Judgement

Thanks to the light touch of Hajo Banzhaf, Judgement has acquired the reputation of an extremely positive card, especially when it comes to some stagnant situation or a painful problem.

It represents the successful conclusion of a crisis phase, a miraculous deliverance from a multitude of difficulties, and the prospect of getting rid of everything that oppresses and weighs you down in one fell swoop. Either a long-held desire will be fulfilled, or life as a whole will reach a higher level of well-being, both spiritual and material.

Judgement always symbolizes a change in the situation, always radical CHANGES FOR THE BETTER, the successful overcoming of problems, and deliverance from limitations and obstacles. It makes sense to grab onto them with both hands, without fearing anything. This extremely rare opportunity might slip away if you hesitate, act cowardly, and postpone the decision. This can apply to a career, a romance, or anything at all.

The beginning of a new life (Death is the end of the old, and Judgement is the end of Death), liberation, a radical positive change. You should expect positive results in the very near future. Deliverance from sorrow and suffering, liberation from everything that fettered and hindered you from acting as you see fit. The completion of a difficult stage, a great relief, because a new life perspective opens up. The return of health, joy, luck, happiness, the ability to breathe deeply, exactly as the person themselves understands it. You can expect news, an important message that will influence your forward movement. The result will be clear, and everything will be for the best, regardless of whether the question concerns worldly or spiritual life. If the querent is tormented by some problem, then soon everything will be resolved, and in the best possible way.

Judgement clearly and distinctly indicates: "The trumpet calls!" Its presence in the spread makes it clear that the matter is very significant and it will not be easy to dodge it. Appearing in a spread, Judgement says that the querent is on the right track (no matter how great the doubts), the right choice has already been made, and the obstacles have practically been overcome. The traditional meanings of Judgement are a final decision, a verdict not subject to appeal, a change of fate. Often, under Judgement, a person faces a very serious choice, the need to make a major decision.

Abandoning one path and switching to another track, returning to a once-lost way of life (and this is perceived as renewal and rebirth). Most authors believe that Judgement does not symbolize the necessity or possibility of change, but rather a change that has already occurred. And it is absolutely unimportant whether this transition comes as a result of inner work or a combination of external circumstances, because the inner and outer worlds are reflections of each other. In essence, here the person has already changed, their old self and old conditioning have already died, life has already acquired a new dimension; the only question is to clearly realize this.

At the same time, in practice, the Twentieth Arcana can also manifest in an alarming way. One can assume that the manifestations of Judgement depend on the quality of Pluto in a person's horoscope. A strong and positively aspected Pluto accentuates rebirth, transformation; a negatively aspected one signifies a trial, a "judgment of karma"; and a weak one can leave to the share of the Twentieth Arcana life's trivialities like an unexpected phone call. However, Judgement is rarely momentary. Usually, the card describes some important, serious, long-playing experience. For people seeking peace and the preservation of the status quo, Judgement means a disruption of the usual course of things, transformation, alteration.

The most complex manifestation of Judgement is... judgment (a trial). This is some situation in which a person has to pay for something done in the past, pay the price of redemption, answer for their sins. Surrounded by negative cards, it means losing a court case, condemnation. Under Judgement comes the presentation of bills (including in the most banal, everyday sense). Furthermore, the presence of Judgement in a spread can indicate that answers to questions regarding the current state of affairs should be sought in the past, which is viewed by the person at this stage quite distinctly.

One of the ancient meanings of the Arcana is natural cataclysms.

Renewal, the release of hitherto hidden possibilities and talents. Joy due to the realization of a dream. Banzhaf, with his characteristic attitude towards the Judgement card, accentuates happiness and an incomparable feeling of freedom – a person soars like a bird in the sky and discovers depths and heights they never suspected before.

Often, under Judgement, a person experiences some kind of revelation that becomes a source of deep and serious changes, a true rebirth. A rediscovery of oneself occurs at a higher level, a fundamental expansion of thinking, the cognition of truth coming from the depths of the soul, which is subjectively often experienced as a Calling. A paradigm shift happens, a completely new way of perceiving things suddenly appears, a new meaning, a different quality of life. Pluto always transforms things essentially, fundamentally. The center of the circle changes, and along with it, the location of all other points (which is why usually everything changes for the better simultaneously). A revaluation of values occurs, a change of direction, and it is quite possible that just a couple of weeks ago the person neither expected nor suspected anything of the sort. The presence of Judgement in a spread is a sign of immense power. And a person has not the slightest control over these forces (which are generally positive).

