The World XXI in the Rider Waite Tarot

The World (XXI) Rider Waite Smith Tarot

The World Rider Waite Smith : meaning and interpretation

Major Arcana
Arcana
Major
Element Earth
Element
Earth
Planet Saturn
Planet
Saturn

Generally speaking, The World is the card of fulfilment, plenitude and total harmony. It marks the end of an important journey, the completion of a cycle, and the entry into a new dimension of freedom and awareness. This is a card of lasting success, inner peace and personal radiance. It indicates that you are in your rightful place, in clarity, stability and alignment with your essence. It can symbolise travel, enriching encounters, successful projects, or a feeling of fluidity in all areas of life. The World is also a symbol of reconnection with yourself and the universe – a moment of grace when everything aligns and becomes clear. It invites you to celebrate what you’ve become, to honour how far you’ve come, and to welcome the new cycle with confidence and gratitude.

RWS Tarot : Arcana The World readings

Love / Sentimental reading
with the card The World

In the sentimental domain, The World is a card of blossoming love, completeness and deep union. For couples, it represents a stable, balanced relationship in which everyone has found their place. It can also herald an important commitment: marriage, a civil union, building a home together or the birth of a child. It evokes a sacred union, free and conscious, where love flows naturally. For singles, The World indicates that you are ready to welcome a sincere relationship, because you now feel complete within yourself. It may herald an important encounter with someone from abroad or from another cultural or spiritual circle. This card celebrates love fulfilled, free of all dependence, in total openness to the other. It is the sign of a luminous, harmonious bond based on maturity and respect.

Professional / Work reading
with the card The World

Professionally, The World is a card of full achievement: you have reached a summit, completed a major cycle or successfully brought a project to a close. It symbolises recognition, achievement and mastery in your field. You shine, you inspire, and you’re in your rightful place. It can also mean international openness, networking or projects that extend beyond the usual borders. If you’ve been waiting for a change or an opportunity, The World assures you that everything will fall into place smoothly. It values competence, clarity and experience. It can also herald a new stage to come after this achievement: a change of job, a chosen retraining, but in a spirit of continuity and growth. You are in full professional expression.

Financial / Material / Money reading
with the card The World

Financially, The World is a very favourable card. It speaks of balanced abundance, material security and success in managing your resources. It can signal the end of a cycle of debts or difficulties, replaced by lasting stability. It evokes an affluence achieved through your past efforts, a clear vision of your real needs, and your ability to integrate the notion of flow: giving, receiving, investing, sharing. The World encourages you to use your abundance consciously, in a spirit of contribution and gratitude. It can also represent earnings from abroad, from a global business, or from an online activity. It is a card of balance: you have neither too much nor too little, you are in tune with your resources, and this brings you peace and freedom.

Family reading
with the card The World

In the family sphere, The World evokes an atmosphere of rediscovered harmony, mutual acceptance and wholeness. It can signal the end of a conflict, the reconciliation of a group, or simply a feeling of peace within the home. It is a card for family celebrations: weddings, births, important reunions or significant family trips. It also suggests a sense of intergenerational cohesion – everyone finding their rightful place in the family constellation. It can also represent the success of a joint project, such as moving house, building a house or passing on an inheritance. The World invites you to experience family ties in a spirit of acceptance and benevolence, without exaggerated expectations, but in recognition of what is. It’s a map of completeness in the roots, where you can finally move forward freely, at peace with your lineage.

Spiritual reading
with the card The World

Spiritually, The World is a card of ultimate realisation, unified consciousness and alignment with the soul. It marks the end of a great cycle of evolution: you’ve been through trials, illusions and rebirths, and you’re now in a state of inner fluidity. You’re at peace with yourself, you feel connected to the Whole, and you’ve found meaning in your path. This is a card of expansion of consciousness, of openness to the divine, but without effort: everything happens naturally. It also represents a spirituality that is incarnate, alive and integrated into everyday life. The World invites you to celebrate this union with yourself and with the world – an awakened consciousness that rejects nothing, that embraces everything. It can also herald an openness to spiritual teaching, transmission, or a soul mission fully embraced.

5-Card spread
The World and its positions in a 5-card draw.

The World (XXI) Rider Waite Smith Tarot

Want to better understand how to interpret the card The World according to its position in a cross drawing? What does it symbolise as a situation, obstacle, resource, piece of advice or way out? Explore its many facets and find a detailed reading of the card The World in every position of the 5-card cross spread Rider Waite.