TAROTJustice
Upright
Success through balance; weighing consequences of choices with honesty and fairness.
Do as you would be done by.
Impartiality and fairness in all dealings.
Intuition
The card denotes the relationship between balance (the scales) and a just reward for thoughtful actions (the sword).
Cause imbalance in any area of life, either good or bad, and it will return back to you. So, it is a time to act with the best of intentions!
The ruins in the background are the Oracle of Delphi, representing divine wisdom.
Reversed
Imbalances in one or more sphere of life.
Emotion or other issues clouding fair judgement on a situation.
Possible retribution for past deeds, hidden agendas or deceit.
Astrologia
Good in relationships, diplomatic. Appreciation of good things and social harmony. Can be superficial and does not always take into account deeper feelings of others.
Justice
With the Justice card, we move on from the Wheel of Fortune and a yes/no based on events that may be out of your control, towards an answer based on the facts and truth. Instead of providence we have immutable laws and truth.
The Justice card represents balance and intuition (the scales) plus rational truth and facts over emotion (the sword).
Balance means treating others as you wish to be treated yourself. Irrespective of what you wish from others, they will probably do as you have done to them. Along with that, manage your expectations, because some people will never change.
If you want better, treat others better, but also choose who you have around you because some people have played a different game for so long they can no longer change.
The scales also represent intuition and following hunches. Is this person being honest? Does it add up? What can you reasonably expect? Weighting up the likely outcome is often a good starting point.
Rational truth over emotion means just that; right or wrong should be based on logical decision making and underlying facts. You can follow initial intuition as a starting point, but you should back it up with facts.
The sword also represents the effects of actions where justice is concerned. A sword is double edged and can protect and save the worthy. It can also punish the deceitful and guilty. Justice is all about fair treatment, and protecting the innocent but it is also about fair retribution. The message from Justice is do as you would be done by.
One of the most well-known archetypes of Justice is the statue of Justice seen on many legal buildings. This is Lady Justice; a blindfolded woman with a sword in one hand and scales in the other. This design is ancient and based on the Roman Goddess Justitia, who was even at the time not really treated as a worshipped deity but instead symbolic. The two actual goddesses she is based on are Greek; Themis and her daughter, Dike. This deck uses the most agreed of the two as being Lady Justice, Themis.
Themis also fits better because she is strongly associated with the Oracle of Delphi, an Oracle that was said to predict the future.
Themis
Themis has two domains;
Firstly, she is the founder of the Oracle of Delphi, later given to Apollo. She was possibly the first Pythia of Delphi, a woman who could foretell the future. The Oracle of Delphi may have become a place of visions much earlier than the building and institutions, as gases found to be coming from the ground there (such as ethylene) are known to produce feelings of euphoria and hallucinations. You see this in the Justice card; there is a mist rising from the ground to the left of the ruins.
This link between Themis and the Oracle represents the intuitive part of Justice. The first part of Justice is always having a hunch or lead that is not in itself evidence, but a direction to follow for real clues.
Secondly, Themis is seen as the divine voice that introduced humans to the basic rules of justice and morality, as well as rules of hospitality, governance and assembly.
Rather than human laws, Themis is more associated with divine laws that set in place rules of conduct that all subsequent laws are based on. Her daughter, Dike, is often associated with turning Themis’s divine laws into human laws.
Description and Symbology
We see the Goddess Themis with a sword in one hand and scales in the other, representing the common symbols of Lady Justice.
She is also blindfolded, representing impartiality. The blindfold has the glowing symbol of Libra on it.
There is a red cloak behind Themis that is falling away from her. This cloak (ancient Greek; himation) is red, representing emotion. In falling away, the cloak symbolises justice never being led by emotional arguments, but instead by rational facts and deduction.
In the background we see the Oracle of Delphi. It is some time after the Greek period, and most of it is now in ruins. We see two large pillars that have stood the test of time much better than the rest of the ruins, and appear to be outlasting the rest of the Oracle despite their massive size.
A civilization will last for thousands of years not because of its bricks, paintings, statues nor buildings, but its sense of justice and fairness, and the pillars represent these two concepts.
Card symbol
The symbol is the star sign Libra, the scales.
