Please note that this series of interpretations is intended to assist specifically in personal healing and shadow work. There are many incredible websites that offer traditional meanings and correspondences.
If you are a proponent of the Rider-Waite-Smith system, you might have expected Strength to be in the eighth position. We will roll with the traditional order as it has been used by this deck, The Wild Unknown.
What does truth and Justice mean to you? The Justice card will have you examining this in your life in some way. The interesting thing about our own truth is that it is likely to change as we discover blind spots we didn’t know we had. In itself, this is one of the most effective ways we can grow as humans! It is exciting and can actually be quite freeing to realize that your perspective is limited and begin to approach differing viewpoints from yours from a curious place rather than an argumentative one (but this muscle can take a lot of work). We have so much to learn from each other!
The interesting thing about the Justice card is that it often refers to a more karmic, Lord of the Flies, kind of integrity, rather than the man-made law we are familiar with. One of the more memorable references to this is visited in Kim Huggens’ book, Tarot 101. She shares a story about King Solomon and a dispute he resolved between two women who both claimed to be the biological mothers of an infant. These women both presented their arguments–claiming to love the child more than anything,–and both were equally convincing, so Solomon presented a solution: they would cut the baby in two and each woman would receive one half. At this point, one woman threw herself before the King and insisted that the other woman have the child rather than allowing any harm come to him (inadvertently proving that she was the true mother). Although this is a harsh example, it is certainly unforgettable!
In this way, the Justice card may ask you to examine how karmic law would observe the way you conduct yourself in your daily life. We can all use tune-ups sometimes! More specifically, how do you make decisions when no one is looking? Are you kind to those who are the most difficult to show compassion to? Even if you do not subscribe to the spiritual beliefs surrounding karma, if you are kind in your dealings, when the time comes that you need gentleness, it will be there.
Fairness is in the eye of the beholder. What does fairness mean to you? I invite you to journal about the word “fairness” and “justice.” What is your initial response to these terms? Is there a time in your life where you feel that you were treated unjustly? How did that affect you long-term? Can you bring to mind a time when you treated someone unfairly and could have handled things differently?
This card is all about balance. We do not always present our best selves in decision-making, but through intermittent evaluation and self-examination, we can consistently improve. If we know we have been operating at a lower integrity level than we are capable of we can change the channel. That is often when we do our best spiritual work.
“When another person makes you suffer, it is because he suffers deeply within himself, and his suffering is spilling over. He does not need punishment; he needs help. That’s the message he is sending.”
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Until our paths cross again…
ApotheCarrie Tarot 