Tarot Talk: Justice (XI)
Justice card from the Wild Unknown tarot deck
It is officially Libra season so as a happy birthday to all the Libras let’s talk about their major arcana card: Justice. Let’s get into it!
Libra is a cardinal and social air sign, often focused on balancing. Due to it being air this is more on a societal level than a feeling level so think etiquette and values. Libra is a sign also focusing on partnership, in order to balancing there needs to be 2 things put onto the scale. This usually gives Libra the dilemma of people-pleasing for the sake of keeping things harmonious or becoming superficial because it is a Venus ruled sign and Venus loves ease — not necessarily the deep and laboring effort things can lead to.
Where these two things can show up in tarot is:
Justice is the 11th Major arcana card often talking about the balancing of scales (Libra literally being a Scale). Sometimes this can point to more of an institutional way of doing things like courts of law or just systems/structures in general. My favorite way to think about this for example is a policy. Policiies don’t inherently benefit anyone, they are neutral. Though some people may hide behind what they feel like doing because of the policy, policy also says where you are obligated. You may be held accountable to be written up for lateness but policy also requires you to take a 30m or hour lunch regardless of how busy it is. It is for all parties to be clear on what they are granted and restricted by (which is why Libra is exalted in the planet of Saturn).
When you think of Justice it is not concerned with the politics that go into things, it solely cares on fairness. Have you heard the trick question “What’s heavier a ton of bricks or a ton of feathers?” Others may find themselves concerned that 1,000 bricks are on one side and 80,000 feathers on the other and may feel like what is less should be heavier. Justice doesn’t care — they are waiting for the scales to equal out. If 80K feather equate to 1K bricks in weight then so it is: Balanced. The Justice card is a reminder that every action has a reaction in the same way that every choice comes with a consequence. There is no moral superiority or politicking, only the balancing act.
When Justice comes out in a spread more often than not we aren’t wondering who was wrong or right, we are acknowledging the scale will tilt to make things fair once again. Whether it is viewed as harm will depend on who is receiving the short end of the stick and whether the etiquette or “policy” was being fulfilled. There is either compensation or consequence incoming.
Short sweet and simple this week, Happy birthday to all the libras!
