The World Card: A Tale of Two Completions

In the grand tapestry of the Major Arcana, no card sings a sweeter, more triumphant song than the World. It is the final note in a symphony that began with the Fool’s first step, representing the ultimate achievement, wholeness, and the successful conclusion of a monumental cycle. But how this "completion" is visualised can vary beautifully between decks, offering unique shades of meaning to this universal truth.

Most of us know the World through the lens of the Rider-Waite-Smith tradition.

There, a nude dancer floats within a vibrant laurel wreath, a symbol of victory. In each hand, she holds a wand, representing balance and the conscious application of will. She is surrounded by the four fixed signs of the zodiac, the lion, eagle, human, and bull, echoing the four suits of the Minor Arcana and the four evangelists.

This card is cosmic, active, and celebratory. The dancer is in motion, even at the end, suggesting that completion is not a static destination but a harmonious, dynamic integration of all parts of the self within the universe.

When we turn to Lieselle's Eternal Tarot Deck

The energy shifts from a cosmic celebration to a deeply rooted, cyclical completion. The imagery is more introspective, drawing powerful connections not just to the cosmos, but explicitly back to the very beginning of the Fool’s journey.

Where the Rider-Waite World card shows the four fixed creatures, the Eternal Tarot presents us with the fully revealed symbols of the Minor Arcana. This is a crucial distinction.

In the Fool card of this deck, these symbols were obscured, hidden in the roots of potential. Here, they are laid bare, signifying that the seeker has not just encountered these elemental forces (Wands, Cups, Swords, Pentacles) but has truly mastered and integrated their lessons.

It’s the difference between holding the tools and having the wisdom to use them as one.

This theme of integration is further deepened by two profound symbols: the Ouroboros and the Fish.

The Ouroboros, the serpent eating its own tail, is a universal symbol of eternity. In the context of the World, it powerfully states that every ending is fuel for a new beginning. This aligns with the dancer’s eternal motion in the RWS card, but the Eternal Tarot frames it more explicitly as a cycle of "life, death, and rebirth."

The Fish, however, introduces a beautifully unique metaphor. It’s the salmon’s arduous journey to spawn...a great adventure that is, at its heart, a return to origins. This, combined with the presence of the white flower that first appeared with the Fool, creates a profound narrative loop.

The Rider-Waite card implies the cycle; the Eternal Tarot explicitly shows you the starting point, making the completion feel even more personal and earned. It whispers that we are never truly far from where we began, only vastly transformed.

Finally, the most striking visual contrast: the Fool of this deck is light, and the World is dark. This isn't a descent into shadow, but a representation of the ultimate duality and completeness. It embraces the full spectrum of experience, acknowledging that a journey fully lived contains both illumination and obscurity, joy and sorrow.

This dark world is rich, fertile, and whole, much like the soil from which new life springs.

So, which World do we see? The Rider-Waite offers us the cosmic dancer, celebrating her victory in the centre of a vibrant, living universe. It is an ecstatic, outward expression of success.

Lieselle's Eternal Tarot, meanwhile, gives us the sovereign of the cycle. It is a card of quiet, profound realisation, of seeing the entire journey from start to finish and understanding one's place within the eternal loop.

It emphasises the return, the reflection, and the beautiful, dark fertility from which the next Fool will inevitably emerge.

In the end, both cards arrive at the same glorious conclusion: you have done it.

You are whole.

But one invites you to dance under the stars, while the other invites you to look back at the path you've walked, see the seeds you planted now in full bloom, and prepare, once again, to begin.

The Journey Comes Full Circle

From the Fool’s first step to The World’s quiet completion, every card in Lieselle’s Eternal Tarot tells a story of transformation. This deck invites you to move beyond simple interpretation; into reflection and the eternal dance between light and shadow.
Each card is a mirror, guiding you not just to see your path, but to walk it with awareness.

Own the Eternal Tarot