He walked into his compartment a few minutes before the train’s departure, sat down next to the window and took the book out of his bag. A young man with a kind face was sitting in the seat across from him and the two other passengers in the compartment were already fast asleep, lightly snoring. He was not sleepy at all. He had a few pages left in the book and he was determined to finish it before he reached his destination.

The wagon was an old one and the seats did not have reading lights. He placed the book comfortably on his lap, took out his flashlight and switched it on. His mind wandered to the evening when he collected his things and set on this journey and how he decided to take the book with him — the book he had begun to read so many times and had never finished because he just could not understand it. Now, however, he had read most of it, and understood and appreciated what had then seemed so difficult and obscure.

Soon, he was totally immersed in his reading and it took him while to realize that the young man sitting across from him was talking to him. He could only catch the end of what he said, though: a comment on how interesting his book must have been, as he seemed so absorbed in it. Annoyed at the interruption and wanting to make clear that he did not want to be disturbed again, he mumbled something and returned to his book.

He continued reading for about ten minutes when the stranger interrupted him again, this time with a question which, however, surprised rather than annoyed him.

“Do you believe in God?” his fellow passenger asked with a serious expression on his face. Then, without waiting for an answer, he began talking about God, a God he could feel intuitively and One he could love. His God.

He enjoyed listening to this stranger — almost as much as he enjoyed reading the book. The young man was talking with a grace and wisdom far beyond his years. He talked about God, virtue, happiness, freedom, knowledge and wisdom. Finally, he smiled and concluded, jokingly, “I think I will just shut up now. You can speak about these things only so much, don’t you think? Someday, I may actually have to write a whole book.” It sounded like a joke but something told him there was a fundamental truth under it.

“Happiness is not a gift of virtue, it is virtue itself,” the next line in the book said.
He turned to the last page and began to read.

>> BACK TO THE FOOL

At number 21, the Universe will end this journey in a magnificent manner.

The Fool had emerged blameless from the court where he was tried. The life he looked upon with a smile on his face reminded him how long he had been on the road. A lot had changed since he had taken the first step on this journey. That foolish child who had set out on the road had learned so much! And he could now see that the journey was coming to an end. He accepted this contentedly.

The Universe, the final card of the Major Arcana (also known as the World) is the card of completion and proficiency. An important period in your life is about to end, and is also about to bring you the end you expected, often success. All the obstacles before your target have been removed, you are about to achieve your objective.

To adapt this to worldly events, you might be graduating, and you might be reviewing your graduation thesis one last time. Or you might have set a date of engagement with your long-term fiancée. Your retirement age might have come, and you have decided to live in the countryside. Or you are about to receive your discharge papers from the army.

In a similar manner, this also might be a sign of your reaching mastery in a profession or craft. You have finally earned your professorship. You could have been elected head of department at the academy. Your consultancy is now widely sought in the profession you dedicated many years to. Who knows, you might have been nominated for the Nobel Prize.

Whatever the field may be, you have finally succeeded, as your dreams come true, you are filled with a feeling of completion and achievement. By harvesting the return of your efforts, you experience the satisfaction you dreamed of.
To approach the Universe card from a spiritual viewpoint, it is a sign that you are experiencing integration both within and with the environment you live in.

The whole world is your home, wherever you go, existence will embrace you in some way. You, too, have attained the mood and maturity to feel that you are part of this whole without discriminating on the basis of nation, country or state. So you may set out on a journey, hit the road; start a new adventure.

Because the experience you have been through, the knowledge you have gathered and the truths you have realized have brought you wisdom and virtue. You are now able to perceive yourself as a part of the universe, you sense its organic movement, and you can move in unison with it. Whatever your religion or faith, you have finally found and met your own God. This is the refinement that will bring you unconditional happiness. It will also provide you with the maturity you need in the face of worldly events…

The Universe card shows the person who draws the card that whether abstract or concrete, certain things are being completed, and coming to an end. Success and satisfaction have been achieved, and the time to be grateful and celebrate has come. The ruling planet of the card is the teacher Saturn, who awards people after myriad tests and challenges, and famed for its rigour and robustness.

the course of action is clear: Be grateful, and celebrate! Think about the time that has passed, the experiences you have had, the highs and the lows. And all the effort you made… After all this time, the universe has led you to your target, and given you the basket to go collect the fruits of your labour. So as you say “farewell” to the old, open your arms to the new, and the new you.

As the Universe card closes the Major Arcanas, if there are still some incomplete issues, then there must be a “deficiency” somewhere. Look back at time past and try to figure out whether there is anything you have skipped. You might have to go over certain points where you chose to cut corners. If you haven’t got results despite making a great effort, then your aim might require more of a struggle than you imagined, so hang in there. If there was a junction where you strayed from your path, then get closer to it so you can focus on it. Being so close to the end, if you feel your energy levels drop so low that you cannot continue, recharge yourself. Because the outcome will be worth your toil and replenish you with brand new energy.

And ultimately… Even if a cycle has been completed, the wheel keeps on turning, the earth and the sky continue to move. Like every ending, this is also a beginning, and although you are experiencing a metamorphosis, you are, once again, a Fool. After all, the world is huge, the universe is infinite; and you find yourself, once again, at the beginning of a new path.

>> BACK TO THE FOOL