The World from Tarot of Marseilles

Continuing the Earth Day theme, let's examine the World card from the Marseilles deck, a simple rendering from the 1800s of what has come to be the traditional female figure partially covered, wreathed in laurel leaves and cornered by the figures of an angel, eagle, lion, and bull.

These four correspond to the directions and Elementals and are associated as:

angel - Air - St. Matthew - East

eagle - Water - St. John - West

bull - Earth - St. Luke - North

lion - Fire - St. Mark - South

These associations make this and other tarot cards useful for ritual and magic, meditation and prayer.

The World is about achieving the Goal of the Hero or Fool's Journey along the path of the Major Arcana. And achieving the goal means receiving rewards and satisfaction, growth and maturation. The Marseilles' little white book mentions attaining useful relationships and contacts abroad and favorable travel. The World is about completing a circle or a unit, becoming whole; joining a community and networking. It can mean locally, on the internet, as well as globally. Travel can refer to the next city or state as well as out of the country.

What are your goals and by what signs will you know you have achieved them?