Also, this card can signify international connections. The World gives breadth of opening opportunities, diversity of prospects. Long journeys ('going out into the world'), travel, change of place.

The World card defines the meaning of all other cards in the spread in a positive direction; its influence is very powerful. If cards of a negative series are present nearby, then their meanings are somewhat softened.

On the event level, The World personifies peace of soul, obtained after long trials. A happy period when we wholeheartedly enjoy life, joy, inspiration, euphoria.

Complete integration of personality, acceptance of all its components, liberation from contradictions, achievement of the heights of self-actualization. Full understanding of one's own inner nature and surrounding external forces. Ability to accept the world as it is and find in it a truly one's own place.

This is an indicator of a person who has reached the heights of personal perfection; there is something special and inscrutable in them, and looking at them, the thought comes that 'the world rests on such people.'

This Arcanum often appears in a spread when a person has just taken very substantial steps on the path to themselves, to truthfulness and wholeness. With this card, everything that happened up to the present moment has complete closure. In inner life, this is the completion of the most important stage in the formation of personality. As written by Hollander: 'Here there is no possibility of collapse because there is no longer a chance to make a false choice. Everything you do is right. And you have a right to everything you have. You know who you are. You know why you exist. And all answers serve to confirm your purpose.'

Fullness, happiness, and satisfaction. Victory ('know, the world is yours henceforth'). And, continuing with the words of Kipling's famous poem: "Know, the world is yours henceforth. And all that is enclosed within it. And more than that—now you are a man!" Constant movement forward gives the opportunity to enjoy all the gifts of life. This is wholeness and integration of one's own soul, synthesis and balance in all life manifestations, a sense of orderliness and unity, when one action is wholly coordinated with another. The World also describes planetary consciousness, cosmic thinking, respect for all forms of life, mercy, and striving for perfection.

A stage in spiritual development, symbolizing full understanding of one's own inner nature and surrounding forces, mastery of them.

This is global integration, achievement of the most perfect state possible at the moment. The state of a soul granted Divine Vision of things. Realization, liberation from illusions (and it does not shatter but truly liberates).

In a symbolic (and sometimes quite literal) sense—a regained paradise, return home. With this Arcanum are connected not only the concept of the end of everything but also the concept of reward—identification of the person with the macrocosm. The completed image with which they depart into death is their fulfilled perfection, for which they lived in this world. This Arcanum, like no other in the Tarot deck, symbolizes a person's victory over their weaknesses pulling them down. In the highest sense—this is the state of a Soul that has flown from earth, soared aloft, already passed through the crucible of the Last Judgment, and at this (!) Judgment received full remission. Completion of an infinite series of incarnations, liberation from karmic dependencies, purification, rebirth. At the highest level, the Arcanum describes a colossal, inexpressible Peace.

Probably, this is the very peace that the Master received as a reward. This is the peace for which one prays after the soul's departure ('requiem service'), coming when paid karmic accounts are closed.

If speaking of earthly existence—this is harmony and concord of body, thought, soul, and spirit. On the card, as in the Tenth Arcanum, the Tetramorph and the Hermaphrodite are again depicted, speaking of complete integration of all sides of the soul into a single and unique whole. The person has come to agreement with themselves, i.e., obtained an idea of their true inner values. True values differ from false ones precisely in that they cause no protest or doubt.

The person no longer chases after mirages, knows how to separate true desires from random ones. Most decks depict The World as a dancing woman, which itself says much about Tarot as an heir to occult views widespread in medieval Europe, elevating the sacred Feminine Principle. However, as The Fool has no gender, so does The World. The difference is that The Fool is zero, pure potential, they HAVE NO gender, while The World is a hermaphrodite, endowed with attributes of both sexes. In some decks, one can see that the flowing ribbon girdling the hips of the dancing World in most depictions conceals male genitalia. The World speaks of the union of Anima and Animus, the Alchemical Wedding, achievement of genuine inner wholeness ('the two shall become one flesh'). This is Anima Mundi, the Soul of the World, the result of the Great Work (Magnum Opus).