Many manuals modestly state that Judgement speaks of "the development of psychic abilities," and the authors refrain from further explanation. Since practically all the Major Arcana speak of the development of such abilities – The Fool, The Magician, The High Priestess, and further down the list – it makes sense to clarify exactly what abilities are meant. Judgement specifically points to the activation of memory (both ordinary and transpersonal) – forgotten images, voices, and plots pass before the person, some seemingly forgotten experience or "memories of the future" float to the surface. In the worst case, the soul begins to resemble a restless cemetery at night – something is constantly creaking and groaning there, and ghosts of the past rise from the graves and walk around, rattling their bones and making demands. If The Moon and the Nine of Swords are also nearby, consider the picture accurate in its details.

A person described by Judgement can in one way or another "blow the horn" – be a trendsetter and founder in some sphere, set the tone, call for responsibility, and in one way or another appeal to those around them. Judgement is an indicator of talents, great giftedness, the presence of vivid interests and abilities, meaning the person has a calling for something (other cards can provide a clue).

Symbolically, the card depicts the Archangel Gabriel blowing a trumpet, calling souls to the Last Judgement. Actually, it is not the Judgement itself that is depicted on this Arcana, but the Resurrection, that is, the moment of rebirth and the liberation of something that has long been suppressed or hidden; it is the emergence of the true, Divine principle from the dungeon into the light. The card embodies an important, decisive step on the path of personal formation, the successful completion of the next stage of its alchemical transformation, that is, the transformation of lower matter into higher matter. A spiritual awakening occurs; the immensely increased power of the subconscious (traditionally it is associated with water, and on Waite's card the coffins float on the river, indicating that it is something awakening specifically in the inner world) draws the soul into the crucible of Divine power. Judgement is the mystery of Transfiguration, Initiation, profound spiritual self-realization, illumination, annunciation, a loud inner voice clearly saying certain things that cannot be dodged.

This is a very strong card in terms of bursts of karmic memory, and this idea is reflected in a number of decks. Judgement personifies the mystery of the constant rebirth of the spirit. It is reborn both throughout a single life and after crossing into another body, carrying within it the "seeds of karma."

Through Judgement comes the awakening and realization of "sleeping" feelings, thoughts, and ideas, the actualization of forgotten, seemingly "dead" experiences. Images that seemingly died to the soul (or rather, it died to them, and now it "resurrects") once again become attractive and filled with power. The calling voice of truth and the highest calling sounds once more, and what seemed dead rises from the grave to meet it; a liberation from the shroud of the past takes place.

In the sense of rebirth, this is also spiritual work with karma, the realization of the accumulated experience of past incarnations, the contemplation and analysis of paths traveled, an accounting for past deeds. Under Judgement, there is a going beyond the boundaries of physical reality, beyond the limitations of a single life. The situations associated with this Arcana are essentially tying up loose karmic ends, answering for actions in the past, and HEALING the soul. The motive here is not so much the justice of "an eye for an eye," but rather the motive of correction, purification, and rebirth (which is exactly what this "eye for an eye" is needed for, as an educational and redeeming tool).

On the Twentieth Arcana, the grave or coffin is understood as the athanor in alchemy, the crucible, the place where the transformation of the body into spirit takes place. Interestingly, in astrology, the Grave or Tomb (Geniror) is the symbolic name of the 4th house, which is also responsible for a person's origins, the place they came from, like a coffin or womb. In an everyday sense, this is the home and family line, and in an occult sense, karmic origins, the comprehension of the primordial tradition, the deep memory of past incarnations, in full accordance with the profound meaning of the Twentieth Arcana.

