The 78 Cards
Justice
Major Arcana, card 11. Astrology: Libra.
Fair weighing. What you put in the scales comes back to you.
The picture
A crowned figure in a red robe and green cloak sits on a stone seat between two grey pillars, with a purple cloth hung behind. In the right hand is an upright sword with two edges. In the left hand is a pair of golden scales. The figure looks straight out at you, calm and level. The sky behind is yellow.
Upright
Justice looks you in the eye. Unlike many courthouse statues, there is no blindfold here. This figure sees everything and weighs it anyway.
When Justice turns up, something is being weighed. It may be a legal matter, a contract, a decision about who is right, or simply the balance of give and take in a relationship. Libra rules this card, and Libra wants things even. The scales measure what is fair, and the sword cuts cleanly once the measuring is done.
The card also speaks about cause and effect. What you have put into a situation shapes what comes out of it. That is comforting when you have acted well, and a useful nudge when you have not. Clear thinking, facts on the table and a straight answer are what this card asks of you.
Reversed
Reversed, Justice is most often delayed or turned inward. Delayed is the decision that keeps getting pushed back, the paperwork that sits on a desk, the fair outcome that is coming slowly. Turned inward is the judgement you are passing on yourself, weighing every mistake over and over with the scales always tipped against you.
To tell which one, ask who is holding the sword. If it is someone else, a court, a boss or a family member, it is probably delay, and keeping your records straight is your best move. If it is you, the card asks you to give yourself the same fair hearing you would give anyone else.
When it turns up
Where in your life are the scales out of level, and what would make them fair?
Justice has also been a Tarot Card of the Week. Read that post to see the card at work on a real week.
If you would like the cards read against your own chart, my readings are here.
Related pages
The Number 11 · Justice as a Birth Card · The Twenty Two Paths
The 78 Cards
Every card in the deck, upright and reversed.
See every page and post in the Contents.
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