The wreath can be interpreted both as the crown of the initiate, entering the gates of Truth opening to them.

The dancer symbolizes the Universe, and her dance—the constant and eternal renewal of life—a cycle containing within itself the end of everything and returning life to its beginning. This is the alchemical union of alpha and omega. The symbolism of the two wands held in the hands of the dancing World in the canonical depiction in the Waite deck is mysterious. A wand appears on Arcana—e.g., on The Magician—but why two? "So I shepherded the flock marked for slaughter, particularly the oppressed of the flock. Then I took two staffs and called one Favor and the other Union, and I shepherded the flock." (Book of Zechariah, chapter 11, verse 7). Favor and Union evoke the Tree of Sephiroth—the favorably merciful Hesed and the stern obligating Geburah. The Twenty-First Arcanum of Tarot reflects the esoteric view of the nature of the God-Creator as androgynous; moreover, it reminds of the lost feminine component of God in orthodox Christianity.

This forgotten 'Divine Feminine' and eternally breaking back into consciousness—from the fervent cult of the Madonna to the nervousness around 'The Da Vinci Code'—is what Tarot paints for us on the supreme Major Arcanum, where everything comes from the World into the World. The Saturn associated with The World—this is the planet of maximum realization. This planet—the patron of Saturday (hence English Saturday). In Judaism, Saturday is considered a holy day, intended exclusively for spiritual growth. This is the day when the Creator Himself rests, therefore on Saturday mundane cares cease, and a person receives an additional Soul, the 'Sabbath Soul,' with the help of which one can comprehend what is impossible to comprehend on weekdays (and at the end of Saturday, this special soul leaves the person, flies away). It is this special state that the Twenty-First Arcanum symbolizes.

The World is also associated with the Wiccan circle, the creation of sacred ritual space, symbolic actions within which can influence the entire vast world.

In this sphere, the dual meaning of The World card is fully manifested—it can mean both absolute success achieved thanks to labor and invested efforts, and the beginning of something completely new (and a situation where one does not exclude the other).

In the first case, this is like a fateful discovery in science or victory in an important competition thanks to indisputable advantage. Complete control over the situation, following one's calling, confident execution of one's task, great achievements. The person is in their place and does what must be done. The competition is mentioned not by chance—with this card go awards, prizes, and all sorts of laurels with which laureates and prize-winners are crowned ('laurel wreath' of The World). For an Olympic Games participant, one could not wish for a more optimistic card—and in this case, it describes the essence of what is received with rare accuracy! For an athlete, Olympic triumph is undoubtedly both the euphoria of victory and world recognition, and a moment of peacefulness, the end of some stage in life, but it is also the beginning of a new path to new heights.

In the second case, such meanings as a good beginning, foundation of an enterprise, creative force, new ideas helping to realize previously adopted plans manifest; inspiration that will lead to solving problems in study or work, enthusiasm, overcoming difficulties. Innovations, discoveries, patents, pioneering inventions, presentation to the world of something beautiful and valuable. Benevolence of surroundings, official recognition, fame, praise, affirmation of the correctness of one's actions. Possibility to find work by vocation.

Learning in this area is completed (at least at this stage). The person is a true expert, having gone a long way. And as a rule, this card indicates that in this area and at this level 'the ceiling has been reached' and there is neither possibility nor necessity for further development. One should think about moving to a new level. Unimpeded realization of undertakings.

Global expansion of business.

Financial matters are resolved successfully. Prosperity, abundance.

Attainment of one's home. Return to the ancestral nest, to the roots. In some cases—change of residence and a long journey (old interpretations especially emphasize the meaning of travel, relocation, change of place, and even escape, emigration).

Inheritance.

Happy end.

Reconciliation, disappearance of hostility or tension. Unification and coexistence of opposites in complete peace and equilibrium.