Zajchenko writes: "Whatever the context, the Judgement card is ultimately a tribute to the incredible courage, vitality, and durability of the human spirit. The triumphant moment of rebirth becomes a celebration of survival." Judgement brings a call to rebirth, self-realization; through this card, the voice of a higher calling is felt (and it is usually connected with goals not for one life, but for a whole cycle of incarnations). Since a person usually lives in complete oblivion regarding this very calling, true spiritual resurrection occurs under Judgement, the sleeper awakens. Their cave cracks and breaks apart, and they come out into God's light. Sometimes this "cave" turns out to be a person's material earthly body, from which the soul emerges into freedom, therefore the Judgement card can sometimes point to a person's exodus from this world much more accurately and directly than the Death card. This card symbolizes the liberation of the triple spiritual power of man from the grave of his material existence. Since only one third of the spirit enters the physical body, and the remaining two thirds make up the Hermetic Anthropos (or Superman), only one of them will truly rise from the grave. The sound of the trumpet (fanfare) symbolizes the creation of the World, and with this sound, a person is freed from earthly limitations. Tomberg views Judgement as a synthesis of life and death: after resurrection, the one risen from the dead can act as if they are alive, but at the same time they are free from earthly bonds, as if they were dead. Filadoro notes that Judgement makes a distinction between what is spiritual and what is still material. "This is not a crusade against the material. Spirit has descended into matter, making it divine and, consequently, spiritual. But initiation in the Tarot – the journey through the Arcana – predicts that by freeing themselves from the limitations of the material world, the Hero will reach the stage of the greatest spiritual freedom."

Astrologically, the card is associated with the planet Pluto, whose energy, acquired during the disharmonious state of destroying the old, provides the opportunity to start all over again. This is that inner energy which is capable of elevating a person's thoughts to their realization in the world and which, based on the concept of death, destroys all the worthless old. In the image of the planet Pluto, transformation is correlated with suffering and passion - close, yet different concepts. Awakening and Self-Judgement is a subjective retreat into the inner world, maximum detachment from the outer world, and the embodiment only of those ideas that the mind is capable of controlling. Particularly in the culture of the past, the idea of renewing the world was associated with ascetic feats of saving one's own soul and the souls of one's neighbors, but now it enters ordinary life together with the concept of love, and laypeople transform each other with their love.

Judgement is always a very important card, and a very positive card for people who have long lived precisely by faith in something, moreover, without any guarantees. The lesson of this card is to understand that the goal towards which you unconsciously walked for years, relying solely on faith, TRULY exists. "According to your faith be it unto you" - Judgement promises a reward for aspirations.

This is the card of true heroes of the spirit, who have long strived for a goal, supported only by their own conviction that this goal must exist and is worth striving for. They had no proof that what their soul yearned for, what their every day was dedicated to, existed in principle or would ever be achieved by them. They carried the only proof within themselves, in their hearts. And Judgement proclaims to them that this goal truly exists, and there is nothing more valuable than striving for it. Judgement brings a reward for this supernatural determination, superhuman aspiration. From now on, blind faith is unnecessary; there is true, confirmed knowledge. An answer has arrived from the depths of the universe that had been silent for so long, and on the envelope your name and the address of your backwater are precisely written. You are seen, you are known, you are remembered by higher powers – what could surpass this? Harry Potter receives a letter from Hogwarts saying that he is a wizard and it is time to pack. Here it is, liberation, a new birth, the delight of a calling. The end to confusion, doubts, the entire old life. An answer has been given that resolved all riddles, an answer that was deep down in the heart always known. There is no time for hesitation and cowardice – this path must be followed, grasping the opportunity with both hands. This reward can only be earned by being true to oneself.

Here one can recall the words of Richard Bach that a person entrusts their life to the service of what they believe in. "These ideas of his must bear the weight of hundreds of questions that he asks himself, plus the burden of hundreds of critics, cynics, and destroyers, plus the hardships of all the consequences to which they will lead. If they were made of steel, the steel would not hold." Judgement is a reward for those who have withstood.

For those who did not withstand, Judgement is... The Last Judgement. Sometimes – a very terrifying one. In this card, the influence of Pluto is truly strong, and those who are familiar with astrology know what kind of planet this is.

