Judgement At A Glance
Keywords: Introspection, self-evaluation, decisiveness, spiritual awakening, purpose, epiphany, self-doubt, lack of awareness, inability to learn, meditation
Season: Autumn
Zodiac/Planet: Pluto
Judgement Tarot Card Description
Judgement is the twe tie the card within tarot. It often depicts an angel with red wings and of unknown gender (some believe it to be Gabriel) blowing a trumpet which raises the dead. We can tell the people being raised are indeed dead because they are gray, naked and rising from their coffins.
St Georges flag (a white flag with a red cross) hangs from the trumpet and the dead raise their arms up at the angel in awe. They are ready to be judged by the angel and are accepting of their fate. A huge wave in the background shows the inevitability of death and that the Angel’s judgement is unavoidable and final.
Judgement Upright Meaning
Upright it means the moment we turn inwards and reflect upon our own actions, thoughts and internal world and view them abstractly and detachedly. Doing this allows us to gain insights which were previously hidden from us as we begin to see a more well-rounded view instead of just our own which is limited.
This card asks us where we could have done better and where we may be lying to ourselves. It gives us the opportunity to sit with the actions, mistakes and feelings that make us feel uncomfortable and asks us to accept them so we can process them.
Often the Judgement card can signify a life changing epiphany or a spiritual awakening is on the horizon of the reader’s life. The act of self-reflection will further this awakening and make the transition easier for us so we must try not to resist it.
“The journey into self-love and self-acceptance must begin with self-examination… until you take the journey of self-reflection, it is almost impossible to grow or learn in life.” - Iyanla Vanzant
Judgement Reversed Meaning
The Judgement card when reversed is about self-reflection but it’s opposite side: a lack of self awareness. It can feel like we are harshly judging ourselves for every action or decision we make or don’t make. It’s a very difficult time when we lose ourselves in this way because we are unsure of how we can bring ourselves back as we can’t seem to feel what is right or wrong.
We likely got into this situation by trying to bury an uncomfortable thought, feeling or memory but now we are so detached from our emotions that we can no longer feel them to use them as a guide back.
We can start by assessing our core values and the actions we are proud of when we see others do them. We can build a road map back to our true selves by taking time out of our day to meditate on this. This takes time but after we will be better able to process the difficult emotions we were facing.
“It is always our own self that we find at the end of the journey. The sooner we face that self, the better.” - Ella Maillart
Judgement: Yes or No
The Judgement card is a no. It says derisively “oh yeah, are you sure about that? Pretty sure if you looked at it closer you’d notice XYZ.” It implies we have jumped the gun and not given the question or situation enough thought. Even when reversed it is still a no, but a less blunt one.
Let’s Break Down Judgement In Our Lives
What the Judgement card means more specifically in our lives.
Judgement In Love
If the reader has asked a question about love either romantic or platonic and Judgement appears then it can suggest that an action or kind words by the partner or friend will create a renewal of love for the reader. They will be struck anew with how much they feel for this person/people.
Reversed Judgement in love can mean we are blaming our loved ones for our own issues. A lack of self-awareness is causing us to project our insecurities or problems onto others. We must look within and confront the true culprit.
Judgement With Money
If the Judgement card appears when a question about money has been asked it is suggesting the reader needs to undergo a period of reflection about their spending habits. It could be very practical like making a budget or it could mean a more general look at how they spend their resources. This self-reflection must be honest if it is to be helpful long term.
Reversed Judgement with money means we are being too self-denying. We are working hard but not allowing ourselves to live happily. We are saving and refusing to spend because we are fearful of being without.
We must remember we work to live not live to work. We should allow ourselves nice things and experiences when we can afford them, by reminding ourselves we are deserving of them.
Judgement At Work
When asking a question about a situation at work or about our careers the Judgement card can mean we experience a sudden but incredibly strong calling to our career. An epiphany that means we finally know what we want to do in life and how we will contribute to society.
Reversed Judgement at work suggests we are not taking responsibility for our own mistakes. Deep down we know we could have done better but our refusal to accept this is creating a wedge at work which will not go away under we address it and make amends.
Judgement With Others
If we are asking about our external world, either our immediate world of people we know or the world at large and we get the Judgement card as an answer it means that it is time to face the consequences of our actions, both good and bad.
We are all taught to take responsibility for our wrong doing but very few teach us to own our success and achievements. We should do this now. Be proud of all we have overcome and worked hard for.
Reversed Judgement with others can signify that for sometime we have been carrying around a chip on our shoulder regarding the rest of the world and it has been proven to us that it’s totally unfounded. Whether this is a political, religious or other view we enter a situation where our prejudices are confronted and see that we were wrong.
Judgement With Self
The Judgement card relates to our internal world by indicating that a spiritual awakening or epiphany is coming soon. We should try to surrender to it, even if we don’t completely understand it yet. The understanding will come in time and we will adjust easier if we allow it wash over us without resisting.
Reversed Judgement with self can symbolize we have accidentally got into a habit of self-loathing. It doesn’t happen overnight but we wake up one day to discover we are feeling so low about ourselves. This card says to begin a daily practice of self-love to combat these negative thoughts.
Judgement As Feelings
Judgement feels how it sounds: a little judgey. Sometimes this is a good thing. In certain situations we need more discernment so we can make a decision wisely. However sometimes we can judge others harshly or nit pick at our flaws or others and we end up wasting our time and maybe even hurting people we care about.
This card has the essence of both the epiphany which can change our lives but also the ability we have to mentally spiral with out of control thoughts. This card is all about the mind so the feelings we can expect are everything the mind is capable of thinking. Which is a lot because we are only limited by our imaginations.
