presence of royalty and other dignitaries, explaining the card’s alternative

title, Fame.
The dead rising: The rising dead are resurrection and rebirth. The six figures
are shown in two groups of three that reflect different phases of the past. They
are man, woman, and child, asking us to look at our roles and relationships.
Naked, they are about to be reborn. The child symbolizes the spirit of the new
age.
The open coffins: Transformation is illustrated by the figures rising from the
restriction of their coffins into a new consciousness.
The flag of St. George: The flag bears St. George’s cross, for England’s
patron saint. The red and white symbolize the unification of opposites.
The sea and glaciers: The water is a symbol of purification; the past can be
forgiven and washed away. The glaciers feel like a paradise, a new world
about to be born.
 HISTORICAL JUDGMENT: GOD AND
GABRIEL
The oldest tarot decks show one or two angels calling the dead from their
graves, usually three people at various stages of emergence. In the
Visconti-Sforza tarot held at the Carey Collection at Yale University, we
see the walls of a city, showing that the dead exist in another territory. Just
discernable is a tiny bridge between the two angels and water running
under it, perhaps indicating the river of souls or the Styx, which carried the
souls of the dead to the otherworld.
In some Renaissance tarots, the angels are replaced by God. In most
tarot decks, the dead are naked, as if being reborn, to resurrect the past in
order to judge it, release it, and allow ourselves to be complete before we
encounter the final card in the major arcana sequence, the World, before
beginning our journey again with 0, The Fool.

JUDGMENT’S REFLECTIONS
We can see aspects of Judgment in these minor arcana cards:

The Six of Cups, for nostalgia and reunions

The Nine of Cups, for contentment in achievement

TRY A READING WITH JUDGMENT: THE SPIRITUAL

AUDIT
Take Judgment from your deck and lay it before you. Now shuffle the remaining
cards and cut the deck or fan out the cards facedown. Choose five cards with
your left hand and place them, as shown. You could ask, “How do I judge
myself?” or “What past situation can I let go of?”

Card 1: Present situation

Card 2: The recent past—what to look at and let go of
Card 3: The distant past—what to look at and let go of
Card 4: What may be blocking you
Card 5: Outcome: what you can learn from this
 XXI THE WORLD

Alternative Name: The Universe

Number: XXI
Numerology Link: III, The Empress
Astrological Sign or Planet: Saturn
Element: Earth
Hebrew Letter: Tav (Tau)
Symbol: The cross
Meaning: Completion
Tree of Life Pathway: Twenty-second, between Yesod and Malkuth
Chakra: Stellar gateway, the cosmic portal
Key Meanings: Completion, success, reward, and joy
UNDERSTANDING THE WORLD
One of the most positive cards of the major arcana, the World signals success
and completion. In the center of an oval laurel wreath a figure dances, holding a
wand in each hand. Protected by four figures from the Wheel of Fortune, who
are symbols of the four evangelists of the gospels, the dancer is also the Fool.
From his humble beginnings, he has traveled the world in body and spirit and is
about to be reborn in his own card, 0. The dancer is obviously female from the
waist up, but it is believed that the swathe of fabric conceals the male genitals of
the Fool. This hermaphrodite dancer shows the perfect balancing of opposites,
the sun and moon (the two previous cards, XVIII and XIX), our male and female
aspects, and the conscious and the unconscious minds. With the world at our
feet, we are ascending to higher realms of understanding.
A. E. Waite explains in his Pictorial Key to the Tarot how the World
“represents also the perfection and end of the Cosmos, the secret which is within
it, the rapture of the universe when it understands itself in God. It is further the
state of the soul in the consciousness of Divine Vision, reflected from the self-
knowing spirit.” We can see the World as a card of perfection and of peace. We
are dancing all over the world, in harmony within ourselves and with all others.
The Wheel of Fortune as card X and the World as XXI mark two key points
in the major arcana journey—the Wheel is halfway, when the Fool turns to the
second, cosmic phase of his spiritual quest, while the World is the card of
completion and renewal. Before the Wheel and the World are two cards of self-
reflection—the Hermit and Judgment (see pages 66 and 110). The World’s
number, XXI, comprises 2 and 1, adding up to III for Mother Earth, the Empress.
This fertility aspect is embedded in the World as the seed of new life and the
new tarot cycle.