A stage in spiritual development symbolizing the direct cognition of the will of karma and its great interconnections. Everything is moving towards an inevitable higher judgement, when we get the answer to all questions. This is a moment of accounting for the use and non-use of opportunities, an honest assessment of one's own efforts and achievements. It can be painful from the point of view that a person must finally realize their Higher Calling, learn to think more broadly, to go beyond the limits of their little self. Moral awakening, a test of conscience. Judgement is the spiritual rebirth of a person, redemption of the past (and the deeper the feelings, the greater the redemption). This supernatural joy and the uplifting feeling of absolution are familiar to those who have happened to experience genuine repentance and receive forgiveness that is significant to them.

Note: the card has a special relationship to the holiday of Pentecost (Trinity)! And probably not without reason – the Arcana depicts a triad: a man, a woman, and a child. Another interesting meaning is that if this card falls to a person who has previously prayed, turned to heaven with some request or repentance, this is a clear sign that their prayer has been heard. This does not guarantee that everything will come true directly that very moment, but in general, the Judgement card contributes to miraculous transformations and events that confirm to a person that they were right when they believed and hoped.

Once again – the trumpet calls!

Sometimes, for example, to a new job, and moreover, abroad. Judgement often indicates that a person is to take on some obligations, to accept responsibility for some important matter. It can be expressed as a return to long-standing projects and affairs, when a change for the better has occurred after a long stagnation. Much less often, Judgement means liberation from worries and duties that oppressed development.

Work by Calling with a capital "C" (including in organizations where all employees clearly understand the mission). Under Judgement comes organizational learning and development, reorganization, the mastery of advanced working methods. A fresh wind bursts into the dusty, sleepy kingdom. A call to action, to sharing knowledge and experience with others.

A decision to start a new venture that will change life for the better. Development, moving forward, ascent. A reward, a salary increase, rest after long labor. In a word - achieving a goal. Result. But also innovations, a new start, new beginnings. For a creative person (an actor, poet, artist), this card means the onset of a new period of inspiration, active work, an influx of new strength, discovery, a transition to a new quality. In combination with other cards of success, it can mean the realization of creative plans – the publication of a book, the opening of an exhibition, the completion of a project. The ability to create immortal works. Judgement unconditionally brings fame, hype, resonance, "copper trumpets" (glory), PR. Some Russian tarot readers believe that for businessmen, Judgement advises sponsoring people of art so that they create an image for their business, "blow the trumpet," so to speak.

Besides popular figures in show business, politics, and so on, Judgement describes people who have a professional relationship to legal proceedings (along with Justice), as well as to rhetoric, teaching, and generally all situations where it is necessary to publicly address people and be sensitive to collective aspirations. Judgement governs innovative and reformative activities, staff recruitment, and in some cases – occupations somehow related to music.

A fundamental change in the situation.

Surrounded by favorable cards - for the better.

However, quite often Judgement manifests very tensely, up to lawsuits, auctions, selling under the hammer, and the necessity to leave one's current place of residence.

There may be a move to another city, another country.

Judgement brings major changes in personal life. In practice, it most often gives a chance to atone for past sins, make up for mistakes, restore harmony at a certain level – everything returns to normal. Improving and renewing relationships, forgiving old grievances. It is believed that Judgement brings healing from old wounds, forgiveness of enemies and people who caused pain, untangling karmic knots, and resolving pressing problems. The contradictions that complicate life are indeed smoothed out, and one manages to break out of a vicious circle.

To a person who has been alone for a long time (especially if they are described by The Hermit or a significator with a close meaning), Judgement foreshadows the sudden finding of a soulmate. Under Judgement, what was considered lost is found and gains a new life, and this applies to relationships as well.

Judgement announces the liberation of everything that slept within us in a lethargic sleep, similar to death, and this inner awakening leads to new situations and means deep changes. Love that seemed long and hopelessly lost reasserts its rights. "The trumpet calls," feelings are resurrected, it makes sense to answer this call. There may not be a second chance for a very, very long time. All the more so since Judgement itself helps in making a final decision and starting a new life. Essentially, this is a triumphant message of reunion and resurrection. Here, of course, one must pay attention to the accompanying Arcana - sometimes, under Judgement, things are resurrected that would have been better off lying quietly, and the person is annoyed at their own inability to nail down the lid of that coffin properly.

Sometimes, with corresponding Minor Arcana – an addition to the family.

