‘The World’ Paul Foster Case Tarot Card
This article consists of a detailed YouTube and written presentation of The World Tarot Card as depicted by Paul Foster Case, and forms part of a series on this most esoteric deck.
We will be using the world as a starting point in this series, usually considered the last card, but we are looking at the process of progression in the major arcana in reverse.
When we come to a spiritual path we do so having been brought to this point either through some spiritual experience that has changed our perspective of life, or through a calling that life is more than just our experience in the world of the senses.
Paul Foster Case states:
“The World is the commoner Title. Sometimes the Key is named ‘The Universe’ to indicate that the consciousness it represents is not merely terrestrial, but truely cosmic.”
p206. Tarot: A Key to the Wisdom of the Ages
This is exemplified by The ‘Universe’ Trump in the Thoth Deck:
Numerological Association of the World Card
It has the number 21. This is the sum of the first 6 Tarot Cards in the traditional sequence (1+2+3+4+5+6) = 21.
In this series we will see that the sixth card, The Lovers, actually represents Enlightenment, which will be explained in detail later.
So we are really ripping up the traditional major arcana tarot sequence here and loooking at the deck from a completely different perspective.
Since the last Card of our sequence is The Fool, it implies once the Initiate attains Enlightenment, there are further lessons or steps which could be learnt, and this will be explained later in the course.
Astrological Association of the World Card
The World is associated with the planet Saturn, which was the last of the traditional planets to be discovered. It symbolised the limit of our solar system and so the planet itself is naturally associated with limits.
Paul Foster Case states:
We have a power which is active in meditation, which is the source of those apparent limitations which make us seek a way of escape from bondage
p.206 Tarot: A Key to the Wisdom of the Ages
We will now apply some of the keywords of Saturn to its starting point on the spiritual journey:
Authority Figures = Do we have a Spiritual Master, teacher or inner guides ?
Boundaries = Our spiritual path often begins with the limits we have in our spiritual awareness. This is something we want to overcome. We also need to establish boundaries in our mundaine life so we have time for our spiritual practise.
Discipline/structure = Necessary ingredients on our path. We need a certain amount discipline to meditate reguarly and structuring our time can greatly help in establishing an effective meditation routine.
We also need to be mindful that over time our life circumstances may change and so we also need a flexibility in our approach to our path.
Responsibility/ Duty = Are we taking responsibility for our path and life in general?
Karma/Effort = We have karma associated with this life and past lives.
Time = Time to spend on our practise. Also time changes depending on our state of awareness. There are planes of consciousness where time is not like earth time, and others where time does not exist at all (Enlightenment).
Fears/inhibitions = Things we need to let go of.
Astrological links to the other major trumps are shows below. Saturn is exalted in Libra. It shares rulership with Uranus of Aquarius (The Star) and Uranus is linked to The Fool.
Hebrew Association of the World Tarot Card
Tau / Tav has a few word associations:
- Signature/Mark/ Pledge = When I started my spiritual path in 1985, I joined a meditation group and there were certain lifestyle pledges to make. This was not uncommon although today we have less rules and regulations compared to years ago.
I pledged to:
- Be vegetarian
- No alcohol or recreational drugs.
- Meditate 2 hours a day, and on 6 hour meditate weekly.
So we can now link this Hebrew letter with the qualities of Saturn discussed above.
2. Cross of Equal Arms:
3. This can be linked with the fixed signs of the Zodiac discussed below. It is the cross of limits, a theme of this card.
4. The cross is also mentioned in the Old Testament as a mark on the forehead which, in Christian Mysticism, is related to salvation from the cycles of Birth and Death shown in the Wands of the World Card. It is the opening of the Third Eye and the revelation of the 1000 Petaled Lotus, of the Spiritual Light within.
Symbolism of the World Tarot Card
Ellipse = 5 units wide, 8 units in height.
The fraction 8 divided by 5 is 1.6 which approximates the Golden Ratio or Phi.
