Tarot has been a part of Barbara Moore's personal and professional lives for nearly twenty years. Right from the start, tarot intrigued her with its marvelous blending of mythology, psychology, art, history, mystery, and magic. She has studied under...
The World, a glorious card that we are always happy to get, has something in common with the Death card, one most of us prefer not to see. It is, like Death, an ending. However, death is usually something that happens; the World is something we achieve. The World indicates a successful outcome to the situation or an undertaking. This event provides not just the usual happy benefits—pride, a sense of accomplishment, recognition, rewards—but also something more. With this success comes an understanding of connection between endings and beginnings, a sense of the proper flow of the universe. At this moment, everything has clicked into place. We understand ourselves and our place in the world. The World also has much in common with the Fool, for it too marks a new beginning.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
The Universal Waite World is very bold in its statement of success, for it depicts a huge laurel wreath. The actual success is dominant, but the idea of universal connection is also present in the same four fixed signs of the zodiac that are in the Wheel of Fortune and red ribbons on the wreath that form lemniscates.
Core meaning: Successful completion.
The Legacy World shows the completion of a journey with an hourglass showing all the sand in the bottom half. The zodiac symbols circling the figure represent an understanding of universal flow. The figure has removed its mask, representing that this has also been a journey of self-discovery.
The Shadowscapes card also shows the acquisition of self-knowledge. Her crown represents enlightenment; her belt is, according to the artist, the girdle of truth. The idea of "as above, so below" is another aspect of universal flow; this figure has reached that understanding. Her glowing globe mirrors the moon.
