XI Justice - 'No Justice, No Peace'
The Fool has survived the dizzying ups and downs of the Wheel of Fortune and is ready to face the 'Justice' archetype. Numbered 'XI' in the Rider-Waite-Smith ordering of the Major Arcana, Justice can be found at number 'VIII' in place of Strength in other Tarot systems, such as the Marseille or the Thoth. See my comments about Arthur Waite's decision to switch the order of these two cards in the Strength card study here.
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| 'Justice' from the Eight Coins' Tattoo Tarot by Lana Zellner |
JUSTICE - No Justice, No Peace
KEYWORDS
Justice. Balance. Adjustment. Universal equilibrium. Fairness. Equality. Truth. Consequences. Law. Lawsuits. Trials. Courtrooms. Judges. Lawyers. Legal issues. Fines.
Injustice. Imbalance. Unfairness. Lies. Impunity. Legal complications. Inequality. Outlaw. Systemic prejudice. Self-righteousness.
THE LIGHT
The Justice card is very straightforward in its symbolism. The image of an often blindfolded Lady Justice, holding the scales in one hand and a sword in the other, is familiar to many of us. Her likeness adorns the halls of countless secular courthouses and statues have been erected in her honor throughout history. Justice is a fundamental concept in free societies and is at the core of the establishment of our Constitutions and Human Rights Charters.
It would be natural to assume that this card is mainly about our legal concept of justice. That is certainly one aspect of this archetype, but it's not the most important one. When looking at it through the lens of the Fool's journey, it becomes apparent that 'Justice' is about a lot more than mere legalities. It's about a certain universal truth that is a part of our soul's very essence.
The Justice Tarot archetype speaks to our innate sense of right and wrong and our reverence for what is true and just. It's about fairness, balance and equality. Concepts so fundamental, they're part of our very essence and we feel their force even before we're taught what they're called. From the moment we become aware of our own self, as separate entities from our mother, our first instinct when wronged is to cry out: "It's not fair!"
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| 'Justice' variations from left to right: The Ostara Tarot, the Elemental Power Tartot and the White Sage Tarot |
This card can appear when balance and truth need to be restored in our lives; when a wrong or an injustice is committed and amends need to be made. It may show up as a warning that our behavior is about to catch up to us. Justice doesn't necessarily predict actual legal punishment, but it does warn about the consequences of our actions if we have unfairly and willingly caused harm.
Justice can also indicate legal situations such as trials, courtroom hearings, divorce proceedings, accusations or legal threats that will ultimately turn in our favor. It can also, however, represent a person with a tendency to go through life as judge, jury and executioner. A self-righteous individual.
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| 'Justice' variations. From left to right: Les Triomphes de la Lune, the Dark Mansion Tarot and the Tarot of Marseille-Waite |
THE SHADOW
The shadow side of the Justice archetype can signify that a great injustice is being carried out with utter impunity. It can mean we're avoiding accountability for our misdeeds. It's also about damaging prejudice, inequality and discrimination, often systemic. It can represent legal complications, severe fines or a tendency to repeatedly break the law. In this shadow position, legal matters and proceedings will not turn in our favor.
The shadow Justice is also a sign that the truth is being suppressed and that lies, misconstructions and obfuscation are being used against us, to cloud our judgment. It's a sign of a crippling imbalance in our life that can't be rectified through legal means.
When this card is in a negative position it's time to take an honest look at the situation, face responsibility head-on, admit to whatever wrongs we've committed or lies we've told and strive to make the necessary amends, if only to ourselves.
LITERALLY
Justice can literally represent a lawyer, a Judge or a Supreme Court Justice.
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| 'Justice' from the Tarot of Chateau Avenieres by Eugene Vinitski and Elsa Khapatnukovski |
TAROT ACADEMIA
In his Thoth Tarot, Alistair Crowley renamed the Justice card 'Adjustment'. This term is more in keeping with the need for constant Universal balance present in this archetype. 'Adjustment' implies conscious and continuous action to keep that equilibrium steady at all times. Whereas 'Justice' suggests a much more stagnant, almost 'after the fact' structure.
This is yet another reason I connected so quickly with the Thoth when I ventured into the fascinating world of the Tarot. It's also why it took me a long time to become comfortable with the Rider-Waite-Smith. I find that, as a whole, the difference between the two decks is very similar to this subtle, but crucial, difference between 'Adjustment' and 'Justice'. The former is about movement, fluidity and adaptability, while the latter feels cluttered, static and conservative.
The Fool has entered an interesting stage in his evolution, as 'Justice' or 'Adjustment' are practical opposites to what The Fool was at the start of his travels. Our protagonist was carefree and exuberant, unconcerned with consequences and unaware of how his actions might upset the Universe's balance. The lessons learned so far are staggering. One could almost say that by understanding the true meaning of the Justice archetype, The Fool is taking his first steps into adulthood. There is still much to learn and experience, but whatever hardships are yet to come will now be all that much easier to conquer.
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| 'La Giustizia' from La Corte dei Tarocchi by Anna Maria D'Onofrio |
AN EXERCISE
Reflect upon the concept of Universal equilibrium in this archetype. The need for both light and dark, good and evil, life and death and how all aspects are needed for the whole to be in perfect balance. This will help you understand the deeper meaning of this card.