In some cases, Judgement undoubtedly describes a transformation and a calling in the field of personal life that turn out to be a severe ordeal for the querent. For example, this is extremely strong love and self-dedication from another person, which must be answered according to the direct meaning, for example, responding to a marriage proposal. The querent feels this as a kind of "duty," one must say "yes" (and this is usually a karmic duty! strictly in accordance with the meaning of the Arcana), but fulfilling this duty and this inner command can be difficult for them due to a number of circumstances (one must look at the surrounding cards). Again, "the trumpet calls," there is a loud call from another person, and the superego has given a sign that it is necessary to act, but if the person does not obey it ("but what about my ego?!" the one that is not "super", but simply ego), then the consequences will be... plutonic. Up to a complete collapse of life or health for inexplicable reasons. This is how Judgement works. This is how Pluto works. The ego does not count.

Regarding health, the card manifests itself in two ways.

It can promise an undoubted improvement in health, a surge of energy, recovery after a serious illness, through it one can "rise from the dead." Healing from depression. Liberation from spiritual and physical tension. Rejuvenation, measures for general health improvement, a cleansing course, a sanatorium.

But in certain cases, Judgement calls a person out of this world, and if the question concerns a patient in a hospital intensive care unit, then the Twentieth Arcana can report a fatal outcome. As already mentioned, Judgement speaks of going beyond physical reality.

As a significator of illness, Judgement points to a generally terrible physical condition (Pluto is always total), situations when a person feels "very bad": these can be heart rhythm disorders, severe allergies, indigestion, seasickness, painful onset of menstruation, a migraine attack, asthma, or paranoia ("voices" and all that). Capacity for work in all such states is, to put it mildly, reduced.

In a reversed position, Judgement is a formidable significator. Its traditional (and practically confirmed) meaning is an incurable ailment. The situation is practically hopeless, and one must try to accept it as it is.

Reversed Judgement is an unequivocally unfavorable sign. If the question was about health, it is an illness and most likely a dangerous one; if about material well-being, serious losses up to bankruptcy; and in personal affairs, the card can symbolize drama, separation, a cooling in love, or the disintegration of a family union. A forced change of residence is also possible.

To creative people, reversed Judgement can foreshadow failure or a delay with a project, or negative fame, unfavorable media interference, difficulties in promotion. Perhaps a fresh example would be the second part of Nikita Mikhalkov's "Burnt by the Sun."

Psychologically, in a reversed position, Judgement symbolizes an unwillingness to transform. The trumpet calls, but one wants to dodge, pull the blanket over one's ears. The card warns that one should not delay in making a decision; it cannot be avoided anyway! Procrastination threatens with losses and the emergence of insurmountable difficulties. Sometimes one can say that circumstances will not change until the person being read for takes decisive steps. In general, reversed Judgement is a "lack of guts" situation; there is not enough courage to answer the call. A person abandons some endeavor or flees from a situation because it threatens their customary behavior patterns and lifestyle. The result is stagnation and generally a situation in which the person will regret the missed opportunity more than once ("and everything is peaceful in the cemetery...").

Delay, postponement. Sluggishness, weakness, cowardice. Punishment for this.

Sometimes reversed Judgement means that some call bypassed the person – for example, they did not receive some important invitation.

Under reversed Judgement come mass unrest, poorly controlled plutonic situations, group conflicts.

With The Fool – rebirth, new tasks. To believe in oneself and in victory and to remember "According to faith it shall be rewarded"

With The Magician – positive changes in life as a result of applied efforts. Ascending to a higher level of spiritual development

With The Empress – harmonization of relationships with those around, gaining self-confidence

With The Emperor – the danger of falling under another's dictatorial influence

With Justice – acceptance of mistakes, paying for deeds of the past

With Death – death

With Eight of Wands – pangs of conscience

With Three of Swords – the necessity to make decisions based on unpleasant facts

With reversed Six of Swords – being a witness in court

With Nine of Swords – a heavy combination, a painful experience of guilt, a feeling of sinfulness, of a crime, remorse, conscience won't let you sleep

With Five of Cups – regret about mistakes, also a dispute over an inheritance.

With Seven or Eight of Pentacles – a fateful decision, the moment of making it, the combination is considered very strong

Before reversed Ten of Pentacles – a trial over gambling, a squandered fortune, bankruptcy.

The Phoenix Bird

Archangel Gabriel