The first seven cards of the major arcana represent the outer aspects of life including our parents and caregivers, our teachers, falling in love with our lovers, our community, and perhaps an introduction or exposure to religious or spiritual teachings. As we enter the next phase of the major arcana journey, we begin to work from our emotional and relational selves. The next seven cards encourage us to dive more deeply into the language of the heart and the emotive interpersonal expressions that connect us to our life journey. In this next part of our journey, we allow truths to emerge that teach us about our soul’s purpose and growth on earth.
After the energy of the Chariot, the Fool finds themselves facing deeper clarity in the revelations of Justice, card number eight (number eleven in the Waite-Smith deck). This card marks the arrival of becoming more aware of the larger picture of life and the deeper realization on our Fool’s path of awakening of how our journey is not only ours—each and every thought, word, and action affect others in our lives. We are not really isolated, independent beings but interconnected to many others for survival, resourced support, emotional growth, and spiritual development.
Originally, the eighth card of the major arcana was Justice, but Arthur Edward Waite changed it, effectively switching the eighth and eleventh cards. Because Waite’s deck grew to be so popular that it became the standard for tarot, the switched progression stuck and most decks still follow Waite’s perspective. Although it is open to speculation, many believe he switched the cards so that they would be more in alignment with the cards’ astrological progression. In this way, the number eight mirrors the eight month of August, associated with Leo, strength, power, light, and illumination as depicted in the classical image of a woman with a lion on the Strength card.
Later, Crowley switched the cards again, restoring Justice to number eight and Strength at number eleven. For the sake of original tradition, we follow Crowley’s progression, however I encourage you to contemplate the order in your own tarot study and decide which makes more sense to you. Interestingly, both numbers have a parallel quality, with eight resembling a turned infinity symbol and the eleven symbolized by two pillared lines. Because of the switch, the two cards are inextricably linked, creating a pairing that deepens the significance of both cards. In this kind of relationship, we cannot have Strength without the neutrality of Justice, nor can we have Justice without the power and presence of Strength. The Strength card is one of inner power and resourcefulness that reminds us of our own center and place in the universe.
On the personal level, justice is our sense of morality and what is right or wrong. We often judge others who are different from us and condemn actions that we perceive to be unaligned with our values. Where does this judgment come from? Are we actually projecting aspects of ourselves or attempting to distance our own self from someone so that our ego may feel better or superior? How can we see ourselves together as one without judgment? Is there a way to move toward radical acceptance?
With this card we begin to examine more social justice issues and patterns of conditioning in our world. What is actually just in our culture? Who receives fair justice and who does not? How does our privilege and status in the world affect our decisions, life opportunities, and outcomes? As we move into this second cycle of seven, more profound life questions arise. Here, we may deeply question free will as opposed to fate and how both play out in our beliefs and lives. Many religions deem certain choices as immoral or wrong, and it is helpful to examine whether we have internalized these views and, if so, how they affect our lives. As we progress on the spiritual path, we become aware of our own social conditioning, programming, and truths which have been taught to us but may not necessarily be our truth. Society seems to hold us to expectations around having a partner, creating a family, moving forward in a career, buying a house, and so on. So often, the soul longs for a different experience, or we may find inspirations beyond the apparent truths we are told. We are required to look inward for answers.
When challenges arise in our lives, we likewise have the opportunity to meet them with heaviness or lightness. Change, chaos, endings, disharmony, death, disease, and suffering occur in everyone’s life; it is up to us whether we meet these moments with fear and denial or grace and love … no easy task! We can be inspired by the height of high flying birds such as hawks, eagles, or osprey who circle above the situation taking in the larger picture without getting overwhelmed by heavier emotions.
In the Waite-Smith deck, we see a solemn figure draped in red robes who holds a set of scales in the left hand and an upright sword in the right. Swords are extremely heavy; the effortless manner in which Justice holds the sword reminds us of the strength it requires to stay balanced, focused, and dedicated. The scales indicate the measured balance of emotions and mental states. Similar to the High Priestess, the figure sits between two pillars offering the awareness of resting between right and wrong and finding the way between binary thinking. The right foot is extended, symbolizing movements or actions toward making the “right step.”
