78 Weeks of Tarot: Justice

[Trogon]

For information on what these threads refer to, see this thread;

 

78 Weeks of Tarot - Informational Thread

 

The above linked thread gives suggested dates for the cards as well as links to the individual topics.

 

Some of us may be working through the study in a different order and using different decks. If you have general questions or comments regarding the 78 Weeks of Tarot study group, please post in the topic in the above link.

 

Have fun.

[Bookworm]

Deck: Fairytale Tarot

 

Card name: Justice

 

First impressions:

 

At the top of the card, wings outspread, flying from left to right is an enormous orange and brown bird. It has a thick gold chain around its neck. It is carrying a wheel-like thing in its claws. Just below and behind it is a juniper tree, out of which juts a shoe, although maybe the sole of the shoe is attached to the wheel. The bird is flying over a village or town. Three people -- man, woman and child -- stare up at the bird in what might be horror or dismay. They are simply dressed. The sky is not visible, but there are shadows on the ground. It’s a sunny day.

 

I have no idea what’s going on here. The bird seems to be in charge, but what exactly he’s carrying and why I don’t know.

 

From the book:

 

Keywords and phrases: Taking responsibility for the consequences, reaping what you sow, “truth will out,” justice will be done, fair-mindedness and fair play.

 

When we see Justice with her raised sword and balance, there is both the promise of fairness and the promise of retribution. In this story, the bird, a kind of phoenix, gives out presents as well as the final fatal “present” of the millstone. To the father and daughter the bird is beautiful, to the mother it is hideous and terrifying. This is a metaphor for how people perceive justice.

 

We say that justice can’t bring people back. The surprising and almost disturbing ending of the story is that the murdered boy IS back. That is poetic truth. Even if justice can’t revive the dead, maybe it can begin to allow us to resume a normal life again.

 

Of course, not all forms of Justice are as dramatic as the events in this story. The card can stand for much less dramatic instances of justice.

 

The original story:

 

The Juniper Tree, by The Brothers Grimm

 

http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/grimm047.html

 

Traditional meanings:

 

Justice, karma, balance and equilibrium, truth, fairness, responsibility, accountability, integrity, dignity, agreements, legal affairs, a court case or tribunal, consulting a lawyer, checking legal documents, seeking fairness through clarity, a miscarriage of justice, injustice and/or unfair treatment, losing your case, an adjournment, being discredited, an imbalance, lies & hypocrisy, being out-maneuvered, not being able to speak your truth, legal flaws, making or receiving the wrong decision, bias.

 

My impressions of the card/story combination:

 

Now that I understand the image, it seems apt: Justice delivers rewards and punishments. The story IS disturbingly grisly. The chopped off head (then put back on!), the father unknowingly eating his son, the bird flying around singing about it. But it certainly illustrates that eye-for-an-eye kind of justice, which is what justice means, after all.

 

I like that Justice here is a bird, which seems very Tarot-like.

 

It’s important to keep in mind, I think that this card is about Justice with a capital J, not the man-made kind of justice -- or lack thereof -- that is often meted out by the court. The card, I think, is about coming to terms with one’s actions or being confronted with the consequences, even if it’s far into the future.

 

My take (what I make of it/what I might see in a reading where I drew it)

 

You reap what you sow is pretty much what I see here. You must take responsibility for your actions. That kind of thing.

 

To look at it from a more positive angle, that is, if you were the one wronged, I would see compensation for your suffering. After all, the wronged boy is, at the end of the story, as good as new.

 

But if we're thinking of this as Divine Justice or Karma, compensation might be a long time in coming.

[Hemera]

Justice

Everyday Witch (Llewellyn, 2017)

 

Description:

A silver haired blindfolded witch, wearing a black gown, sits upright on a chair. She holds a set of scales, with two kittens sitting on each side of the scales.

 

What action is going on:

The black and white kitten are hissing at each other, paws raised and claws out.

 

Images and Symbolism:

- Law book and scales

- Golden locket and a matching golden belt

- Black and white kitten –good and bad, right and wrong? Probably yan and ying?

Colours:

- Black

- Purple: very beautiful, velvety and royal bluish in shade.

 

This card encourages:

- Viewing something objectively and soberly

- Recognising one’s responsibility

- Keeping a clear head

 

Warns against:

- Being too judgmental

- Being too slow to act due to too much consideration

- Getting off balance

 

Traditional meanings (J. Bunning):

- Committing to honesty; Justice

- Responsibility, settling old accounts and debts

- Preparing for decision

- Cause and effect, recognizing the action of karma

- Fairness; Truth; Balance

 

From the Book:

- Karma is simple; you reap what you sow -sooner or later.

- If you are asking for justice, be sure that is what you want; the universe doesn’t play favorites or take sides.

 

Sallie Nichols: (in Jung and Tarot. An Archetypal Journey. Weiser 1984)

- The symbolism of Justice consistently stresses a harmonious union of opposite forces

- We must now assume full responsibility for whatever knowledge of good and evil we have acquired

 

Notes:

- Wow, finally we have a silver haired witch who is not young but who is certainly attractive! I like this deck more and more.

- The witch’s golden locket is beautiful, and one wonders if there is a picture inside.

- She is only partly blindfolded. She peeks from under the blindfold and sees the fighting kittens. Maybe it means she is not “blind” justice. She plays by the rules but understands something about life and probably bends the rules when needed. She looks at the fighting kittens and probably understands that it’s not something that she needs to consult a lawbook for.

- I love her shoes. All these witches have lovely shoes. Also, the Wheel had a very nice pair on her. I should take a closer look at all the shoes in this deck.

 

Quote:

The profoundest of all sensualities is the sense of Truth, and the next deepest sensual experience is the sense of Justice.

(Lawrence)