Judgement tarot card from the Simply Tarot deck

Judgement Tarot Card Meaning

The Judge

✦

Awakening • Reflection • Reckoning

You are subject to internal and external judgement. You face the things you have done well and the mistakes you have made. The past cannot be changed but it should inform your future. Take the lessons you have learned forward with you.

The Subject is judged internally, by themselves, or externally, by others, in regard to something they’ve been involved in. This card can relate to outcomes of all kinds in relationships, work life or material or creative pursuits. People are generally enthused and want to highlight and celebrate their success, and rightly so. People who have worked long and hard, and who have not waivered from their ethical principles in order to achieve their goal, will receive their longed-for recognition.

If, however, Judgement means the Subject is to face up to some negative consequence of their actions, the lesson is to learn something about how they go about achieving their goals in life. When the Subject looks back over events they’ll remember what they had to do to get there and the extent to which it was right and moral. The Subject is asked to consider if they are happy with all of their actions, input and work to get to this point or, with hindsight, would they choose to do anything differently? These lessons need to be held on to and used for future reference.

⌵

❦

Love & Relationships

The past is echoing loudly now. Old choices, unresolved wounds or previous versions of the self rise back into view, asking to be faced honestly rather than buried again. Love changes profoundly when people stop pretending they have nothing to answer for.

◈

Material Life

Past decisions echo loudly through present circumstances now. Financial consequences, responsibilities or unresolved patterns return asking to be faced honestly rather than avoided again. Real stability begins when people stop pretending they can outrun their own choices forever.

✎

Notes from the Artist

A young woman kneels before three hooded figures sitting behind an alabaster white table. They have a large book in front of them and three large ornate pillars behind them. Are they judging her and she is pleading for mercy? Or are they listening to her explanation of why and how she did things, so they can write it in the book? Is she elated that she has done things in the best possible way? Or is she pleading for another go because she knows she got it wrong? It doesn't really matter - the image is to depict external and internal judgement - something we all have to face at some point whether at our work or play, and possibly at the end of our journey on earth.

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From the archive

The Original Artwork, Reimagined

Before Judgement became part of the Simply Tarot collection you see today, it was drawn and painted by hand for the original 2011 Tarot House Deck. The style has evolved, but the meaning and character of the card remain at its heart.

Original hand-painted Judgement tarot card by Patricia House from the 2011 Tarot House Deck — 2011 **Original 2011 artwork Judgement** Hand-painted by Patricia House

A female kneels before a panel of three hooded figures - their faces unseen. She raises her arms at their Judgement of her. She is thanking or pleading, but we are left wondering which. — Today **Judgement reimagined** The current Simply Tarot artwork

The original first edition

Buy the Original 2011 Deck

The card shown above is part of the original 78-card Tarot House Deck. Every image was drawn and painted by Patricia House before the deck was professionally printed by Cartamundi in the UK. A limited number from the original print run are still available.