The Justice Tarot Card Meaning

Introduction

A judge holding a knife in one hand and a scale in the other sits on the bench. He appears as if he has the ability to decide everything. The purple curtain behind him implies that there is something beyond justice.

Act in a way that your principles of will always be valid as the principles of universal law.

In Tarot cards, the figure on the Justice card represents the goddess of justice, Dike.

The goddess of justice is depicted holding a sword in her right hand and a scale in her left hand.

The sword symbolizes the ability to make precise judgments and the power to execute them.

The scale represents the strict standards of justice. While it may seem subjective because it depends on what weight is placed on one side of the scale, justice is described as a universal standard, not subject to individual subjective opinions, in terms of law and morality.

One should engage in actions that they believe would be acceptable if everyone else were to do the same.

The Veil of Ignorance

The Justice of Tarot cards offer the following advice.

Justice is determined through the agreement of members of society. This leads to the question of how this agreement should be reached.

The philosopher John Rawls introduced a hypothetical experiment called the “Veil of Ignorance.”

He places members of society behind this veil, removing all knowledge of their social status, innate talents, and environmental factors. Inside this veil of darkness, individuals have no knowledge of who they are – whether they are white or black, employed or freelancers, and so on. In this state of ignorance, they are asked questions, and the resulting agreement is what constitutes justice.

For example, a question might be posed like this: “Should the wealthy help the poor?” If someone were to answer, “If I were wealthy, I wouldn’t have to help,” behind the veil of ignorance, the same person might say, “I should help the poor,” because they could be in a position of poverty once the veil is lifted.

John Rawls’ concept of justice revolves around the idea that creating equal opportunities is the foundation of a just society.

Freedom should be equal for all, based on the presumption of equal opportunities. The only acceptable form of discrimination is when it benefits the socially disadvantaged to ensure equal opportunities. This form of “discrimination” is, in fact, substantive equality.

Image Interpretation

• Crown – Represents clarity of thought and insight.
• Pillars – Symbolize the sanctity of the temple of justice.
• Sword – Signifies rationality, logic, determination, and fair judgment.
• Scales – Represent meticulous balance, balancing reason vs. emotion, material vs. spiritual, conscious vs. unconscious.
• Veil – Acts as a concealer, hiding what lies beyond justice, as the reasons and methods of justice can sometimes be inscrutable.

Keywords

• Positive outcomes in legal matters, Doing the right thing no matter how challenging, being objective and considering different perspectives, working on one’s career, and restoring balance.
• Negative outcomes in legal matters, failing to see the truth, hidden facts, and unfair advantages.