The World card points to the presiding wisdom which upholds life on this and all worlds. In most Tarot decks, it is a female figure that has become our standard World image. She originates in Hebrew, Gnostic, and Alchemical lore, and stands between heaven and Earth as the cosmic mother of souls, the wife of God, and our protector from the karmic forces we have set loose upon the Earth in our immaturity and ignorance.

The goddess of The World card invites us into cosmic citizenship -- once we come to realize our soul's potential for it. It announces the awakening of the soul's immortal being, accomplished without the necessity of dying.

This card, like the Sun, is reputed to have no negative meaning no matter where or how it appears. If the Hermetic axiom is "Know Thyself", this image represents what becomes known when the true nature of self is followed to creative freedom and its ultimate realization.