ustice

Since the Major Arcana do not apply directly to physical life, it must follow that
Justice does not apply to the laws made by mankind. True, sometimes the laws of
mankind mimic the laws that Justice does enforce, and in those rare cases Justice can
indeed refer to them. But Justice typically refers to the immutable laws of the
Universe, the invisible principles that keep everything flowing forward smoothly
through infinite causal chains. These are laws that cannot be violated; only enforced.
And the sword of Justice, double-edged as always, is ready to mete out punishment
for those who have wronged, and to reward those who have done good deeds.

The two most important laws governed by Justice are really two sides of the same
coin. First comes the law of cause and effect, stating that all events are connected and
each present state is the result of all past states. This is a such strange idea to get your
mind around because sometimes seemlingly meaningless actions will have great
ramifications. Justice shows that every action you do will eventually have an effect,
someday, and you really have no idea of knowing what that event is until it happens.
Often the figure on the Justice card is pictured sitting in front of a curtain; this curtain
hides the machinations of the universe that bring about these final results.

From the law of cause and order develops the law of Karma, showing that all your
actions will return to you eventually. They will be modified slightly, and they are
often strengthened over time, but the lesson is still the same. As you sow, so shall you
reap. This is really a simple elaboration of the law of cause and effect. Under this new
law, not only will everything you do have an effect, everything you do will have an
effect on you. This is where it becomes critical to be mindful of your actions, because
everything you take will come back to you eventually. Before Justice, you have to
answer for all your actions, right and wrong. Life, if nothing else, is fair.

Indeed, Justice teaches the fairest yet cruelest lesson of all because, like in the suit of
Swords, her blade has a double edge. You do not get what you expect, or even what
you want - you get what you deserve. If you deserve good things then they are
awarded, without ceremony or congratulation. If you deserve punishment then it is
given with neither compassion nor mockery. You simply get back what you have
made for yourself. And since you cannot change your actions once they have been
made, if you want good things to happen you must be constantly making choices that
will lead to those good things. You can be a saint or a demon - it is your choice.
When Justice appears, it should be taken as a stern reminder that the deeds of the past
form the foundation for the events of the present and the future. If, in the past, you did
something that you have been feeling guilty about, now may be the day when you
have to answer for your deeds. If you did a deed you felt was worthy of reward,
perhaps that reward will arrive. Especially when the Justice card is around, mind your
actions and make sure you don't do anything you might regret later. Justice often
appears to warn you that she will meet you again soon if you stay on your current
path. Whether this is good or not remains yours to decide.

Despite the fact that it rarely represents the decisions of judges, this card can
sometimes personify the attitude of a good judge. You may wish to take on this
attitude to solve a problem in your life. The archetypal judge shown by Justice is not
the blind courtroom statuette, but a figurehead of fairness and authority. Be right and
reasonable in all your judgements - never take sides, never show mercy but never
show excessive severity either. And before you judge others you must be prepared to
judge yourself, and ensure that you are not guilty of the same errors as they. Righting
any wrongs in your past must be done before you can attempt to right wrongs in your
present.

Death

The image of Death charging across a field on his spectral steed would strike fear into
the heart of almost any man. The appearance of the Death card has a similar effect on
most people, though it really should not. Whether you like it or not, Death is one of
the most powerful cards in the Tarot. Humans naturally fear the unknown, and so
Death is our greatest fear since it is the greatest unknown. The majority of us are
unaware that our mind and spirit die all the time, constantly shedding old beliefs and
acquiring new ones. It has been said many times by many readers: the Death card is
not a card of death - it is a card of transformation.

In the Tarot, as in reality, Death is nothing more than a transition to the next level of
life. Whether you believe that a soul goes to heaven or back to Earth to be
reincarnated, the fact remains that the soul lives on. The candle is extinguished, but
only because the day has come. The river shown on many versions of the Death card
is a symbol, showing that life will go on, no matter what disastrous things happen.
The river water will reach the sea, rise into the clouds, then rain onto the land to flow
into the river again. Nothing is destroyed, because nothing can be destroyed - there
can be only transformation.
The only real reason the transformation shown by Death is so catastrophic is because
it is being held back, fought against by those too afraid to realize that change is
beneficial. Every change happens for a reason, and Death is a force like Justice in that
it is absolutely fair. It does not discriminate against one group and spare another -
everyone is equal in the eyes of Death. So if big changes are happening in your life it
is certainly plausible that you are the reason for them. There's no point fighting death,
it only makes things worse. Like the Hanged Man, accept that change happens and let
it do what it must.