Formation of new inspiring contacts. For lonely people, the card foretells finding a truly suitable partner (and as a rule, the person intuitively knows they will find them and does not particularly look back at other possibilities). Union in a couple, spiritualized closeness, joining of lovers. Marriage ('under the crown,' symbolized by the wreath of The World). Honeymoon. Sexual initiation. Conception of a child, or its birth. Sexual satisfaction. The fullness of happiness, all-encompassing experience of love. The World may indicate relationships developing unhurriedly, at their own pace, and there is no point in forcing events.

Describing the nature of the relationship, The World speaks of love of a cosmic level, when both feel free and happy.

Sometimes the card announces such a stage in spiritual development where liberation from attachments and dependencies occurs.

More than any other card, The World inspires hope for the fulfillment of a person's genuine heartfelt desire. But as a rule, it is indeed a cosmic experience in partnership, where there is freedom from pettiness and conventions, and at the same time both are aware that these relationships are extraordinarily significant (on them 'the world rests'). They are usually strong, beautiful, and sincere.

An interesting feature of these relationships, indeed manifesting in practice (though this situation itself is rare)—this is a supernatural, titanic, Olympian peace that these two people experience in each other's presence. They can say to each other 'you are my home,' and this strange phrase will be true because they truly feel that way. As soon as an arm embraces—that's it, this is home, one can fall sweetly asleep, even if it were in the cabin of an airliner shaking from turbulence. This is not just conventional social confidence and security, to which so much importance is attached. No, this is a genuinely existential feeling, 'one flesh,' where one is, there are two. We are home because we are together. Alpha and Omega. The double helix of DNA. That on which the world stands. These relationships resemble not so much a 'quiet harbor' as a cradle rocking over a starry abyss, in which newborn worlds sleep. And perhaps one fine day they will wake up and roar. Though another interesting feature of the relationships described by The World is that they are self-sufficient.

This couple may have no children, or the children have long grown up and gone their own way. Worlds have scattered, but the center of the Universe has remained, and in it—mental comfort, domestic equilibrium, sexual harmony, spiritual maturity, and mutual development and enrichment.

Vitality, excellent health, high energy. Birth of a child. Recovery, restoration of strength, healing. Processes of self-restoration, self-regulation.

For a seriously ill person, the card can become an indicator of the proximity of death, of a fatal outcome, and as an unconditional good for the soul. Its highest esoteric and symbolic meaning works—'return to paradise,' departure of the soul to its cosmic home, to the spiritual homeland (exactly as in a situation of a more mundane order the card can indicate a 'long journey').

Reversed indicates total disorder of health, its being undermined (by what—other cards will indicate), sudden worsening of well-being, accidents, miscarriage.

If The World itself becomes the significator of illness, then it can be problems with the spine concerning overall body mobility, back injuries, disability, osteoporosis, or general weakening of immunity (at worst—virus of immunodeficiency)

With reversed King of Cups—travel will lead to unemployment, you'll go begging.

After Justice—travel for judicial purposes

With The Hermit—isolation, spiritual seclusion (not forced)

With Temperance—synthesis, unification, combining, a very favorable combination.

With The Star—an exceptionally favorable combination of cards.

With The Moon—the person has completely sorted out their own fears, overcome doubts, and learned to trust their own intuition.

With The Sun—wonderful combination, completion, attainment

With Five of Wands—difficulties with unification, attempts to act contrary

With Nine of Wands—material need

With Four of Cups—non-involvement

With Nine of Cups—attainment of a heart's ideal

Before Ace of Pentacles—travel expenses

With Ten of Pentacles—complete happiness, great wealth, absolute well-being

Coronation

Attainment of the Grail

Harmony of the Spheres Words of C.G. Jung: "To know oneself means to understand that you can never be anything other than what you are. This is the awareness of your own individuality, the absolute invulnerability and incontrovertibility of your 'I.' And so it will be when you understand that your inner 'I' is indestructible, that it has always been, is, and will remain the same, that it cannot be killed or replaced with a new one. Your 'I' forces you to remain yourself under any life circumstances."