The Wild Unknown Tarot - The World XXI

Sulis

In the center of the card we find a complex sphere made up of interconnected rings. In the background is a dark, starry sky. The sky gets lighter as we reach the bottom of the card, suggesting the duality of light and dark, conscious and unconscious. The imagery makes me think of life and spiritual energy concentrated together (much like our literal planet earth) and surrounded by a vast, mysterious Universe.

The sphere’s core is a bright, emanating white. This reminds me of an energetic center of spirit, bursting forth to infuse all of creation. The second ring is comprised of flowers and seems to represent non-sentient life (plants, water, earth, fungi, etc). The third ring looks like snake skin and could represent sentient life (animals and humans).
The final ring is the hardest for me to interpret. It looks like an energetically colorful piano! This could represent the senses of unity, purpose, and LOVE that protect and complete the previous layers.

The circle itself invokes a sense of wholeness. It has no beginning and no end. Regardless of our current challenges and emotional turmoil, we are always, already complete beings. We only need to shift our perspective, to zoom out and see the whole picture. We are perfect in our imperfections. Everything will be okay, everything is okay. Everything have purpose, everyone is cosmologically significant, all are connected. The Universe is creating a story, and we are essential to the plot.

I love the way you've described this card happyfish and your final paragraph in particular really helps me to get more of a grasp on the symbolism used and how it relates to the image..

This is a card I really was struggling with until I posted about it here.. This discussion has helped me a lot :).
 

inanna_tarot

I too have struggled with the imagery of this card. Thank you all for your insights :)
 

Laura Borealis

When I first saw this card I was reminded of the old engravings of the geocentric universe (Ptolemaic cosmology) where the earth is at the center, surrounded by the spheres of the moon, sun, and planets. The inmost spheres are the elements, fire air water and earth.

Here instead we have that light at the center, that energy that's within everything. Then the circles of plant and animal life, and enfolding them is the shimmering rainbow sphere (fire? ether? spirit?) Surrounding it all is the cosmos.

happyfish's interpretation really helped me with what I was seeing, so thank you :)
 

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happyfish

Thanks, guys! I'm glad some of you found my interpretation helpful. I've found all the posts in this thread useful. This whole deck is deep, but this card in particular is endlessly intriguing. :)
 

Pixna

I appreciate your interpretation too, Happyfish -- it's extremely insightful and helpful. And Laura Borealis, what a fascinating comparison image! Wow! Thanks for sharing that!
 

bennettwilliams

I drew this card on a single yes/no question reading. I am asking if my job search to be a teacher in Chattanooga will be successful. My girl lives there, and I am trying to relocate there. All of these meanings in this card make it sound like things are going to work out, but I would love if one of you could break this card down to the simple answer. Thanks in advance.
 

Kgirl

I drew this card on a single yes/no question reading. I am asking if my job search to be a teacher in Chattanooga will be successful. My girl lives there, and I am trying to relocate there. All of these meanings in this card make it sound like things are going to work out, but I would love if one of you could break this card down to the simple answer. Thanks in advance.

I would see the World as a definite yes and it has been a yes for me in past readings. To me the World suggests achieving your goal, successful completion, attain the ultimate position or status in a situation, tying up loose ends. An interesting side note: if you download the Wild Unknown tarot app it has a series of spreads including a yes/no spread. If you get the World card there, it interprets the World as a 'no' and the explanation is that the opportunity has passed.
 

bennettwilliams

Well, crap. The app is where I "drew" the card. Though I asked the same question a couple nights previous with my real RW deck, and I drew the ace of pentacles.
 

Kgirl

Well, crap. The app is where I "drew" the card. Though I asked the same question a couple nights previous with my real RW deck, and I drew the ace of pentacles.

Oh right! The Ace of Pentacles is a very good sign. Will be surprised if you don't get it. Good luck! :)
 

Sulis

Moderator note

Just a reminder that the threads in this sub-forum (study group) are meant as places to discuss the symbolism of the cards, not readings you may have done..

Readings that you need help with should be posted in Your Readings and when you post there you need to interpret each card yourself (not the app's interpretation so it's best to use physical cards or just use the app to draw the cards then interpret them yourself) and then leave feedback for each person who replies..

I've not removed any posts but please don't post any more readings in the study group unless they are purely to demonstrate how the symbolism on the cards is working..

Sulis - moderator