Take a look at the Rider-Waite version of the Death card, and note the bishop on the
right side of the image. He is actually welcoming Death, because he knows of the
great spiritual transformation it brings. Almost all versions of the Death card show a
symbol of resurrection or re-birth. This could be the rising sun, an egg, or a sapling
sprouting from the body of a dead man. All these symbols show that to progress in
life, our old form must die, just as a snake sheds its old skin to reveal a shiny new one.
This is the message of the card: Death must be conquered by the regeneration of the
soul, and he who knows this shall live forever.

When the Death card appears, big changes are heading your way. Usually this change
refers to something in your lifestyle; an old attitude or perspective is no longer useful
and you have to let go of it. While the Hanged Man was a card of voluntary sacrifice,
the Death card is a forced sacrifice - but that does not mean that it is not for your own
good. Sometimes you cannot see how your attitudes are hurting you, and when that is
true, the Death card is your wake-up call. Death is not simply destruction; it is
destruction followed by renewal. Even though one door may have closed, another is
opening. Will you have the courage to step through?

If so, before you go forward, take a moment to look back. Is there anything that you
are carrying with you that is no longer necessary? Let it go now, before you proceed.
Are your old attitudes holding you back, or are high expectations constantly
disappointing you? Cast them off, or let Death's watery energy wash them away from
you. Open yourself and let it strip away all that you no longer need - fear, revenge,
intolerance. Flowers cannot bloom if the land is full of weeds which choke the
ground, and likewise, your spiritual enlightenment will be held back by doubt and
fear. Let them go now or risk having them painfully ripped away when Death
inevitably returns.

Temperance
After the purging experience of Death, it is necessary to rebuild and improve on that
which has been left over. Now that old habits and beliefs are gone forever, new
attitudes must be acquired to fill the gaps and make you whole again. This process of
reconstruction and harmonization is shown by the card called Temperance. The verb
"to temper" means to modify or strengthen by adding a new component to an existing
substance or mixture, and this broad defintion can be applied to many areas of your
life. But all applications of Temperance share the common theme of moderation and
balance, culminating in the creation of a centered and well-rounded being.

In most Tarot decks the red-on-white symbology first shown in the Magician appears
on the card in some form. The temperance of desire (red) with purity (white) is one of
the most fundamental manifestations of this card, as is the reverse (purity with desire).
The angel on the Rider-Waite deck, who wears a white robe and has red wings, is a
perfect illustration of this. Purity of heart and mind gives you a solid base to fall back
upon, but only through the desire for personal growth can you ever develop. The
angel's white robes give him his basic form, but only through the control of his red
wings comes his ability to fly.

The act of Temperance can also refer to the coming together of two distinct beings
that must function as one. Obviously this refers to relationships, but also to
friendships, partnerships, and all kinds of compromises and committees. This can also
take place on an internal level, when you confront your deepest desires and your most
irrational fears and, instead of getting rid of them, you incorporate them into yourself
and grow stronger because of the temperance. If you throw away your Shadow it
cannot help you, but by accepting it you bring it under your control. Perfect harmony
with oneself is one of the two lessons of this card, and the one often seen in readings.

Temperance also represents an appreciation of moderation through experience of the

extremes; to use an analogy, to live through the darkest night and the brightest day to
appreciate both the twilight and the dawn. Only through seeing and acknowledging
both sides - the positive and the negative - can you integrate both into your
personality. Another facet of the Temperance card is that you must not strive to
become totally positive, even though that might seem like a good goal. Life seeks
balance and if you strive to be a totally positive being you will be fighting the current
all the way. Better to embrace moderation and go with the flow.

The two situations in which Temperance will most often appear are in the context of
your relationships with others and with yourself. In the former case, a need for
balance is often implied. Conflict can only be resolved through compromise and
cooperation, and two people who both acknowledge this cannot be in conflict for
long, because they always balance things out before they become problematic.
Likewise, they enjoy the good times but know that they cannot last forever, and are
not disappointed on darker days. If a relationship seems out of balance in any way,
Temperance must be taken as a sign to start fixing things before it gets too far out of
balance and it is irrevocably destroyed.
Often, though, before you can achieve harmony in your relationships with the people
around you, you must make peace with yourself. Inner imbalances can often manifest
in the physical world if they are not attended to, whether or not the imbalance is a
negative one. Having a lifestyle that is optimistic to the point of believing yourself to
be invincible will lead to problems, maybe even more so than a lifestyle of pessimism
and paranoia. Balance is best achieved through turning to the Inner Voice for
guidance. Temperance is a card of health, and its appearance shows that your inner
power is ready to heal you and make you stronger.