The Justice tarot card (XI) is the 12th Major Arcana card in the standard Tarot deck. It represents justice, karma and what goes around comes around. But, as always, this card holds different meanings depending on the situation and other cards surrounding it. Read on to dive deep into the meaning and symbolism of the Justice card.
Justice Tarot Card Keywords
Upright: justice, court cases, law, honesty, life lessons, karma, cause & effect
Reversed: karmic debt, corruption, injustice, unfairness, lack of accountability
Justice Card Description
Justice sits in front of a loosely hung red veil, symbolizing compassion, and between two pillars that represent balance, law, and structure, similar to those that frame the High Priestess and Hierophant.
She wields a sword in her right hand, demonstrating the logical, well-ordered intellect required to administer appropriate punishment.
The sword is pointing upwards, indicating a solid and definitive decision, and the double-edged blade represents the fact that our actions always have consequences.
The scales on her left (intuitive) hand symbolize her impartiality by demonstrating how intuition must balance logic.
Justice wears a crimson robe with a green mantle and a crown with a little square on it indicating well-ordered thoughts.
As a reminder of the spiritual implications of your deeds, a small white shoe appears from beneath her robe.
The Justice Card as Feelings
Upright, the Justice card represents a sense of fairness, integrity, and true justice. It typically means that you have done something to create harmony and are now being rewarded accordingly. You may be feeling a sense of balance or order in your life as well as freedom from guilt or blame.
Reversed, the Justice card suggests an imbalance in your life and a feeling that you are not being treated fairly or equitably. You may be experiencing disharmony, injustice, guilt, or insecurity. You may also feel as if someone is punishing you for something and you don’t know what it is. If this sounds like your situation, take a look at any current conflicts in your life—both internal and external—and see if you can work towards resolution.
The Justice Card as How Someone Sees You
Upright, the Justice card may indicate that someone sees you as fair, balanced and just. They may see your actions as being in line with what is necessary to create harmony or balance in a situation.
Reversed, someone may see you as unbalanced, unjust, and unfair. They may feel that your decisions are not based on fairness or equity but rather on whim or selfishness. They may feel that you are not taking responsibility for your actions and instead blaming others for their consequences.
The Justice Card as What Someone Wants From You
Upright, the Justice card may show that someone wants you to create a fair and equitable situation. They want to see justice done and for people to be treated fairly regardless of their standing or status.
Reversed, someone may want you to take responsibility for your actions and make decisions with integrity. They will likely expect that any consequences due should be rightfully accepted and that the same level of justice should be applied to everyone. Furthermore, they will not accept any unjustified blame or excuses as a way out of responsibility. The reversed Justice card may also show that someone wants you to recognize and rectify any wrongs or injustices in your own life.
Upright Justice Tarot Card Meanings
When the Justice card appears upright in a tarot reading, it’s telling you that everything has its consequences.
The universe is a giant karmic machine, and every action and choice you make works itself out in a balanced way.
This card often appears when major court cases or legal matters are being settled, so if you’re involved in a legal dispute and Justice appears upright, this is generally a sign that things will be fair and balanced.
(Which could be good or bad for you, depending on what side you’re on.)
The questions you should ask yourself when The Justice card appears upright in your tarot reading are:
- What are the consequences of my actions?
- Am I living a life in line with myself and my true potential?
- Is this fair or balanced, or have I somehow been wronged?
- Am I being fair to others, or could I improve my behavior?
Beyond this, the Justice card also relates to balance and stability.
It may signify that your life is in balance and you’re doing well, or it could be a sign that there are situations arising in your life where you feel like things are off a little bit.
One way or the other, you’ll need to keep yourself balanced as these situations unravel.
The Justice card can also indicate that you have a choice to make.
You may have to make a pros and cons list, weigh all your options, and see what outcome would suit you best.
Upright Justice Meaning For Love
Upright Justice Card Meanings For Relationships
If you’re in a relationship the Justice card could be either good or bad.
This depends on your relationship and where it presently stands.
If you’re in a relationship and Justice appears upright for you, this could be a sign that your relationship is at the next level.
It means your union is solid and growing stronger, which can either mean marriage or a bigger commitment than what you already have.
If you’re on the same page and have a balanced approach to communication and the energy you exchange with each other and have a mutual level of respect, it is a good sign that you’re headed in the right direction.
However, if there is dishonesty or one partner has cheated or isn’t being as forthcoming about their intentions with the other — the truth will soon come out.
Whether you’re on the receiving end of this, know that the time for secrecy, if any, is coming to a close.
The truth will be revealed soon and either way, you will have more information to make a decision on the direction you will go.
Upright Justice Card Meanings For Singles
If you are single and looking for love and The Justice card appears in your tarot reading, it may represent the type of person you are likely to attract next.
It often points to your attracting someone in the legal field (a lawyer or officer), that you may attract someone in a legal setting, or even that you may meet a Libra (as that is the astrological sign associated with the Justice card.)
Furthermore, if you have experienced dishonesty, cheating, or lying in your past, Justice upright could be a sign that things are turning around for you.
