heart shaped world
'Solomon's circumcision technique left much to be desired '... '
I once had my cards read and drew this card with Temperance, the Chariot and the 2 of Coins - by the time I came to go I'd heard so much about balance I wasn't sure I could walk in a straight line. This card has nothing to do with balance and, come to think of it, neither has Justice...
"The law locks up the man or woman who steals the goose from off the common, but lets the greater villain loose who steals the common from the goose"
If this card has a simple meaning at all it is best expressed as 'common sense'. The simple application of wisdom. It is taking the overview and seeing the implications of an action, the follow through, the reaction. This card reminds us that we are responsible for what we do and to please stop blaming the universe, except ourselves, when things go wrong! There is no magical karma but there is guilt which can result in self-fulfilling prophecies of failure & disaster, just as there is also ambition which can result in sucess through making your own luck.
No pillars, no cosmic fireworks, this is human affairs and the application of wisdom.
Two
women went before King Solomon disputing the right to rear a baby. Solomon took
the child, drew his sword and offered to cut the child in two. At once, one woman dropped her suit – and to
her the child was awarded. A simple
tale, somewhat over simplified, but it makes the point. Or does it?
If you understand the point to be that Justice is aligned with wisdom
and found through the application of wisdom then yes, it does. Too many blather
on about ‘natural justice’, ‘cosmic balance and harmony’ – there is no justice
in nature where balance constantly shifts.
Justice is a moral code which is incorporated in our social systems but it needs
to be applied with individual human wisdom.
If you start wittering on about balance in The Tarot you’ll find
yourself doing it with every other card.
The card reminds us to consider what is morally right or wrong about a
situation in which we are perhaps judging or maybe being judged. The card does not offer Judgement, nor does it threaten it, nor
does it assure you of some mysterious natural force that will restore your
equilibrium. Justice
signifies the principle that although things sometimes seem askew, the Universe
is ultimately fair. We may not see or understand why things happen, but most of
us sense there is, in fact, a reason and that balance exists even when we
cannot see it. Justice denotes fairness, regardless of who you are. At its
purest, the forces embodied by Justice give us the power to see without bias
and the courage to be accountable for our actions. These powers also test our
faith at times. These powers give us the tools and strength to fight injustice
in our everyday life. All we have to do is use them.
It
stands for clear, objective knowledge, for
conscious and decisively reached judgment, for incorruptibility and
fairness. On the everyday level it
says that we experience our surroundings as our echo and will be
confronted
with the results of our actions, be they good or bad. If we behave in
an
upstanding and fair manner, our actions should be recognized and
properly
rewarded, but when we try to gain advantages by questionable means, we
should expect to
fail. Of course, it could be quite otherwise where a deception is
planned and this card expresses our personal responsibility. For
whatever we do. It shows
that nothing is given to us, but also that nothing is kept from us, so
that we
alone carry the responsibility for everything that we receive and
experience.
