The Justice card from the Connolly Tarot
Does she look familiar, this crowned woman of quiet strength and profound wisdom?
She has had many names in many civilizations, but whether you call her Lady Justice or Lady Liberty, she represents balance in both a personal moral sense and a universal natural one. She is the personification of freedom in thought and word and deed, which means she also personifies our collective responsibility to fairness and mercy, and to each other.
Liberty for all or liberty for none.
Justice is a fitting card for the week following the 4th of July, Independence Day in the United States. On this day 248 years ago, we codified the great experiment that is America, an imperfect construction, yes. But on that day, we also committed to be ever moving forward, ever pursuing a more perfect union.
"I do not pretend to understand the moral universe; the arc is a long one, my eye reaches but little ways; I cannot calculate the curve and complete the figure by the experience of sight; I can divine it by conscience. And from what I see I am sure it bends towards justice." — Theodore Parker
The tarot has many queenly figures in it. Each suit has its reigning feminine monarch (for four in all) plus there are several major arcana cards traditionally depicting women upon thrones, including Lady Justice.
Wisdom. Clarity. Fairness. Consequence. These are the values associated with this card. She carries both a sword, representing severity, and scales, representing mercy. She is not blindfolded, however. She is objective, yes, but her sense of fair play comes from being able to see a situation deeply and clearly. How else is she to prevent a conniving thumb from sneaking onto those golden balances? How else will she ensure that the verdict she renders is truly right and not simply legal?
And that is what she asks of us now, not the detached disinterest of the scale, nor the edged vindication of the sword—Justice requires that we keep our eyes wide open.
This is how the arc of the universe bends, after all. Not through passive inaction. Not by simply trusting that everything will work itself out. This arc is bent by the work of hands. But before we act, we must choose the right and correct action. This is the true work of Justice.
This week, consider how you can help bend the arc of the Universe. What small action can you take to move yourself—and therefore the entire Universe—toward that result?
Previously, I said of Justice, "You already have the long-enough lever—she's simply showing you where you might stand." That sounds exactly right for this moment too.
I hope you had a peaceful and profound 4th of July, my friends. May it be so next year as well.
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To learn more about the Connolly deck: https://www.usgamesinc.com/connolly-tarot.html
Read more about Columbia, one of the US’s earliest symbolic personifications: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/before-lady-liberty-lady-columbia-180982722/
Read more about the Statue of Liberty at the National Park Service website: https://www.nps.gov/stli/index.htm