JUSTICE

From The Star Tarot Deck

Original Writing by Kathryn Ravenwood

 

In Numerology, 2018 is a Justice year… 2 +1+ 8 = 11, which is the Tarot Card of Justice. *

We might first think of Justice as in a court of law, in politics, a determination of what is fair, or of just rewards coming back at someone who has “done us wrong” – as in “what goes around comes around.”  We have a sense of wanting things to be balanced, to be assured that things work out fairly. Often Justice is shown as a blindfolded woman indicating that the law is the same for everyone regardless of who they are. While this system certainly does not work all the time, that is the premise behind it.

This makes Justice an external factor but since we live in a world of duality there are always two sides to a story. Our laws are established to help the majority – we know people get a raw deal, slip through the cracks of the system, are ignored or manipulated. We know there is corruption and prejudice in those who enforce our laws just as there are those who devote their lives to making the system work better for more people.

The Tarot card above shows Justice without a blindfold. She calls us to shift from the view that justice happens someplace outside of ourselves and tells us to look inward. Justice is associated with Karma which is the Cosmic Law that every cause creates an effect. Every action creates a re-action. To come close to making those Cosmic Scales balance and wield the great Cosmic Sword fairly requires awareness of our past actions and taking new action to change/correct our future.  This is how we grow spiritually, how we create a more balanced life, and how we are more aligned with Justice as a higher truth.

We see in this card that the Scales are balanced through Justice’s Third Eye and aligned with the Sun and Moon. The Sword is balanced on a finely honed point in the water in front of her – water representing Spirit. She stands between two columns carved from trees – very reminiscent of the two columns the High Priestess stands between. The High Priestess is card 2 of the Tarot and when we add the 1+1 of Justice’s number 11 we get the High Priestess number. The High Priestess represents Truth in the highest form but holds it hidden or veiled letting us know that Truth is something we must seek from within. This very beautiful card gives us much to visualize and take in regarding the Nature of Justice.

Another aspect shown in this card is the direct connection between Justice and nature. We are truly a part of nature. We are made from the Elements as all other Earthly beings are – Air, Water, Earth, and Fire. We cannot go through our life even one day without interacting with another Being – plant, animal, rock or human or the Elements themselves. We cannot move without disrupting an existing energy pattern. We are an integral part of Nature and our own Nature is made of all the choices we make and their resulting experiences.  Even choices made FOR us, such as by parents, or superiors in our jobs, or politicians change our experiences and eventually our Nature. We truly are all interconnected.

 

As we move into 2018 and a Year of Justice I am sure the media will bombard us with countless viewpoints of how Justice is or is not being served. Instead of feeling like we have to take one side or the other, I hope we will look within and align with our own Truth on the matter and find a way to take appropriate action.  One person may not change the world – but then, you never know how things will work out. 

 

…Kathryn Ravenwood  1.23.18

 

*There is a variance in Tarot regarding the Justice and Strength cards. Some decks use #8 as Justice and #11 as Strength.  My studies lead me to embrace #8 as Strength and #11 as Justice. This article will not explore those differences.