Themis as Lady Justice
Themis holds a scale (symbolizing balance and Tarot intuition) and a sword (symbolizing the two edges of Justice; protecting the innocent and retribution against the guilty). The sword also represents the Tarot Swords suite, alluding to Justice as a rational exercise.
Blindfold
Themis is blindfolded representing impartiality; she judges only by hearing the facts. The blindfold has an icon of balance on it; the symbol of Libra.
Red cloak
Themis allows the red cloak to fall from her. The cloak represents emotion. She casts away emotion when considering judgement.
Ruins
Behind Themis we see the Oracle of Delphi. The two towers remain intact as they are stronger than bricks and mortar. They are the pillars of Justice and Fairness, and represent an unshakable and everlasting concept.
Tips for Readings
The following table shows the upright and reverse meanings for general questions. The last row ('Yes/No') is useful when you are picking a single card to decide a yes or no decision.
Upright
Reversed
The relationship will thrive if both parties are honest and just with each other.
Open communications are a must.
Dishonesty or hidden agendas will have consequences. If you have hidden either, then expect to be unmasked; Lady Justice does not have favorites!
Emotion clouding fairness. Remember; justice is not an emotional argument; you may feel you are in the right, but that may be because you are selectively forgetting your obligations!
Lack of communication and hidden truths.
Possible impropriety within the relationship.
Hard work and skill will be rewarded.
Fairness in the workplace, but only if you have treated others in the same manner; balance works both ways!
Expect lack of recognition, unfair treatment by management or skewed pay scales.
Decisions based on emotion or hidden agendas rather than merit.
Seek balance in all things; mind/body, work/play and exercise/rest.
An imbalance in one or more of the groups mind/body, work/play, exercise/rest, or an unbalanced focus on either yourself or others.
Emphasis on morals and sense of fairness.
Seek balance between furthering yourself and helping others.
Truth over emotion.
Separate wishful thinking from truth. Justice is impartial to emotional arguments.
You may also be living in the expectation of what your emotions tell you is right and fair, but it may not be the right thing to do morally or legally when all the facts are in.
You can expect fairness and openness in all dealings if you act the same, but remember Justice is balance; if you break the balance, expect others to do the same!
Potential hidden truth, inflexible rules, incorrect valuation, or adverse clause in any dealings; check the fine print, as something is amiss!
Unknown (Justice means you get what you sow, so the card won’t tell you, but you probably know the answer…).
Unknown (Justice means you get what you sow, so the card won’t tell you, but you probably know the answer…).
Reading the Card
The upright card
The upright Justice card represents fairness and impartial balance in all matters.
If you are looking for justice on others, then the card suggests that justice will come. You may be part of that process or the one wanting justice, but this card tells you that you should play your part. If you have information to give, then you should go with your conscience rather than expecting others to do it for you. This is after all a Major Arcana, and it mostly focuses on your part in anything, and not others.
If you are the one who has wronged, then the card suggests justice will come to you. If it is a criminal matter, then expect justice served against you. If it is more a personal or moral matter, then expect this to affect your inner balance in the long run through guilt and remorse, remembering that a court of law is not the only court with power. Your inner conscience can also be a prison.
The reversal
The reversed Justice card represents an imbalance in decisions and conclusions. It suggests a lack of impartiality or hidden agenda. Although this can occur in a legal setting, it is more common in other areas of life, such as the workplace (lack of recognition or being overlooked in promotion) or in partnerships where one party is not playing by the rules.
If you are the one passing judgement, then the reversed card suggests some reflection on this may be appropriate. Are you looking at facts or heresy, and are you letting emotions cloud your decisions?
Card Design Process
When talking to people about the Justice card, it became apparent that one of the biggest areas where the word ‘justice’ comes up is in the marital sphere. It is the number one reason why most people end up in court for anything lasting more than a day.
The depiction of Themis looks modern. If you look very carefully, you will notice why; she wears a decidedly modern dress, and it could almost be a dress for a very particular occasion (that hopefully only happens once in your life, but sadly doesn’t more often than not). So, some of the people I spoke to in researching the deck may see themselves in her…
Final Words
The Justice card represents fairness, truth and intuition. Its message is that actions will be rewarded or punished accordingly; perhaps in a court, but always within the person themselves.
