This is the last of the Major Arcana deck; number 21, the World. It is visually beautiful; a naked woman or hermaphrodite dances above the Earth holding a staff in both hands, sourrounded in a green wreath observed by four different creatures. In ancient decks there was a human face instead of the woman. The four animals represent the symbols of the four evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. It also resembles a vision of Ezequiel from the Old Testament. According to astrological interpretation the beasts are the signs of the Zodiac: Aquarius, Taurus, Leo and Scorpio.
Even in some decks the wreath is a legendary basilisk that bites its own tail known as Ourobouros.
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| Alchemical woodcut of the Seal of Solomon with Ouroboros |
Generally it represents completion. In ancient Kabbalah, it can be associated to the sephirot or sphere of light named Malkuth (kingdom) which is at the end of the Tree of Life and is considered the link between the material and the spriritual realm. An explanation of Malkuth:
Malkuth represents the physical world of matter, the final stage in the descent into matter, the lowest point on the great arc of evolution. If Kether has within it the idea of all created life, unfolded like the oak in the acorn, then Malkuth represents life's most complete expression. If Kether is the alpha of the universe, then Malkuth is its omega.A passage from the Bible illustrates the idea of this last:
Gen 1:29-30 - "And Elohim said, 'Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat.' And it was so."
It's also been related with one of the last chakras, number 7 meaning knowledge. This is revealed as the ultimate state of consciousness, the end of a journey; identification with the Universe and Nirvana.
In Tarot readings the World can have the following meanings:
- Fulfillment, accomplishment, success, integration, involvement, prospering, satisfaction, good feelings, wholeness.
Compare the meaning of the World with an example from the Alchemic treatise named "Paradoxa Emblemata", "It Is Finished When Seven Are One," which represents the planets.
"'The curse of God has entered the seven figures, so they are in conflict with one another.' Just as the human will was transformed 'into eternal sun, calm in God,' 'so in the Philosophical Work must all figures be transformed into one, into Sol. From seven must come one, and yet it remains in seven but in one desire, as every figure desires the others in love, so there is no longer any conflict.' (Jacob Böhme, De signatura rerum). D.A. Freher, Paradoxa Emblemata, manuscript 18th century."IN MARILYN MANSON´S ART:
As always Manson does have many different levels of interpretation, but here´s one based on what we learned from the Tarot.
In Marilyn Manson's 'universe' back in 1998 when Mechanical Animals came out it included numerous alchemical references. Several messages were hidden and spread among the booklet and could only be seen placing the blue jewel box against the yellow lettering, revealing as green.
"I no longer knew if Coma White was real or just a side effect,"(sic) "Now children it's time for recess, please roll up your sleeves," "A sun with no planets, burning in circles", "Even machines can see that we are dead", and "In the end I became them and I led them/ After all none of us really qualified as humans/ We were hardworn, automatic and as hollow as the 'o' in God/ I reattatched my emotions cellular and narcotic/ From the top of Holywood it looked like space/ Millions of capsules and Mechanical Animals/ A city filled with dead stars and a girl I called Comawhite/ This is my Omēga."Omēga is a loose reference to the last letter of the Greek alphabet, as well as to the phrase from the book of Revelation, "I am the Alpha and the Omega". (the beginning and the end). Thus, Omēga is the end.
Also, a hidden track was found when Mechanical Animals was played as an Enhanced CD.
IN THE END I BECAME AND I LED THEM / AFTER ALL NONE OF US REALLY QUALIFIED AS HUMANS / WE WERE HARDWORN AUTOMATIC AND AS HOLLOW AS THE "O" IN GOD / I REATTACHED MY EMOTIONS CELLULAR AND NARCOTIC / FROM THE TOP OF HOLLYWOOD IT LOOKED LIKE SPACE / MILLIONS OF CAPSULES AND MECHANICAL ANIMALS / A CITY FILLED WITH DEAD STARS AND A GIRL I CALLED COMAWHITE / THIS IS MY OMĒGA.
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| Manson as the androgynous Omēga |
We were hardworn, automatic and as hollow as the 'o' in GodThe letter "O" could also symbolize the round space in the wreath as well the round space where the Mercury Symbol rests. The hollowness then could mean that there are no elements to continue the act of creation, like a void.
According to our own interpretation the "world" could be referred to "consciousness" or "completion" so then it could also be tied with the idea of unconsciousness or being comatose, thus Coma White.
Coma White was once described by Manson as a feminine figure that was to be the symbol of perfection. Ironically it is labeled as an "artificial perfection" made by man and not by the actual God. So in the end, Coma White represents some of the opposite values of the World, which are:
REVERSED TAROT CARD MEANING:
- Unchanging, inability to conclude a task, loss of purpose, imperfection, delay, waiting, lack of vision
In other words, Coma White is a destructive vice. And, ironically Omēga epitomizes this spiritual Apocalypse to bring change and transition into a new levels a destructive vice. And, ironically Omēga epithomizes this spiritual Apocalypse to bring change and transition into a new level; a new world, and higher level of self.
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| The stages of coma, compare to idea of "consciousness". |
I chose a particular Marilyn Manson song that helps to illustrate the reference to the Tarot Card ; the opening track from Mechanical Amimals "Great Big White World". Omēga, a mysterious androgynous alien-like figure falls on Earth.
GREAT BIG WHITE WORLD
(written by White, Jeordie;Bier, Stephen;Linton, Timothy;Warner, Brian)
In space the stars are no nearer
They just glitter like a morgue
And I dreamed I was a spaceman
Burned like a moth in a flame
And our world was so fucking gone
But I'm not attached to your world
Nothing heals and nothing grows
Because it's a great big white world and we are drained of our colors
We used to love ourselves, we used to love another
All my stiches itch
My prescription's low, I wish you were queen just for today
In a world so white what else could I say?
And hell was so cold
All the vases are so broken
And the roses tear our hands all open
Mother marry miscarry
And we pray just like insects
The world is so ugly now
Because it's a great big white world and we are drained of our colors
(chorus repeat)