This ratio is seen throughout nature ranging from the bee honeycomb, nautilus shells, water, roses, sunflowers, snowflakes, music, architecture, art, the planets, galaxy, animals, symbol of Man, the microcosm, and DNA.
In the Key to the Tarot by Paul Foster Case it is shown diagrammatically in relationship to the Hexagrams, again reinforcing the axiom hinted with the wreath bindings on the card:
“That which is above is also below.”
It hints at the perfection of life as well as the oneness behind everything. The egg from which creation (the 2 Hexagrams) form.
The ellpise is made of 22 separate parts (representing the 22 paths in Qabala of the 22 Major Arcana. Each part has 3 separate leaves.
3 Leaves = Represent the 3 gunas, or 3 modes Cardinal, Fixed, Mutable. It implies the need to free ourselves from the Fixed nature of the Card represented by the 4 fixed zodiac signs in the corners. We need to be active (Cardinal) in following our spiritual goals, as well as having enough flexibility (Mutable) to be able to change our viewpoints when they no longer serve our highest good. The Fixed quality show in our perseverence and determination.
The logo for my meditation group back in 1985 was ‘Truth through Perseverence’, so here again im applying as much of this card as I can to my personal spiritual journey, rather than just giving a philosophical overview of the card.
2 Wands = One spirals inward, the other outward. They represent the ‘in and out breath of creation’ or cycles of time called Prayalaya in Hindu Texts, and also the cycle of the Soul incarnating into a human form and then reincarnating after physical death. On Enlightenment the soul is released from this cycle as, consciousness resides in the ONE, that has never died and never been born.
Right Leg Forward/ Looking Right = Traditionally in scripture, the right side represents the spiritual side, the left the mundane.
The Four Fixed Zodiac Signs
The four figures represent the four fixed signs of the zodiac: the Bull to Taurus; the Lion to Leo; the Eagle to Scorpio; the Man to Aquarius.
Lion: (Leo)
- Fixed Fire. The sense of ‘I am’. Has the creative fire and a strong sense of identity, however, being fixed, we need to trascend this level of ourself as a separate being in order to merge with the oneness that can be found on the spiritual planes of light and sound.
Eagle (Scorpio, Fixed Water)
Associated keywords and their application are:
- Depth = We need to be prepared to explore the depths of ourselves in meditation. It is a spiritual deep dive into who we really are.
- Death = the spiritual path explores life and death. The planes of light and Sound can show us level of consciousness where death does not exist.
Man (Aquarius, Fixed Air):
- Service to Humanity: Do we see our spiritual path just as a personal journey, or do we have a spiritual vision for humanity as a whole. Can we help inspire others in their spiritual practise? Being able to think outside of the box, exploring our uniquness but also seeing the limitations of it.
Ox (Taurus, Fixed Earth)
- Looks outward from the card, providing a gateway out of the fixed cross implied in the cards.
- This is significant in that its vision provides a way out of the limits of the world. My Spiritual Master was born under this sign. His vision and grace provided me with a way out of the limits I had in my meditation.
These 4 zodiac signs relate to the 4 elements which in turn represent Yod, He, Vau, He, the Name (Jehovah) of the Hebrews. Hebrew is read right to left.
This cycle plays out in the World card shown below. On my spiritual journey, as stated above, my Spiritual Master, born under the sign of Taurus, was the vehicle that I was able to break free from this cycle of reincarnation. However, this didnt happen immediately, it took several years of meditation practise so its not something that happens overnight for most people, but of course they are exceptions, and I know of a few that have done this step upon their First Initiation.
For the majority of us, its a door opening and we have the potential over time to make these realisations in meditation.
The World: A Summary of its Spiritual Significance
The above anaysis is by no means complete but it is clear that the card gives up a lot of information about our starting point on the Spiritual Path, and provides strong basis for moving on to the next Card Judgement, which i will relate to First Initiation in the Light and Sound Energies.
LINKS:
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