Justice
Justice (XI), cloaked in red, the color of life, wears a gold crown with a single clear blue jewel in the middle, the color of peace and clarity. She sits on a throne between two stone pillars. The entrance to the temple is behind her, and cloaked in a purple silk, the color of wisdom. In her right hand, she holds the double-edged sword up in victory, and in her left hand, she holds scales in perfect balance.
The square shape of her crown, the jewel, and the clasp on her cloak indicate a balanced, steady mind and impartial, practical reasoning. One white shoe, however, sticks out from under her robe on the stone, reminding that purity and innocence – innocent until proven guilty – is of the bedrock of justice.
Out of all major arcana cards, this one is the most neutral. Whatever the querent deserves, the querent is going to get. This all deals with facts, however. This isn‘t necessarily cosmic justice or karma, so much as it is reaping what one sows right now. One will get whatever they are due; no more, no less.
On the other hand, this can indicate that wrongs will be righted. If the querent has been victimized, they’ll literally see justice, or at least be restored to where they were before the injustice occurred. They may not get anything more than to be restored, so they shouldn’t expect to get something extra with this card.
This card may show that one may be vindicated in some way. For example, if someone has been working hard at something that others have been criticizing, or if they’ve been working without receiving credit, the Justice card may tell that the querent will soon show that they haven’t been wasting their time and that they’ll get credit where credit is due.
Justice can be a warning that one will be revealed for who they really are if they’ve deceptive. A liar may be revealed to be a liar, and a cheater will be discovered. They’ll face the consequences of their actions, and they won’t be softened.
When the Justice card is Reversed:
When reversed, this card could certainly mean injustice, but it can also mean justice that isn’t entirely clean and neat. For example, the querent may get justice, but it may come at a price, and one they may or may not be willing to pay. To get Justice, one has to lose something else, like relationships or standing in the community. The choice to pursue Justice won’t be an easy one to make.
It may also mean that the querent simply has to wait for Justice, that it will come, but not right away. It may come, but not everyone will accept it. For example, time and circumstance may show that the querent was right about something, but the people around them still don’t believe it’s true. If you can believe that there are people that still think Charles Manson was framed, then you can see how this is possible.
In a three-card reading, this card means…
Past: In the past, one generally experienced fairness or conducted themselves impartially and logically.
Present: Currently, one is dealing with things in a rational and cool-minded way, or experiencing justice, or is called to make a fair, logical decision. Or, reaping what you have sown.
Future: You’ll get your day in court, so to speak. Hopefully, you have merited a favorable outcome. If not, you better start damage control now.