Globe and orb in tarot
The orb, a sphere often topped by a cross, has been carried by European monarchs since the early Middle Ages as a sign of rule over the world, and painters gave one to Christ as Saviour of the World. In the Waite-Smith deck the Emperor holds a golden orb, the Empress's sceptre ends in a globe, the King of Pentacles bears a sceptre topped by an orb, and the man on the battlements of the Two of Wands holds a small globe in his hand. Readers take it as dominion, worldly reach and the whole world held as a possession or a plan.
Cards that show globe and orb
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The Empress
The Empress: The sceptre and globe
She holds a short golden sceptre topped with a round globe. Waite calls it 'the globe of this world': her rule is over the earth and living things, not over doctrine or armies.
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The Emperor
The Emperor: The golden orb
A golden orb rests in his left hand. A royal emblem since the Middle Ages, it stands for dominion over the world: the Emperor holds his territory, quite literally, in the palm of his hand.
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Two of Wands
Two of Wands: The globe
A small globe, coloured green and red, rests in the man's hand like an apple. It is the world made portable: reach, ambition, everything beyond the castle. Holding it, the card quietly points out, is not the same as travelling it.
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King of Pentacles
King of Pentacles: The orb sceptre
In his right hand he holds a sceptre topped with a golden orb. Orb and sceptre are traditional signs of worldly rule: authority over the material world.