20 Judgment
I have said that this symbol is essentially invariable in all Tarot sets, or at least the variations do not alter its character. The great angel is here encompassed by clouds, but he blows his bannered trumpet, and the cross as usual is displayed on the banner. The dead are rising from their tombs—a woman on the right, a man on the left hand, and between them their child, whose back is turned. But in this card there are more than three who are restored, and it has been thought worth while to make this variation as illustrating the insufficiency of current explanations. It should be noted that all the figures are as one in the wonder, adoration and ecstacy expressed by their attitudes. It is the card which registers the accomplishment of the great work of transformation in answer to the summons of the Supernal—which summons is heard and answered from within.
Herein is the intimation of a significance which cannot well be carried further in the present place. What is that within us which does sound a trumpet and all that is lower in our nature rises in response—almost in a moment, almost in the twinkling of an eye? Let the card continue to depict, for those who can see no further, the Last judgment and the resurrection in the natural body; but let those who have inward eyes look and discover therewith. They will understand that it has been called truly in the past a card of eternal life, and for this reason it may be compared with that which passes under the name of Temperance.
A. E. Waite, Pictorial Key to the Tarot (1911)
Time when the rewards of past efforts appear. This is a period of summing-up, of a realization of what we have been doing and where we ourselves have created the future which now awaits us. This awakening is a clear perception of the extent to which we have been able to be true to ourselves. And for all our self-betrayals we ask for forgiveness and generosity, to drop our guilt-feelings and to find our self-value again. Through inspection and understanding we can forgive ourselves, here we are open for self-criticism and mutation, here mistakes and creative efforts of the past are gathered together to form the future - the beginnings of a more responsible and complete personality. The judge is inside us, not outside in the world.
20 - Beyond Illusion
The butterfly in this card represents the outer, that which is constantly moving and that which is not real but an illusion. Behind the butterfly is the face of consciousness, looking inward to that which is eternal. The space between the two eyes has opened, revealing the lotus of spiritual unfoldment and the rising sun of awareness. Through the rising of the inner sun, meditation is born.
The card reminds us not to look outside for what is real, but to look within. When we focus on externals, we too often get caught up in judgments — this is good, this is bad, I want this, I don't want that. These judgments keep us trapped in our illusions, our sleepiness, our old habits and patterns. Drop your opinionated mind, and move inside. There, you can relax into your own deepest truth, where the difference between dreams and reality is already known.
Tarot of the Ages - Mario Garizio ©1988 U.S. Games Systems, Inc.
The card originally known as Judgement Day derives from Christian scripture, but in most religions and cultures there is the concept of spiritual rebirth after the end of the world. This is another card of transition, like Death and the Tower, but its energy is neither violent nor catastrophic despite the fact that its power is far greater. This is the energy of creation without destruction, impossible on the material plane but certainly possible in the world of the spirit. There is rebirth not through discarding negativity, but through integration of all parts of the self. The spirit is cleansed and restored without loss or addition. It remains the same, but different.
Traditionally, Judgement Day is a day of reckoning, where you must answer for your actions and your inactions. The tie to Justice cannot be missed, and in a sense, Judgement is an elaboration on cause and effect, and on the notion of cosmic justice. In the light of Judgement the effects of your actions and inactions do not exact a toll or give a reward on the physical plane, but on the spiritual level. Where you have been determines where you are going, and what you have done plays a role in what you still must do. The cycle can never really end because the spirit never dies, but lies on in an eternal existence that we may never fully comprehend.
As the Judgement Day represents the union of the material and spiritual world into a single unit of manifestation, so too can Judgement show the union or reconciliation of the different parts of yourself. The three human figures found on most versions of the card allude to this. The man represents the renewal of the conscious mind, the woman is the rebirth of the subconscious, and the child is the boy from the Sun, the eternal child in us all. United into one voice, they praise the angel that appears in the sky. After the non-destructive cleansing and restoration of Judgement, matter, mind and spirit are one - now and forever.
The Rider-Waite symbolism is particularly interesting. In the background are the mountains that first appeared on the Fool. The ocean is the termination of the river that flows through the Major Arcana, starting with the Empress. Gabriel's banner is red on white, the same as the Magician's robes. As with everything in life, the beginning is woven irrevocably into the end and the end will eventually lead to a new beginning. At its core, Judgement is not a card of endings, but of beginnings. This journey is over but the next, a journey on a higher plane of existence, is approaching. Judgement is the preparation for that journey; the last stop before eternity.
Judgement's appearance in a reading often signals that a major change is heading your way, but unlike Death and the Tower, the change will not be a destructive one. The change is under your control, and in fact you can even turn your back on it if you wish. In time, however, you will likely regret doing so - this is another lesson of Judgement. Decisions such as the one it offers are necessary to growth and spiritual development, and you cannot run from them forever. The day of reckoning will come someday, and you will have to admit where you have gone wrong in order to receive rewards you deserve.
Judgement is also a card of cleansing, representing a time where your slate is wiped clean and you can start over, with all your debts taken care of and with nothing to worry about. This may seem too good to be true, and for a lot of people it is, because they ruin their new chance with thoughts of the mistakes they made in the past. Judgement teaches that while you must be aware of the past and the lessons you have learned, you must not degrade yourself because of mistakes - mistakes are just part of learning! Put the past behind you and look to the future, ready to begin again. Now is time for a definite step, so don't let the shadows of the past hold you back.
Tarot of the Dream Enchantress ©2009 Lo Scarabeo