I think we can all agree Justice is a timely message for the current global and political climate. As I’m writing this, dignitaries from over 200 countries are gathering in New York for the United Nations Global Assembly. To say that tensions are high is an understatement.
We’re all familiar with the concept of Justice with a capital J, but what does it really mean? To some, it could mean a quality of being fair, of being right. To others, it could mean a system put in place to punish wrongdoings. To others, it can mean equal rights for all groups within a society. When you think of the word Justice, what comes to mind for you?
In tarot, Justice is a card of honest reckoning. She is a woman seated between two pillars, just like The High Priestess and the Hierophant, and she is crowned just like they are. In her left hand, she holds a sword: a symbol of logic, intellect, and discernment — held upright towards the heavens. In her right hand, she holds the scales: ready to measure what is versus what is claimed. She stands at the threshold between actions and consequences.
That’s all good and well, but what does it really mean for us in our everyday lives? Well, Justice can absolutely refer to courts, legal systems, or external judgements. Justice can also refer to the fight for fairness and equality for all. She can also represent social contracts: the systems we “sign up for” to live collectively in a society. But what she really stands for is actions, and corresponding re-actions.
In life, we have to be accountable for our actions, and we need to be honest about our internal and external systems. It’s not an easy thing to do. It’s much easier for us to point the finger at a person or a system and say that isn’t fair. We can’t control others, and we can’t always control systems, so the internal reckoning becomes: If it isn’t fair, then what am I going to do about it? Often times, the answer is nothing. And that’s a truth we have to reckon with.
If every action (or inaction) has an equal reaction, then what actions (or inactions) are aiding a system of Justice (or Injustice)?
Let me break this down for you, because Justice can get very complex, especially from an Evolutionary Tarot perspective. Let’s say you’re in a relationship with someone, and the relationship hasn’t been going well for quite some time: you feel mistreated, you feel there’s unfairness, and there’s a undercurrent of injustice throughout. You may speak to your friends and family and say, “My partner is mistreating me. My partner is being unjust.”
But the true nature of Justice means you have to reckon with the fact that where you are, right now, in this unfair relationship has been the culmination of many actions — both theirs and yours.
Sometimes we have to reckon with the fact that our actions, over time, brought us to where we are. Truths were buried, red flags were overlooked, and delusions took hold. So then the question becomes: can we recognize that? Can we understand that in life sometimes all we can really do is hold ourselves accountable for our truth and our actions? And in that same way, can we become impeccable in our actions? Can we accept the responsibility of selecting actions that are truthful and aligned with who we are, and what we value?
The answer for a lot of people is no — and that’s just the hard truth. The figure of Justice in tarot wears a crown, because she is an absolute authority. And she doesn’t care about your feelings, your excuses, or your overly complicated explanations. She just sees what is, and the scales balance themselves.
If you feel dragged by that comment, by Justice’s nature, then you have something to examine within yourself. Because Justice can definitely liberate — but liberation isn’t always comfortable. Hell, truth isn’t always comfortable. So ask yourself: at what point did comfort take precedence over your truth and your actions? Mhmm…….
Listen: don’t go backwards, now. If you want to reduce the meaning back to “being fair/unfair” then you do yourself an injustice all over again — which is the whole point I’m trying to make. The patterns are patterning.
So this week, I’d like to invite you to tell yourself the truth. I’d like for you to weigh your options honestly. I’d like for you to consider your values and your integrity system. And I’d like for you to believe that peace exists on the other side of this honest evaluation. Because self-love is authenticity. And you can’t be authentic if you’re not living in your truth.
As always, if you’d like to take this a step further, I offer you the following journal prompts:
Are the scales balanced in how you assess yourself versus how you assess others? Do you apply the same standard of honesty to your own actions that you apply when evaluating the actions of people who have harmed you?
And conversely, because true Injustice does happen: Is there somewhere you have been accepting more than your fair share of blame — taking on responsibility that doesn’t actually belong to you? What would it mean to claim your portion of innocence?
And as always, if you’re ready to learn tarot, then I invite you to enroll in Tarot Academy. It’s an online, digital course I created for folks just like you.
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Until next time,
Patrick (& Rosie 🐕)
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