A partial Dictionary of Symbols
found in the World Spirit Tarot
(INCOMPLETE PAGE...Sorry!)
Eclipse
- The Eclipse was seen as bad news in many ancient cultures, due to the
brilliance of the sun being overcome by the 'mere' moon. Add the fact that
most paternalistic cultures associated the sun with the masculine and the moon
with the feminine, and we have a case of the female overcoming the male -- a
distinct 'no-no' in the old days.
These days, however, the moon is more often symbolic of a person's inner being, their unconscious desires, and hidden strengths. The use of the eclipse in the Strength card signifies the uncovering of quiet strength within a person by subduing the bright 'sunlit' parts of a person's being; taming the wild beast, as it were.
Fire
- Fire is seen throughout this card not only in the flames within the tree, but also symbolically in the rays of the sun and the lion's mane. Although fire is occasionally seen as destructive, it is often taken to be a sign of passion, or in more spiritual uses, as an indication of enlightenment. All the uses of the fire motif in the Strength card are seen to be surrounding the woman at the center, who remains calm despite all the fiery inducements to express her wilder side. She has found her inner strength.
Infinity
- "Lemniscate" is a mathematical term for infinity, first introduced by John Wallis in 16561. The Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot's Magician card sports a lemniscates above the magician's head, indicating his connection with the divine. In the Strength card the creators describe the woman pictured as being able to "harness without stifling her instinctual powers." To me, this depiction of a lemniscate is an apt symbol of this ability. The islands are contained, but the water in the lake continues to flow around them.
Mouse
- The tiny mouse in the Strength card is shown surrounded by a halo-like glow -- the woman has contained it's agitative and incessant nature, and thus her own.
Olive Branch
- The olive branch is a biblical symbol of peace from the story of Noah's Ark. It was brought back to the ark at the end of 40 days and nights by a dove as an indication that there was land showing above the waters at some point on earth. It was later to symbolize God's contract of peace with humanity.
Serpent
- Serpents have a variety of symbolic connections but is most often associated with the Christian story of Eve and the serpent in the Garden of Eden. In the Strength card, as well, the serpent appears entwined in the tree of flames, suggesting the woman's temptation to resort to her wild nature.
Star
The star, like the halo, is a sign of connection with the divine. The woman in the Star card is suggested to be a star herself, descended to earth to heal and bring peace. A star is also an emblem of hope, the 'light at the end of the tunnel' that is a harbinger of better days to come.
Water
Life as we know it is not possible on earth without water, yet it has no inherent shape or form of its own and has no color; it takes the shape and reflects the appearance of that which surrounds it. Thus, water is often depicted as a life-giving substance that nurtures and heals and connects. In the Star it is being poured out of containers to flow over the rocks and into the water below to heal and encouraging regrowth.
