Some Tarot readers choose to read all cards as upright, regardless of their position. Others choose to interpret reversed (upside down) cards that appear in a Tarot spread as having a different meaning. But these meanings are much more than simply the opposite of the upright meaning. Reversed Tarot meanings are complex and deserving of study, if you choose to read reversed cards at all.
For those who do interpret reversed meanings, the World reversed can imply that you won't be happy to see this particular phase of your life come to an end. In other case, the ending in question can't come fast enough for you and that, indeed, it is still some way off into the future.
The World is the twenty-first card of the Major Arcana of the Tarot. It is the embodiment of accomplishment, satisfaction, and a feeling of wholeness.
The Symbolism of the World Card
This card is represented by a naked woman dancing high in the sky, surrounded by a green wreathe. She is watched by four creatures — a human, a bull, a lion, and an eagle. These represent the four fixed zodiac signs — Aquarius, Taurus, Leo, and Scorpio. The woman is the sacred center of all things.
The World bears the number “21,” and it's associated with a feeling of completeness for the Fool, who encounters the World after his meeting with Judgment.
The General Interpretation of the World Tarot Card
When appearing in a spread, this card implies a sense of integration and achievement. It is a period of triumph and victory, of the conclusion of a journey. This card usually indicates that a goal has been reached after much hard work and toil.
It is also the beginning; the place where the Fool spent his innocent youth; the point where he stood as he was about the step off the cliff. It is the source of all things. The cycle of the Major Arcana ends where it began. The circle is complete.
The Inner Meaning of the World in Tarot
The World is associated with the experience of wholeness. This image of completeness is the ideal goal, sometime to be eternally strived for. However, this concept is not something that can be possessed, but rather something that must be lived. Perfection is beyond the reach of all, but the inner peace represented by this card is achievable.
This card, the World, is the final card of the Major Arcana, and so it is the end of the Fool’s long journey. It is the culmination of many trials and errors, and lessons learned. However, this card is also the seed of new life, the beginning of a new and unique journey. The Fool will once again start on his path to enlightenment, journeying through the Major Arcana, as if for the first time. And so the cycle continues.
The Fool will bide here a while, safe within the sense of completeness and oneness, before he once again becomes the Fool, and steps off the cliff onto his journey toward enlightenment.
The World is encountered by the Fool after he meets Judgment. He will bide here a while before he once again becomes the Fool, and steps off the cliff onto his journey toward enlightenment.
Some Tarot readers read reversed (upside down) meanings during their Tarot readings. You may choose to reversed meanings when a card appears upside down, or you may read all cards as upright. If you wish to readall cards as upright, simply turn all reversed cards so they are upright. If you wish to read reversed meanings into your Tarot cards, some reversed cards have very specific meanings. Judgement is one of these cards.
The reversed, or negative, version of this card denotes dissatisfaction with the outcome of a project or a phase of life. You may be displeased because you didn't try hard enough or because the project just didn't work. There are lessons to be learned here, but nevertheless, it is time to move on and try something else. If legal matters are in the air, this is a warning that they may not work out to your satisfaction.
Judgment is the twentieth card of the Major Arcana of the Tarot. It is the embodiment of judgment, rebirth, and absolution.
The Symbolism of the Judgment in Tarot
This card is represented by an angel blowing a great trumpet. From this trumpet hangs a white flag with a red cross. Three humans with grey skin stand in the foreground — a woman, man, and child. They appear to be emerging from crypts.
Judgment bears the number “20,” and is the bringer of judgment for the Fool after his encounter with the Sun.
The General Interpretation of the Judgment Tarot Card
When appearing in a spread, this card implies a time when rewards for past efforts are finally attained. It is a time of reflection, a time to acknowledge that the future is not one imposed by fate or destiny, but one that has been shaped by you and you alone. This card is not always positive, for the rewards earned may be negative in nature.
Judgment heralds the end of a certain chapter of life. However, unlike the Death card, it does not imply mourning. Instead, it refers to the reflection of all that has passed, and a contemplation of what will soon be.
The Fool must now answer for all that he has done on his journey. He must make atonement for the bad while accepting praise and reward for the good.
The Inner Meaning of the Judgment Card
Judgment is the image of the process of judgment, a process which occurs at certain critical phases of life. The consequences of experiences until this point must be understood and accepted. The rising dead are representative of these experiences returning to you when the time of judgment has come. This is neither good nor bad; it simply is.
The Fool realizes that he has been traveling toward this singular experience ever since he stepped of the cliff so long ago. He knows that every choice he has made, every path he has taken, must be accounted for. There are moments he is proud of, and decisions that shame him. He must accept the good and the bad, and he must learn to move past them, once atonement has been made.
The Fool encounters Judgment after he meets the Sun, while on the path to his meeting with the World.
