Deirdre of the Sorrows - 11 - Justice

shadowdancer

Justice can mean many things depending on the question being asked. On one hand we can associate it with the legal definition, and on the other hand it can be as simple as acting with the most honourable of intentions. As with traditional decks, Justice here is depicted with a woman holding the balanced scales in her left hand and an erect sword in her right hand.
Her white dress does indicate the purity of action, thought or deed, thus supporting the ideal of acting with honourable intent.
When we look closely we see the scales appear empty for now, which could explain why they are balanced. If you had to “weigh up” an issue at hand, which way would the scales be tipped and why? What would be needed in order to restore a sense of balance? How much of this would be within your control?
She does have a firm grip on her sword. Is she looking defensive or offensive in her stance? Is there anything you feel you would like to wield the sword at in order to bring about a change or enhance progress?

I like the fact she is not blindfolded on this card. She is seeing clearly so there can be no accusations of being blinded by the truth, or not wanting to acknowledge the truth of what is happening. Yes, I know the blindfold is symbolic in other ways when shown on this card in particular, but I don't always go for the straight forward traditions associated with symbols. :)

If we looked at this card slightly differently we can may be able to correlate the fact the scales are being held in the left hand. That side of the body is associated with our emotional state. Is there anything here that is out of balance? If that is the case, the sword held in the right hand may indicate a firm and reasoned approach is needed to restore the balance in some way.
 

shadowdancer

Sometimes we get a particular vibe only when it appears in a reading. Sometimes it is a card we would least expect, but when that happens - it can often be the card that really gives that 'eureka' or light bulb moment.

I had this appear in a reading where the querant was questioning how her current relationship was likely to progress. I picked up the fact the other party was already involved in a relationship, so honesty and integrity was bought into question. I read the other party as holding the scales quite close to their chest, whereby they felt they were in control of where the relationship was heading. In his mind, the balance was just about right. His own personal needs were being met quite adequately, but if looked at from the point of view of the querant, they were not quite as happy with the balance that had been created within the relationship. The sword gave the impression he was a little defensive and was not as willing to discuss how he saw the relationship progressing. It was a subtle defensive stance but the querant did not want to upset the status quo by bringing the issue up for discussion. There was a fear this would have caused him to withdraw and possibly end things. When looked at as a whole, it was clear her partner was in possession of both items, and therefore had control. She knew everything about the relationship was not as it should be. She wanted more from it, but he was not willing or able to give more. She therefore understood why the Justice card appeared when it did. She had been experiencing the “It’s not fair” emotion but did not know what do about it. Eventually she realised there was no likelihood of commitment and the relationship ended.