Forest Folklore - Judgement

[rcb30872]

This card seems to say me that something that has been risen from the dead, since we are at a grave site, and there is all this mist, and there is this head popping up amongst the mist.

But at the same time, since the card is a night time card, it seems to indicate a card that is something within yourself, or within your mind. The fact that there is mist, maybe that indicates that your thinking or mind has been a bit foggy, and you have not been able to see things clearly.

At any rate, it just seems to indicate that something that is supposed to be dead, or you presumed to be dead, is matter of fact not. "To rear one's ugly head" or whatever the saying is, seems to remind me of this card. It could be a certain relationship or situation, if it is not a particular relationship or situation, it is a similar relationship or situation, because you failed to learn whatever you needed to learn the first time around.

[Rede Seeker]

Years ago, my Teacher, lead an exercise where in the end, we each selected our Soul Cards from the deck he had prepared. I chose the Judgement card, so it's the one that I judge any Tarot deck by. If I feel a union with the Judgement card, it's a good deck for me to work with.

Hajo Banzhaf, in his 'Tarot and the Journey of the Hero' describes the Judgement card thus:

Archetype: The wonder of transformation
Task: Redemption, liberation
Goal: Healing
Risk: Failing as a cheat
Feeling in Life: Freeing oneself and feeling redeemed, finding peace of mind

He further connects Judgement (card 20) numerically with the High Priestess (card 2) and Strength (card 11). Commitment and a will to life (Strength) are preconditions for the healing and redemptive powers of Judgement when dispensed at the right point in time (High Priestess).

In Forest Folklore, the scene of Judgement is in an isolated place beside a headstone marked with an equidistant cross, symbol of relationships. The ground is swathed in mists. Born and raised in Wisconsin, I always associate mists with the fairies who dance in the fields at night, scattering at sunrise. The ground fog is thick, but it clears quickly - the full moon is clearly visible as are the trees which shield the area.

The lone human in this scene is up to her neck in dancing faries, she is in communion with Otherworld beings at the month's high tide (full moon). The lone human looks apprehensive. Maybe she/he senses something watching from behind - there seems to be something forming in the mist behind her beneath the equidistant cross on the headstone. Is this just part of the headstone's design? I set my magnifying glass to the image and see less than I do with normal sight of that misty image, however, the glass reveals writing. Most of the writing is lost in the mist but 'DEMO' is clear enough through the magnifying glass.

The lone human is seeking peace of mind but doesn't seem to be too successful at the moment. She/he is surrounded with Mystery - whether the Fey in the Fields or the Great Mystery of Death and the Afterlife. She/he is steeped in it. Is she/he rising or submersing her/himself in it? Is it the look of the deep diver before she/he goes under again that we see?

This Judgement card carries a vibe of going under willingly, fearfully, perhaps but going none-the-less. The Seeker's desire for Truth, Meaning, Purpose gives her/him the will to dive into the Unknown. But she/he isn't alone - Mani Full-Bright is high in His sky watching as are the Fey. Perhaps this dive into the Unknown is a test of their support as much as the diver's will.