Tarot Discussion Group, Card of the Week.

I found this a very difficult card to work with writing this weeks essay. The first essay wandered abit to far from a proper discussion of the card. I was pondering issues concerning the Justice/ Temperance as they affect the coming decision to go to War, or Not. I am linking that essay to this one here. The **** Denote where the two essays diverge.

So lets consider the card, The primary figure is an Angel, she is very reminiscent of the Angel in the card Temperance but much less ethereal.(Mouse over the card to compare them.) Dominating the top of frame is a planet. Venus? which is a shrouded world like the planet shown, and Venus rules Libra, which is tied to this card. Or is it Jupiter, the world seems to have little moons, and Jupiter Rules Law and Enforcement. Yet Jupiter has a banded appearance. Above her head, and upon her bosom, is a Ying Yang symbol, that serves as the axis of a scale. One her shoulder sits a Falcon and a Dove, war and peace. At her feet, the Crow and the Heron. The crow a totem of divine law, and the heron, a totem of self will. Between them is a third bird, but I have not been able to determine what it is meant to depict. I expect it is important, as it appears in the temperance card as well.

I think the important concept examined in this is about dualities. Yin/Yang, War/Peace, Earth/Sea, and of course right and wrong. Where temperance was about a balance of the 4 Elements, Justice is about the world of dualities. We seem to live in a world of dualities, especially as Americans. Our Media tells us their are two sides to every story, which works here, mostly, but would not in Europe. Besides England, the Europeans enjoy Multiparty democracies, vs the 2 Party (Duality) System we and the British embrace. More parties means more voices and with them wider political horizons. A British observer, recently commented on how American's hate sports that end in a draw, a perfectly respectable result in most of the world. American's however need winners and losers. This model helps us organize our world, but it simplifies the world, and tends to lead us to the Us/ Them Duality that causes so much trouble in the world.

The Angel of Temperance has a soft expression and gaze. The Angel of Justice has a firm expression and a piercing gaze. For while temperance is about balance, Justice is about choices. War and Peace do not coexist, it is not possible to balance them. Oh war may not touch us personally, but that is not peace. Law and Self Will, we have all had too at some point or another put law above our own Self. Justice carries her sword to enforce her will upon those who will not submit. All of us who are parents have had a hand in this process. If we love our children we must accept our authority as parents. We teach our children to submit to that authority, so that when they grow up, they will submit to higher, sterner authorities. Authorities who exact much more than a quite time for disobedience to them.

In an ideal world the Angel of Justice hears all arguments, sees all ends, and balances all needs. In the real world the law is very often unjust. Which leads to another hard lesson. Do we teach our children to go along to get along, Or do we teach them sometimes one must taste the steel of injustice to do what is right. If we teach them the second how to we react, when they feel we are being unjust.

The Duality of Justice, steams from its bonds to the Material world. The fool has not yet passed through the underworld and emerged to discover the balance and compassion of temperance. Yet we live in this material world. We live with its appearance of dualities. War may well come soon, and no matter how enlightened the individual, it will not go away. For now we can only hope if the Angel of Justice is sitting on the Presidents Shoulder, the Angel of Temperance is sitting on the other.

Divination:Totems: Great Eagle: Vision, Falcon: War, Dove: Peace, Crow: Natural Law, Heron: Self Will, Ying/Yang Balance of Dualities. Jupiter: Enforcement of Law. Venus: Material Concerns. The Sea: Intuition.

Objectivity, Concern with Facts and Intellectual Clarity. Careful Consideration or Choices. Fair Decision or Compromise. To be Judged. Submission to the Intent.

Reversed:Bias, Injustice, Abuse of Power. Victim/ Perpetrator, the cycle of blame. Intolerance. False Judgment. Cruelty. Stagnation through Indecision.