The World, or the Universe, is the final card in the Major Arcana of the tarot deck. It typically depicts a naked figure in the centre of a wreath or mandala, surrounded by the four elements and fixed signs of the zodiac. This card represents completion, achievement, and the attainment of goals. The figure in the centre is often seen as a symbol of wholeness, representing the integration of all aspects of ourselves.
In tarot readings, the World signifies the end of a journey, the attainment of a long-term goal, and a sense of fulfilment and satisfaction. It can also represent a sense of closure, the end of a chapter in one’s life, and the beginning of a new one. The World card reminds us we have the power to create our own reality and that we are capable of achieving anything we set our minds to.
In everyday life, the World card is a call to celebrate our successes and acknowledge the hard work that went into achieving them. It can also represent the need to let go of struggles and embrace beginnings. The World reminds us we are part of a larger, interconnected Universe and that our actions and choices have a ripple effect on those around us and far beyond.
Questions to Consider
- What long-term goals have you achieved, and how have they impacted your life?
- How can you acknowledge your hard work and continue to improve?
- What beginnings are you being called to embrace?
Exercise Ideas
- Create a gratitude journal or gratitude jar to celebrate your successes and accomplishments.
- Create a collage representing your long-term goals and aspirations.
- Meditate on the imagery of the World and contemplate its symbolism in your life.
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Surrealist |
Diary |
bifrost |
Langustl |
Rider-Waite |
Variations of the Card
The way a person sees the World defines them. So, the World card defines a tarot deck. In Langustl, a deck of many eyeballs, the World itself is an eyeball. This shows how a person’s World is dependent on their perspective.
There are two decks here with a theme of entrapment in their World/Universe cards. bifrost and Surrealist each show the World as a prison. With similar background patterns, these cards could even be laid on top of each other with transparency to form a layered vision of the World. In Surrealist, the background lines lead down a three-dimensional wall into the pit of the Chamber. In bifrost, the same pattern forms a web. But the web itself is not the Universe. Rather, the Universe is trapped within the spiderweb.
The Universe is contained within a human figure in meditation, a state of oneness with all being. The spider in the figure’s head represents the idea of man creating his own Universe. Could this be the true creator?
Diary of a Broken Soul shows the image of the World coming to an end. At the end of the World, a step is taken through a portal leading back to zero, the Fool. When the end is reached, the loop begins again.
The Langustl version bears a strong resemblance to the RWS World card, replacing cherubs with elements and the nude woman with the eye.
