TAROTSCOPES | SEPTEMBER 23 - SEPTEMBER 29
XX JUDGEMENT
Every card in the tarot embodies a paradox. A holographic spectrum of possibility rippling out from the essential idea contained within. As we enter Libra season, sign of the law, justice, consciousness, and relational understanding, Judgement appears like a beacon, reminding us that this tool of discernment can be used and abused individually and collectively.
Judgement teaches us that there is no difference between the dove and the crows illustrated on this card. They are not separate, but a unit, a force for awakened consciousness. The dove does not judge the other birds for their darkness. The black creatures do not caw and claw at the dove for rising above the murder of crows. Rather, they illuminate one another, in a wild illustration of the battle within and without.
When we are caught in the teachings of the Judgement card, we are often finding ourselves thinking we are “better than”, “more spiritual than”, “more evolved than” whomever our focus might rest on. But in this action are we not backpedaling in our own ego evolution? Are we not missing the innate godliness in each of us? When we compare, are we not stepping down from our spiritual high horse? When we judge, we show our humanity. We expose our own pettiness. We fall into the trap of reacting that pulls us off whatever divine path we may have been on.
This is not to say that to judge is to commit a sin. I have to believe that this faculty of discernment which has survived and developed over thousands of years in the human species has a purpose. It is a gift to perceive moral right and wrong. There are times when the tool of judgement is a great asset, especially in the world of activism. For example, I would not judge a child running on a playground whose shoes are untied. On the other hand, I would absolutely judge the actions of an oil company or a fashion label selling $1M scarves and appropriating indigenous cultures for their marketing campaign. What I do with that judgement is a different story. Judgement is, ultimately, an emotional or intellectual attachment to a situation or thing. When the Judgement card appears, we are asked, in some way, to elevate our awareness enough to judge our judgement. To comprehend which judgements are ego-driven and which are selfless, rooted in compassion and understanding of our relationship to that which we are judging. And once we have achieved this ability, Judgement demands that we pull ourselves from the paralysis that sometimes ensues.
Ultimately, Judgement is a card of awakening. The second-to-last card in the major arcana, it represents awareness, true seeing and spaciousness that emerges from the focus of meditation. The dove surfaces from the flock of crows. Judgement is, ultimately, an act of recognition. We see, hear, taste, smell or touch into something we do or don’t like. Usually, our admiration or distaste arises because we are actually witnessing a part of ourselves we would rather hide or are unable to accept. Judgement, therefore, is a card that reminds us that there is not a true separation between the thing that is known and the thing that knows it.
In his translation and commentary on the Bhagavad Gita, Eknath Easwaran writes “Success on the spiritual path requires the highest kind of courage we can muster...If you want to see real bravery, look at the person who is patient under attack, who will not retaliate, who will suffer rather than inflict suffering on others.”* We embody the judgement card when we are willing to suffer the pain of witnessing our own judgement rather than reacting to it. When we are able to watch our emotional reactions to any person or situation, not inflicting that reaction on another, but being with it, loving the thought that teaches us we are not so different from them. Easwaran encourages us to become “forbearing when provoked and loving when hated.” It is this state of experience which Judgement incites within us.
This week, play with your consciousness. Realize that reality and your thoughts inform one another. This is the relational nature of the universe. When we recognize this essence of interconnectedness, we can begin to love our dark thoughts. We can begin to forgive that which we thought was unforgivable. We revive, rather than waste our power. Pause, reflect, wonder, repeat.
*Eknath Easwaran, The Bhagavad Gita for Daily Living: Vol 1. The End of Sorrow, (Berkeley, CA: Nilgiri Press, 1975), 35.
WHAT EVEN IS A TAROTSCOPE? We often think of horoscopes as predictions that are specific to each astrological sign. In Ancient Greek, the term horoscope simply means "I watch the hour." To astrologers today, a horoscope is a chart that maps the planetary bodies in the sky. From this chart, we derive meaning that can influence how we work with energy. Regardless of our unique individual charts, we are ALL working with the same energy from above. Each week, I examine this energy, pull a tarot card and write a guided meditation with the collective in mind. My tarotscopes are meant to be read as inspiration. Please note that because we are all operating with our individual energy, some elements will resonate more than others. Take what you like and leave the rest. Tarotscopes are offered freely in an effort to cultivate collective healing. I am always grateful for your support in sharing this work with anyone you think it might help. If you are inspired or find support here, please consider making a donation to help sustain these weekly offerings.