It could either be a sign that the person who enters your life next will be a more honest, forthcoming person.
Or, it could be a sign from the universe telling you to trust your intuition and seek honesty from your next partner.
As long as you treat others with respect and integrity, you will be rewarded with a partner that you can trust.
Upright Justice Meaning For Money & Career
If Justice appears upright in your tarot reading about money and career, take a look at your work-life balance and see if you are getting the right amount of time away from your job, or if you are pushing yourself too hard trying to succeed.
Be sure that you’re taking enough time for yourself and enjoying the fruits of your labor.
Also, see if you are being honest in your dealings with co-workers and everyone else.
If not, it may be time to re-examine how you make decisions at work and what kind of energy you bring to the table.
On the other side, make sure you’re also being treated fairly in return.
If you have been working hard for what you’ve achieved and aren’t being compensated fairly, it may be time to speak up and make a change.
For your finances, the Justice card shows you taking a balanced approach there as well.
Balancing your books, doing good accounting, making sure your bills are paid on time and that you’re saving for a rainy day, while also enjoying some of your money and having fun as well.
In terms of manifesting money, the Justice card is generally a good omen and a positive sign for you.
Don’t throw all caution to the wind, of course, but you should expect good luck with generating income when The Justice tarot card appears upright in a money tarot reading.
Reversed Justice Tarot Card Meanings
Reversed Justice can be a sign of dishonesty, either in a situation or relationship, or even with yourself.
It may mean that you are not being honest about your intentions and there is potential for betrayal if discovery follows.
If you are receiving this message from The Justice tarot card in your reading, trust your intuition.
Don’t ignore the signs and know that “what you sow, so shall you reap.”
What goes around comes around.
If you deal with others in a dishonest manner, you will likely experience the same thing at some point in your life.
But if others are mistreating you, trust that the same will come to them.
Reversed Justice can be a sign of someone trying to avoid their karma as well.
If the Justice card has appeared in your reading upright already, this reversal could be a sign that someone is trying to avoid what they deserve.
For you, the message is to maintain your balance.
Keep a level head, act with integrity and honesty to the best of your ability, and see it through.
Reversed Justice Meaning For Love
Reversed Justice Card Meanings For Relationships
Much of the time when the Justice card appears reversed in a relationship reading it is a sign of cheating or other major disloyalty and dishonesty.
If you are getting this message in your relationship tarot card reading, the Justice card reversal could be a sign that there is someone in your life right now who isn’t being honest either with themselves or with you.
If you are the one doing the cheating, prepare for all of those skeletons to fall out of your closet as well.
Whatever side you are on, the truth will come out so prepare for the revelation.
Overall, even if there’s no dishonesty, Justice reversed symbolizes a tough time in your relationship.
You are likely going to argue a lot, disagree on many things, and feel like one partner may have more power over the other in the relationship, which can cause more discomfort.
The advice here is to try to find ways to come together and communicate better.
When The Justice card appears reversed in a relationship reading, it is a message that the scales need to be leveled again and everyone needs to feel they are being treated fairly.
Reversed Justice Card Meanings For Singles
If you’re single and the Justice card comes up reversed there are two primary meanings.
First, it could be a sign that you may think you’re ready for a new relationship but you could still be holding on to bad patterns from the past.
This could even be something you do, but more often than not it represents a pattern in your past partners that need to be healed.
The second primary meaning of the reversed Justice card for singles is that your approach to love is pushing people away.
It’s often a sign of a lack of balance.
Maybe you fall in love very quickly and put too much pressure on partners and it pushes them away (even if you mean well.)
Or, you become too consumed with the new love that you start to neglect your friends or your own personal life.
You wind up losing yourself in your relationships and this causes them to fail.
The message you need to take from this reversed card is to find a healthy balance and focus on your own life, interests, goals, and passions in addition to love.
Reversed Justice Meaning For Money & Career
When the Justice card appears in a business reading, it can indicate that you are not being treated fairly.
You may feel that you are being ripped off or taken advantage of in some way.
This reversed meaning can also be a sign of an unfair work environment where the boss is making decisions for the company without input from everyone else.
If you work for yourself, this reversed meaning of the Justice card could be a sign that you are not treating your employees well or fairly.
It is important to remember that karma means everyone will get treated how they treat others.
So if there’s an imbalance see if there’s a way to correct it before an automatic correction occurs.
When it comes to financial luck, when the Justice card appears reversed, be very cautious.
It is generally not a sign of good luck and you should take care to avoid unnecessary losses.
Final Thoughts
Tarot is a powerful tool that can help you understand your life and the world around you.
It’s also an incredible way to develop your intuition, which will serve as a guide in all aspects of your life.
There are many benefits to learning tarot on your own, but it can be easy to get things wrong if you’re not careful.
That’s why if you’re a serious student of the tarot, do yourself — and your tarot practice — a favor.
Get your free numerology reading.
Imagine how empowered and excited you’ll feel unlocking your inner power and knowing, with full confidence, that you’re receiving the clearest messages for the highest and greatest good of you and those you love.
Get your free numerology reading now.
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