Sources of the Waite Smith Tarot Symbols - The World

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The World

DETAIL	OCCULT	TRADITIONAL	15th CENTURY
Four beasts	Westcott	T de Marseille
Only Heads	Wirth	Minchiate
No Wings	Falconnier
Lower animals face viewer	Wirth	T de Marseille
Upper animals face each other	Etteilla III	Vieville
Clouds		T de Marseille	Charles VI
Wreathe	Wirth	T de Marseille	Rothschild
Oval	Wirth	T de Marseille
Ribbons	Wirth	T de Marseille	Rothschild
Two Ribbons	Wirth	T de Marseille
Red Ribbons		T de Marseille
Lemniscus	Wirth	T de Marseille	Rothschild
Female	Wirth	T de Marseille	Charles VI
Mature	Wirth	T de Marseille	Charles VI
Purple Drape	Etteilla	Piedmontese
Dancing	Wirth	T de Marseille
On Right Foot	Wirth	T de Marseille
Left Foot Behind	Wirth	T de Marseille
Two Wands	Westcott

Notes

1. The wreath forms the number “0,” thus balancing the Fool “0” at the beginning of the trumps. The shape also may refer to the Tattwa for Spirit. On the other hand, the cross made with the legs and the triangle made with the arms inverts the image on the Hanged Man, symbolizing that the mystical journey is completed.
   
   
2. Purple drape - This card is assigned to Saturn in the Golden Dawn system, and the color of Saturn is indigo (Regardie, p 241).
   
   
3. The figure’s arms form a triangle, and the legs form a cross. The triangle and cross combine to make an important symbol in the GD initiation rituals. The triangle and cross also form a septernary and the World card completes the third septernary of the Trumps.
   
   

Based on original research by Robert V. O'Neill. To add to this collection of information, please email Robert V. O'Neill.



http://www.tarotpassages.com/old_moonstruck/oneill/21.htm

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