The Fool has had a marvellous vision of the Web of Wyrd and how all things interconnect. He realises that his past actions have created his present, and his present actions will create his future, as all actions, whether good or evil, carry the seeds of their own justice. At this point he meets the Goddess of Justice.
“I was present before the dawn of creation,” she tells him. “I am the keeper of cosmic balance and divine harmony. Mine is the law that governs all the worlds, the law of right order, and even the Gods must obey it. I represent balance in all its aspects - male and female, black and white, night and day, fertile flood plane and barren desert: the perfect balance of two opposites held in equilibrium in a single harmonious whole. All life should be a reflection of the divine and natural order. If this pattern is transgressed against, then chaos will follow. The heart that is weighed against my feather in judgement must belong to one who has trodden lightly on the earth.”
The figure of Justice embodies the natural laws of the Universe, which are immutable. They cannot be appealed against or set aside. Trying to resist them will create only suffering.
The Justice card appears at the half way point of the Major Arcana, and reflects the fact that the Universe maintains a perfect balance; every action causes a reaction. This can be expressed as the karmic law that states that all deeds, whether good or evil, carry the seeds of their own justice. Karma does not apportion blame – illness, for example, is not a retribution for sin – but simply means that your past thoughts and actions are shaping your present and you will reap the consequences of your present thoughts and actions in the future. One of the earliest lessons the Fool learned was that you attract whatever you focus on. If you focus on illness, you will attract illness, if you fret about poverty, you will attract poverty, if you give out negativity, you will get negativity in return, and if you live abundance you will attract abundance. What you think, you will become. This tells us about the importance of the purest of motives in the thoughts, deeds and energies we send out into the universe because they will return in equal measure, and this is the action of Justice. To know this is to be empowered.
In a reading, the Justice card may indicate a difficult choice with far reaching consequences. The immediate gratification of desire is tempting, for example, but what will the long-term consequences be?
This card keeps coming up a lot lately, as I focus on doing readings for the world. The world and all its people have many difficult choices ahead. The pandemic has shown us the dangers of destroying natural habitats and what the consequences for us will be, never mind the consequences for the animals and plants that live there. It also showed us, during lockdown, how pollution could be halted very, very quickly, and how nature comes back when we do. It showed us that a different way of life is possible. I can’t help thinking Mother Nature is trying to teach us a lesson. Will we listen?
Text and Illustration © Anna Franklin, Pagan Ways Tarot, Schiffer, 2015
