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XXI
THE UNIVERSE
(Saturn, Earth)
“Thou art the entire universe of love, of delight, of joy. Let me be also thus to Thee, o coiled light within me, o wingéd snake which embraces me. In the Light and in the Night, let me be the vehicle of thy love – yea, let me be the vehicle of thy Love.”
MEDITATION COLOR: Indigo.
HEBREW LETTER: Tav, a sign, mark, or cross: Both an elemental cross showing the occupation of the Elemental Kingdom (Malkuth), and an indication of one’s pledge, agreement, subscription, or commitment.
CARD NAME: Through Tarot’s history, this Trump was usually called The World, though “world” was understood to mean “universe,” in the sense of the Latin mundus. That is, it means “all that there is,” and should not be delimited by time or space. Mundus has an unexpected history, which is worth symbolic reflection: As an ancient Mediterranean (probably Etruscan) root, it means a woman’s cosmetics! (The world – all that is – was anciently equated to a woman’s cosmetics.) Furthermore, the equivalent Greek word, kosmos, means both the universe and feminine adornment. This lends extraordinary insight into the design of the card and its symbolic meaning!
ESOTERIC MEANING: The Serving (or Administrative) Consciousness. It directs the movements of the seven planets, each in its own proper course.
TREE of LIFE: Malkuth to Yesod. (Links ‘the Kingdom’ and ‘the Foundation’; or ‘Physical Embodiment’ with ‘Subconsciousness.’ The first step along the Path of Return ascending the Tree of Life. Recognition of one’s existence in the Universe governed by specific laws. ‘The Vision of the Mechanics of the Universe.’ Opening material, sensory consciousness to astral perception.)
ESOTERIC TITLE: The Great One of the Night of Time
TANTRIC & ALCHEMICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The Seal: Completion of the Work. The universe newly formulated and manifest.
DIVINATION: The matter of the query itself. Synthesis, conclusion, the end of the matter. May mean delay, opposition, obstinacy, inertia, patience, perseverance, persistence through difficulty. The crystallization of the whole matter involved. Usually, as it denotes the actual subject of the query, it depends substantially on the accompanying cards.
