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TL;DR: Waite wrote in The Pictorial Key to the Tarot (1911) that the Justice card means fairness, rightness, integrity, executive power, the winning side in legal matters; reversed, it signifies law in all fields, legal troubles, bias, partiality, excessive severity. In modern Tarot reading, this card is often understood as justice, truth, clear cause and effect upright, and injustice, irresponsibility reversed. Nhật Nguyệt's suggestion: look directly at what you have done and its consequences, and review commitments to avoid trouble later.
What is the Justice card in Tarot?
Justice is card number 11 in the Major Arcana group of the 78-card Tarot deck. The Rider-Waite-Smith artwork was drawn by Pamela Colman Smith and first printed in 1909, while the divinatory meaning of this card was published by A. E. Waite in his 1911 book The Pictorial Key to the Tarot. That divinatory meaning is often different from how Tarot is commonly read today.
How did Waite describe the Justice card in 1911?
Waite wrote that this card is traditional in its iconography and carries obvious meanings, so apart from a few points already discussed at the beginning of the book, there is not much more to say. He noted that the figure sits between two pillars, like the High Priestess card. Waite wrote: "It will be seen, however, that the figure is seated between pillars, like the High Priestess, and on this account it seems desirable to indicate that the moral principle which deals unto every man according to his works, while, of course, it is in strict analogy with higher things, differs in its essence from the spiritual justice which is involved in the idea of election." That is, the moral principle that gives to each person according to their works, while it corresponds to higher things, still differs in essence from the spiritual justice belonging to the idea of election. Waite continued: "The latter belongs to a mysterious order of Providence, in virtue of which it is possible for certain men to conceive the idea of dedication to the highest things. The operation of this is like the breathing of the Spirit where it wills, and we have no canon of criticism or ground of explanation concerning it." That is, this spiritual justice belongs to a mysterious order of Providence, and there is no rule of criticism or ground of explanation for it.
Waite also recorded the divinatory meaning of the Justice card in the 1911 book: Equity, rightness, probity, executive; triumph of the deserving side in law. Reversed: Law in all its departments, legal complications, bigotry, bias, excessive severity. A close rendering: Fairness, rightness, integrity, executive power; the deserving side winning in legal matters. Reversed: law in all its departments, legal complications, bigotry, bias, excessive severity.
According to how Tarot is read today, what does the Justice card mean?
According to how Tarot is read today, the Justice card upright is usually understood as fairness, truth, clear cause and effect. Reversed, this card is usually understood as injustice, lack of responsibility. The keywords today for this card are fairness, truth, cause and effect. This is also the meaning used by the Nhật Nguyệt card-draw utility.
According to Nhật Nguyệt's understanding, what does the Justice card point to?
According to Nhật Nguyệt's understanding, Justice is a reminder about the balance between actions and consequences, not a verdict from outside. The card suggests a moment to look directly at the truth and accept one's share of responsibility. This understanding does not predict the future and does not replace the querent's own decisions.
What is today's suggestion for the Justice card?
Nhật Nguyệt's suggestion: when this card appears, you can spend a few minutes writing down what you have done and the consequences that have come, separating emotion from the matter to see it more clearly. At work, if there is a contract or procedure to review, read it carefully and ask someone with expertise when needed. In love, try saying what you feel has been unfair instead of staying silent and letting it build up. Financially, review the commitments you have made to avoid trouble later. For health, if your body shows unusual signs, it is better to see a doctor than to speculate on your own.
What is the connection between position number 11 and Strength?
In the Rider-Waite deck, Justice carries the number 11 while Strength carries the number 8. In the Tarot de Marseille deck, this order is usually reversed, with Strength as 11 and Justice as 8. The difference reflects how each school arranges the journey of the 22 Major Arcana cards, and does not change the core meaning of the Justice card.
Quick reference table: Justice upright and reversed
| Aspect | Content |
|---|---|
| Deck group | Major Arcana |
| Order number | 11 |
| Main keywords | fairness, truth, cause and effect |
| Meaning upright | Fairness, truth, clear cause and effect. |
| Meaning reversed | Injustice, lack of responsibility. |
The historical origin of Tarot and the Justice card
Tarot began not as a divination tool but as a popular card game in Italy in the mid-15th century, favored by the upper classes. By the mid-18th century, some French occultists such as Antoine Court de Gébelin began linking the deck to spiritual ideas, and Tarot gradually shifted to a divinatory function. Assigning to Justice layers of meaning about cause and effect is the result of that transformation, when symbols that were descriptive in the game came to be read further through a philosophy of life.
Overview article on the topic: Tarot Basics: The 78 Cards and the Meanings of the Major/Minor Arcana Groups
