What Does The World Card Mean In Tarot?

In the past few centuries, tarot cards have been used for prediction. According to Allure, reading tarot cards is a magical practice, similar to astrology or spell work, that attempts to answer a question that a person presents to the cards. Each card in the tarot deck represents a person, place, or event. The symbols that correspond with these people, places, or events are represented in the Major Arcana cards, which reveal larger secrets, and the Minor Arcana cards, which reveal smaller secrets.

According to Tarot by Maisy, the Major Arcana represents the "hero's journey" or the journey one person makes from birth to death. The Major Arcana is represented by tarot cards like The Fool, which represents conception, the High Priestess, which represents the beginning of consciousness, the Empress or Emperor, which represents identity, The Lovers, which represents a first love, the Hermit, which represents self-improvement, and Death, which represents letting go (along with a few other tarot cards, of course).

The Minor Arcana cards, on the other hand, deal with more mundane matters, like dancing, drinking, sleeping, or even fighting with others. These cards are divided into four suits — the Page or Princess, Knight, Queen, and King — and contain a number from ace to 10 that marks the time of the event in question from the beginning (the ace) to the end (10), per Allure.

The World card depicts a naked woman wrapped in a purple cloth, holding two wands in her hands. This woman is surrounded by four figures — a lion, bull, cherub, and an eagle — that represent the four fixed signs of the Zodiac, Leo, Taurus, Aquarius, and Scorpio, per Biddy Tarot. The World tarot card is the very last card of the Major Arcana and represents the end of a cycle and the beginning of a brand new cycle, according to Mindbodygreen. The true meaning of the World tarot card also depends on whether you pull it upright or reversed (upside down).

When you pull an upright World tarot card, it signifies a sense of achievement, completion, or fulfillment like graduation from school, marriage, the birth of a child, or the opening of your own business. After pursuing your dream throughout the hero's journey, you have reached a positive conclusion (or are very close to achieving a conclusion of sorts), according to Biddy Tarot.

While those who pull a reverse World tarot card have reached a conclusion to some aspect of their lives, it isn't always a positive one. Pulling a reverse version of the World tarot card might mean that you are ready to move on from an idea, relationship, or another aspect of your life that is no longer right for you, like a toxic partner or bad business idea, per Biddy Tarot. The reverse World card could also mean that you have not yet put in the work required to reach your goals.