AUTHOR’S NOTE: There is endless confusion among new tarot readers about the difference between the Justice and Judgement cards because both seem to be about the same thing. Here I will attempt to sort this out since it all comes down to the intent of the esoteric symbolism. One of my forum-mates on Aeclectic Tarot once observed that “Justice is about the trial and Judgement is about the verdict.” This is fine as far as it goes, but I have a more nuanced take on these cards.

Justice conveys the idea of getting what we deserve, which may or may not be a good thing. My personal definition is “Receiving one’s just desserts; the trick is to be found worthy and not wanting when the verdict is handed down.” In essence it is neither a foul card nor a fair one since it shows necessary developments that, like all Major Arcana, cannot be avoided or entirely deflected, so we must make our peace with it.

Judgement shows receiving an ultimatum that is at best a “golden opportunity” for redemption and at worst an onerous obligation that rubs our nose in its sense of righteousness. Once again, it is neither good nor bad but merely inevitable.. Aleister Crowley describes it as always representing “the taking of a definite step.” It is typically seen as a decisive move into the future that is not voluntary. My own definition is “An offer you can’t refuse, one that permits no turning back.”

Neither of these cards describes discretionary circumstances since they involve actions that are done “to us” rather than “by us;”any chance of recovery will be shown by the following cards. Justice employs both the scales of deliberation and the sword of discrimination. One of the best examples is the Egyptian goddess Maat, who weighed the heart of the departed against a feather in the halls of judgment; if the soul was truly blameless, the heart would be “as light as a feather.”

The angel in Judgement wields the trumpet of Gabriel (some say it’s Michael) that is used to deliver a summons that can’t be ignored. Crowley envisioned it as a complete departure from the past, while Justice is more about adapting to our present situation as best we can. Both are inexorable in their operation, but Justice is more capable of clemency. Of all the trump cards, these two arguably offer the least wiggle room for controlling our own destiny.

We are being taken to task by the Universe, given a “shot across the bow,” so to speak. While the sword of Justice can cut both ways (and might even “cut us some slack” by offering a chance to appeal), Judgement “calls us to account” in no uncertain terms, moving ever onward and never revisiting its decisions. The image of Justice hints at ambivalence while that of Judgement echoes the old computer-game-coding acronym WYSIWYG (“what you see is what you get”). When they appear in a reading and I explain their nature, I’m often asked by the querent “But are these favorable cards?” The only answer is “Maybe, but don’t count on it. You may want to get your affairs in order to a lesser (Justice) or greater (Judgement) extent. You could be going away for a while.”