Thirteen
I'm having real trouble with this card. I know the deck is meant to be scary, as well as blackly humorous, and I know that the deck is meant to show, often, the shadow side of the usual meanings. Still, what I love about these cards is that they often illuminate the original meaning of the card rather than just focusing on its shadow meaning.
But I'm not finding the true meaning of Justice in this Justice card. It seems to be the most cynical, ironic and unrelentingly pessimistic card in the deck. We have the epitome of a heartless judge (at least he looks heartless), dressed up in the trappings of the highest authority (aka, wearing his wig and robes), carrying a book used to convince officials and judges not only of the existence of witches, but how to discover them and execute them. This is a book justifying the worst sort of persecution and injustice. It turns this Judge into a criminal and murderer.
As a really black bit of humor, he's carrying a candle as if it's a torch he might use to burn those witches...though he'd probably just use it to help him read that book. In the background is a pale, robed figure. Is this someone who turned the Justice into a witch-hunter and is now looking on satisfied? Or is it a devil in human guise who is satisfied that it's influence has turned a potentially fair and objective man unfair and subjective? It's telling that behind this figure is the glow of a fire.
Justice is certainly something that can very quickly be corrupted and turned wicked by all kinds of human weaknesses and temptations. By our own prejudices, our greed or pride, our fears and needs. Anything can make the man wearing the wig into tyrant, dispensing justice as he/she sees fit rather than according to the law or what is right and fair.
The other cards in the deck, however, do not seem nearly so pessimistic as this one does to me. This card seems to be ironically labeled "Justice" with it's meaning being "INjustice" and no hope in sight for a fair trial. Am I reading this right? Do the deck creators believe that there can be no such thing as real Justice? Or is there a way to bring the card back into the scope of what the Justice card usually means--this being a balance rather that imbalance? Even if the Judge is, in the context of this deck, right to believe in witches, that particular book is still bound to lead him to burn the innocent rather than the guilty. Is there any balance to be found in this very unbalanced card?
But I'm not finding the true meaning of Justice in this Justice card. It seems to be the most cynical, ironic and unrelentingly pessimistic card in the deck. We have the epitome of a heartless judge (at least he looks heartless), dressed up in the trappings of the highest authority (aka, wearing his wig and robes), carrying a book used to convince officials and judges not only of the existence of witches, but how to discover them and execute them. This is a book justifying the worst sort of persecution and injustice. It turns this Judge into a criminal and murderer.
As a really black bit of humor, he's carrying a candle as if it's a torch he might use to burn those witches...though he'd probably just use it to help him read that book. In the background is a pale, robed figure. Is this someone who turned the Justice into a witch-hunter and is now looking on satisfied? Or is it a devil in human guise who is satisfied that it's influence has turned a potentially fair and objective man unfair and subjective? It's telling that behind this figure is the glow of a fire.
Justice is certainly something that can very quickly be corrupted and turned wicked by all kinds of human weaknesses and temptations. By our own prejudices, our greed or pride, our fears and needs. Anything can make the man wearing the wig into tyrant, dispensing justice as he/she sees fit rather than according to the law or what is right and fair.
The other cards in the deck, however, do not seem nearly so pessimistic as this one does to me. This card seems to be ironically labeled "Justice" with it's meaning being "INjustice" and no hope in sight for a fair trial. Am I reading this right? Do the deck creators believe that there can be no such thing as real Justice? Or is there a way to bring the card back into the scope of what the Justice card usually means--this being a balance rather that imbalance? Even if the Judge is, in the context of this deck, right to believe in witches, that particular book is still bound to lead him to burn the innocent rather than the guilty. Is there any balance to be found in this very unbalanced card?