XI. Justice

Upright

• Rules set or agreed upon in order to bring about ideal outcomes— laws, codes of conduct, or agreements between individuals.
• The law of the land.
• Reaping fair rewards or consequences from past actions.
• Mindfully rewarding or disciplining others if one is in the position to do so.
• Being fair and impartial in judgments.
• Making decisions with the future and/or fairness and justice in mind. Pursuing fairness in outcomes.
• Fixing a past mistake, or rewriting an unfair judgment.
• Righting an injustice or an unfair situation resulting from someone else's wrongdoing.

Justice deals heavily with the concept of cause-and-effect, with a particular focus on effects. It represents the recognition of how events play out, and the knowledge gained from watching events play out— seeing chains of cause-and-effect unfold and gaining an appreciation for how the world works.

This card, oriented upright, could represent the righting of a mistake. Sometimes, if one isn't aware of how events will unfold after they act, there could be consequences which require fixing. With better knowledge of how actions affect the world one can bring about a more ideal course of events.

Likewise, it could represent rules put in place to bring about more ideal courses of events. All people are expected to play by these rules, whether they are laws, codes of conduct at institutions or conventions, or agreements between people for mutual betterment, like limiting the number of drinks on a night out.

If a rule has been broken, or if one has acted in ignorance, this could represent a difficult lesson resulting from past actions. If a good or mindful deed has been performed, this could represent a reward for such a deed. If a person is in a position to commend or discipline others, it could represent the need to do so responsibly in light of a recent occurrence.

Because of this major's emphasis on knowledge, and conscious action, it exists in the realm of Air. Because of its grounded, pragmatic nature, its secondary elemental association is Earth.

Reversed

• Encumbered decision making; trying to come to a conclusion when things are out of sorts.
• Not paying attention to details which will greatly aid one in making sound decisions.
• Making a mistake; exercising poor judgment.
• Unfair judgments rendered: people unfairly rewarded or punished; people overlooked for rewards or unfairly avoiding punishment.
• Lawlessness or unjust legislation, legislation which will lead to injustice.
• Being the victim of injustice or false accusation.

Justice Reversed is the story of sketchy decision-making; it indicates that something may prevent the realization of Justice. Not all of the facts are known, investigations have been held up or sidetracked, things are rushed— necessarily or not. Some of the assisting factors in a sound deliberation may also be missing: perhaps a decision must be reached in a raucous room, or on little sleep.

It could indicate not paying attention to everything one will need to understand in order to make a sound decision, and realize Justice.

Deliberation will happen, and things may go better than if a choice were left to the roll of a die or the flip of a coin, but there will be future ramifications for missed details, or mental hangups.

Incidentally, if Justice Upright does pay a visit in the future, it could represent the righting of a mistake made during such encumbered deliberation.