In the Crowley deck, the neutralizing colors of green and blue fill the card, reminding us of water and plants, creating a healing and tranquil atmosphere. The figure holds a large sword, resting it almost delicately on the ground, finding the perfect point of balance that holds more than one perspective in awareness. The cooling colors in the card encourage neutral communication, clear thinking, rest, and nourishment.
Traditionally, Justice is associated with the law. When this card appears in a reading, it may indicate dealing with legal matters in one’s life, contracts, and agreements. We may need to create, resolve, or amend a contract in order to move into right balance with people in our lives, work, and home. The Justice card asks us to examine areas in our life that need a more neutral perspective in order to progress, such as a witness or mediator in a personal or legal problem, or taking time and space from something that seems unworkable. Often when we give space and breath and time to something, an unforeseen solution may arise that we had not previously thought of.
This card may indicate working with social justice issues and becoming aware of societal imbalances in our personal lives. Justice is a reminder to unpack privileges we experience and how this affects those around us, encouraging us to take actions that are grounded in right view. Justice may also indicate a general need to balance our lives and find clear insight. This card reveals the need to cut through our fear, denial, and pain to get to the heart of the matter. This is a time for discernment from a neutral space, to move away from the heaviness of wallowing emotion and into the clarity of the all-seeing view.
Essential Qualities: balance, alignment, threshold, healing, two sides of the coin, neutrality, calm, quiet, introspective, speaking one’s truth, law, legal matters, boundaries
Suggestions: Take a day for self-care and nourishing your body. Meditate. Notice where things feel out of alignment with friends or at work and make a decision to say something with compassion. Set clear boundaries. Look at an area of your life that feels out of balance and make a commitment to work on this issue for twenty-one days, for example quitting a toxic substance or food, budgeting time or money better, setting clearer priorities, or waking up early each day.
Justice Layout: Balancing
This is the first of the layouts offered in the second cycle of seven of the tarot. These layouts can be done as basic tarot readings in addition to ceremonial suggestions to deepen the experience, wisdom, and discovery that can happen during a reading. You may want to revisit how to do a reading in the introduction to refresh yourself on the process of creating questions and laying out cards.
This seven-card layout looks at two different sides of an issue, relationship, job situation, or spiritual question. As a call for a more neutral perspective, Justice asks us to look at two sides of an issue. Sometimes we struggle with binary thinking and need guidance to allow our minds to move more into a neutral view, the language of the heart. This reading helps us to see what is hidden from view in assessing a situation and moving forward. Refer to “How to Give a Successful Reading” on page 11 if you need help determining a question, but it is important to choose an issue that requires you to make a decision, has two possible outcomes, or you don’t understand the other side or perspective.
Gather a few items to create a ceremonial space for this reading, including a small branch that extends outward in two directions, a dark blue candle, a yellow candle, a larger tarot candle to invoke the helpers, and a bowl of salt water for cleansing. Create a simple altar and call in your guardian helpers as established in the Emperor ceremony. Place the dark blue candle on the left, symbolizing what is hidden or mysterious, and the yellow candle on the right, symbolizing what is clear and obvious. Put your small Y-shaped branch in the center with the guardian tarot candle. Light the candles and then decide on your question or intention. Shuffle the cards and then lay them out as follows:
• Card 1: Querent or self
• Card 2: Issue at hand
• Card 3: Past Influences
• Card 4: Left branch—the hidden, mysterious, subconscious aspects of the question
• Card 5: Right branch—the conscious, direct, and external conscious aspects of the question
• Card 6: What is guiding the situation
• Card 7: Outcome
Once you have completed your reading and looked at the perspectives, allow for time to contemplate both sides. Perhaps journal in response to the ideas. When finished, blow out the candles and put away the cards.