THE WORLD’S ASTROLOGY

The taskmaster planet, Saturn, is the ruler of the World. The planet symbolizes
decisions and hard work and shows you deserve all your success. The four
evangelists on the card (see The World’s Symbols) link with the four elements,
the four minor arcana suits of Cups, Wands, Pentacles, and Swords, and the four
fixed signs of the zodiac—Aquarius (Air, the angel), Taurus (Earth, the bull),
Leo (Fire, the lion), and Scorpio (Water, the eagle).
THE WORLD AND KABBALA
The Hebrew letter of the World is Tav, symbolized by a cross, which can
represent the four directions and four elements of Fire, Air, Earth, and Water; the
meaning of the character is completion, the card’s message. On the Tree of Life,
the World is placed on the twenty-second pathway between Yesod and Malkuth.
Yesod means change and magic and Mulkuth, the earth itself: in combination,
the ongoing cycle of birth, life, and rebirth.

UPRIGHT MEANING
The upright card denotes triumph, completion, and reward for your efforts—and
for this reason, the World is one of the most welcome cards in a reading. It
denotes deep joy and happiness, and now you can really feel your deserved
success. Cherished projects fly, as your commitment and dedication pays off.
Life feels balanced, too, as work, relationships, finances, and domestic affairs
run smoothly.
A phase is coming to an end in a positive way, and you will be acknowledged
publicly for what you do. Now is the time to enjoy your fame, and you will have
the confidence to take center stage. If you have been waiting for a decision or
opportunity to manifest, the World will soon turn in your favor. You may also
benefit spiritually just now, living more mindfully and from the heart.
This is also a time for celebration, and in a reading, the World often reveals
anniversaries, birthdays, and parties, so it is a great card for groups and positive
group consciousness. You may also decide to venture out into the world and
travel far afield.
The World could also mean the following:

Home: A dream-home come true—whatever you have worked toward can be

yours now, whether it’s successful building work or other remodeling.
Relationships: Happiness and joy—you have a relationship that is fulfilling
and loving.
Career and money: You’re achieving your goals. An award at work, a new
position and/or promotion—the World shows you rising in status and being
given more authority. You may also receive gifts at this time.
REVERSED MEANING
When reversed, the World shows you are ready to move on but feel blocked or
don’t feel you are deserving of success. It can also show hanging on to one
ambition that eludes you—and if so, it’s time to redefine what you want and
adjust your expectations, as you may be clinging on to a dream to the exclusion
of all else. Alternatively, you may feel eclipsed by another’s shining light.
Overall, however, the negatives here are minor, and you will get what you
deserve; it may just take a little longer to become obvious. In the meantime, keep
the faith.

ITS WISDOM MESSAGE

Enjoy your success.

THE WORLD’S SYMBOLS

In the Rider-Waite tarot, the World appears with these magical symbols. Some of
them reappear in other major arcana cards, so learn to recognize them and you’ll
soon find you can apply your knowledge throughout the deck.

The angel and three creatures: The angel and the lion, bull, and eagle are the
symbols of the four evangelists—respectively Matthew, Mark, Luke and John
—associated with the Four Gospels of the New Testament. The animals also
link with the four elements and four fixed signs of the zodiac (see The
World’s Astrology).
See these symbols on card XXI, The Wheel of Fortune.
The laurel garland: The laurel symbolizes victory. It is in the shape of the
mandorla, an oval, which signifies heaven on earth and appears in religious
icons to frame holy figures.
See this symbol on card III, The Empress, and VII, The Chariot.
The garland’s ribbons: The two ribbons are tied at the top and bottom of the
garland in a figure-eight, or lemniscate, the symbol for infinity, the never-
ending cycles of time and rhythms of nature.
See this symbol on card I, The Magician, and VIII, Strength.
The world dancer: The dancer shows joy and celebration, the animus mundi
or “soul of the world” (see The Historical World).
The wands: The wands symbolize the perfect balance of opposites: complete
self-expression and the ability to make magic happen.
See this symbol on card I, The Magician.