The World
The World depicts a pair of koi circling a floating earth, symbolizing completion, prosperity, and the cyclical balance of past and future. Upright, it signifies the successful conclusion of a major phase—bringing closure, accomplishment, and the need to honor lessons learned. It urges you to tie up loose ends and carry those lessons into new beginnings. Reversed, it points to incompletion, stagnation, or unresolved issues, suggesting you may be avoiding necessary steps to achieve your goals and must seek closure to move forward.
Keywords
Animal
Koi
Fun fact
Koi fish predominantly come from Eastern Asia where they symbolize a bevy of positive ideals like wealth, prosperity, love, success in business and life, and good fortune. They come in a variety of colors and can be white, black, blue, red, cream, and yellow. These fish have very long lifespans, and some—if cared for well—have been known to outlive their owners. The oldest koi in history, Hanako, lived to be 226 years old. Most koi, however, only live 30 to 40 years.
Keywords
Fulfillment, Completion, Masterpiece
Reversed keywords
Incompletion, Stagnation, Displeasure
Meaning
A pair of koi swim around a floating earth, their eyes looking both forwards and backwards, paying homage to the past while seeking out the future. In many cultures, koi and goldfish have symbolized prosperity and good fortune. The World reminds us that there is a natural order to the universe and that new beginnings are precipitated by successful completion of past challenges. Like the koi, it is best to keep the past in mind as we swim into the future. Only then can the cycle truly be complete.
Upright meaning
When upright, the World usually symbolizes the completion of a grand leg in the journey of life — perhaps a graduation, a promotion, a wedding, or the birth of a child. Something has occurred that has left you with a great sense of closure and accomplishment, and if not, then you are very, very close to crossing that finish line. Reflect on your journey thus far and appreciate the steps you have taken to get to this point. Be sure to tie up any loose ends appropriately and fairly. There are many lessons you've learned along your path. Remember them well and apply them for the future.
Reversed meaning
When reversed, the World suggests the user is seeking closure in some aspect of their life. This may refer to a past relationship, an unsatisfying experience, or the realization that something has changed in you that cannot be undone, and you are struggling to come to terms with the reality of the situation. It's not easy to make amends with the past, but finding closure will ultimately lead to a sense of clarity that is drastically escaping you in the present. This position can also imply that while you wish to fulfill a larger goal, you aren't taking the necessary steps to make it happen. There are no shortcuts that you can take to get there, and the sooner you realize that, the sooner you'll be able to move past this frustration and onto bigger and better things.
Visual Description
Two large koi-like fish, one dark and one golden-pink, circle around a stylized Earth at the center of the card. A wreath of water-like, ribbon shapes envelops the globe while tiny stars speckle the cosmic background. Swirling cloud motifs appear near the edges and the title "THE WORLD" is printed in gold letters at the bottom.
Oriens tarot
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