Death and Judgement

What are the key differences??? Death is at thirteen and judgement's at twenty so they are far apart on the Fool's journey.

They both deal with Big changes and transformations. So what are the main differences?

Something dies in Death to open space for the new, which is reborn in Judgement. I particularly like the Robin Wood Judgement as very clear - a woman is reborn like a phoenix from the ashes (earth to earth, ashes to ashes...)

In Death something ends. The end. Gone. You may have wanted it to die, or not. You may have expected it or not. All that's certain is that it died. You morn for it, and, as said, it leaves a space for something new to take it's place.

This is important to remember about Death. It's not just about something ending, but your mourning for that end, coming to terms with it, and accepting whatever new thing takes its place.

Judgement is something that should have died, but didn't. That you kept alive, even if you thought you'd buried it. Either a wrong done to you or a wrong you did or some way you're living your life that's not good--etc. When you get Judgement, that's when you realize that it's time to lay it to rest. To end it and move on. This is something you want to to, and know should be done.

That's the important thing about Judgement. That you resurrect this thing, face it and come to terms with it, so that, at last, it can be let go. Which is why, rather than mourning it's passing, you feel released and free, and like you can start afresh.

Thirteen said:

That's the important thing about Judgement. That you resurrect this thing, face it and come to terms with it, so that, at last, it can be let go. Which is why, rather than mourning it's passing, you feel released and free, and like you can start afresh.

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So true. I've experienced this myself. Sometimes you really do need to go back before you can move forward.

Thanks for the clarification. The depiction of judgment typically shows a figure rising from a grave of some sort, and a crowd gathered around in celebration.

So the resurrected figure represents the issue that was faced and resolved? The crowd symbolizes your coming to terms and the release because it's finally over?

Or are YOU the resurrected figure. Born again, so to speak.

HerzogIsGod said:

Thanks for the clarification. The depiction of judgment typically shows a figure rising from a grave of some sort, and a crowd gathered around in celebration. So the resurrected figure represents the issue that was faced and resolved? The crowd symbolizes your coming to terms and the release because it's finally over? Or are YOU the resurrected figure. Born again, so to speak.

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Well, actually the classic Rider-Waite image is the Angel Gabriel blowing his horn on Judgement day, making everyone rise from their graves to face that last Judgement. The idea is that it's finally time to bring that thing that was buried--the thing that's kept you from moving on--out into the light and let it be judged and dealt with.

So if you did something wrong to someone in your life, this is the point where you decide to face it and pay for it (and you do have to pay for it!). So you go to that person and say, "I'm sorry for what I did to you years ago, it was wrong, how can I make it up to you?" Only after you've faced it, admitted it, paid for it (if the other person requires it) and been forgiven can it be laid to rest, and you, released from it, allowed to move on.

This goes as well for holding onto anger against someone who did you wrong--you have to face it, meet up with them, express it, and find a way to forgive or at least lay it to rest.

There are a lot of things that keep us chained to unhappiness and keep us from moving on in life. From the expectations of a parent, to the regrets we feel for what wrongs we did others, or the anger we feel at the wrongs done us, or habits that we know hurt us and others, but we haven't the courage to surrender. Even certain goals and ambitions we've always had and refuse to let go of.

Judgement is all about that moment when we say, "Enough. Let's deal with this and be free of it, no matter what it takes."

Thanks again, Thirteen. So it's kind of like the old saying, "it's time to face the music." This card really suggests a potentially uncomfortable situation

HerzogIsGod said:

Thanks again, Thirteen. So it's kind of like the old saying, "it's time to face the music." This card really suggests a potentially uncomfortable situation

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Potentially, yes, but like Mr. Scrooge going to this Nephew's house and saying, "I was wrong, can I come to dinner?" once you do it, you're going to feel so much better (and end up having a marvelous dinner with marvelous people and a bond with your wonderful niece and nephew, etc.). Like a whole new person with a whole new life. And you'll wonder why you were ever afraid to do it, and why you didn't do it sooner.

The discomfort of such situations are often worse in our imaginations, how we anticipate it will be, than how it actually is. And we rarely anticipate how great the rewards will be once we get it overwith.

HerzogIsGod said:

What are the key differences??? Death is at thirteen and judgement's at twenty so they are far apart on the Fool's journey.

They both deal with Big changes and transformations. So what are the main differences?

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Death is the shutting of the door. Death is the moment when you realise that there never will be any going back.

Judgement is not, in and of itself, the beginning or end of anything, It is the long-dark-teatime-of-the-soul, the moment when you are tossing and turning, evaluating your past conduct, questioning your value as a friend, a lover, a parent, an employee, a human being. It is when you think things through without any sugar-coating or false modesty, when you have a chance to evaluate yourself and your past and present behaviours without preference or prejudice. Then, after that Judgement-type process has occurred, you may choose to end certain aspects of your behaviour in a Death-like fashion if you think they no longer serve you or your community, but they are *not* the same thing.