At first glance, the image of the Justice card can seem cold and unfeeling, but upon closer inspection, it clearly represents balance, harmony, and the search for truth.
Let’s explore the significance of the Justice, or Adjustment, card and how to interpret it in tarot readings. We can relate its symbolism to everyday life situations, showing how it can help us find balance in our lives.
At its core, the Justice card is a symbol of fairness and impartiality, representing the need to weigh all factors carefully and make decisions based on reason and logic, rather than emotion or bias. In readings, the Justice card often appears when a person is facing a difficult decision or moral dilemma. It advises them to approach the situation with clarity and objectivity.
One of the common misconceptions about the Justice card is that it represents punishment or retribution. In fact, the card is not about punishment at all, but about balance and stability. It reminds us every action has a consequence and to take responsibility for our choices and actions. It also suggests we should seek to make amends for any harm we have caused and strive to bring our lives back into balance.
In everyday life situations, the Justice card can be a powerful guide. It reminds us to be fair and impartial in our dealings with others and avoid judgment and prejudice. It encourages us to take responsibility for our actions.
Questions to Consider
- Have you faced a difficult decision that required impartiality?
- Have you been in a situation where you felt unfairly judged or treated? How did you handle it?
- What steps can you take to bring more balance into your life?
Exercise Ideas
- Journal about a situation where you could have been more impartial or fair. What could you have done differently?
- Meditate on the Justice card and its symbolism. What insights does it offer for your current situation?
- Practise acts of kindness and fairness towards others, even in situations where you may not feel inclined to. Notice how this affects your perspective.
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Surrealist |
Diary |
bifrost |
Langustl |
Rider-Waite |
Variations of the Card
Justice, sometimes known as Adjustment, can be numbered eight or number eleven depending on the artist’s whim, although traditionally the card is number eight. A.E. Waite first switched the numbers of the Justice and the Strength cards, without even a hint as to why. However, in the Pictorial Key, Waite assures us that he had a good personal reason to invert these cards.
As numbers don’t matter so much as the cards themselves, please consider number eight the Justice card in this comparison. Notice the scales of Justice with its companion, the sword, rendered in every version. Except wait, the scales are not there in Surrealist: Justice has already gone to work with its sword. Surrealist always has the weirdest visuals, this time showing a heartless monster dividing a child, reminiscent of the Old Testament.
In Diary, this card also has a somewhat sinister feel. With electricity in the air, the universe seems to watch as the sisters of Duality carry out Justice. It should also be noted that the artists of the Surrealist and Diary decks did not even number their Major Arcana, making numerology possible only with your personal interpretation of its number.
bifrost and Langustl contain the standard symbolism apparent in old tarot decks like Rider and Thoth. bifrost strongly resembles Crowley’s concept but adds a book for Justice to throw. Langustl’s version puts the reader in the position of having to weigh the facts themselves, a particularly potent rendering of the deck’s unique first-person perspective.
