The Justice card was, and sometimes still is, numbered as 8. Here, it is number 11. I prefer 11, probably because it is the way I originally learned it and because years ago I read 78 Degrees of Wisdom by Rachel Pollack. She made an argument for Justice being 11, for it being the dead center of the Major Arcana journey. That theory shapes my idea of the card,a s you will see.
Some people read this card as worldly or earthly justice—that is, justice based on your culture’s or nation’s legal system. Others take a broader, more spiritual approach. Or both, depending on the question and what other cards are in the reading.
I mostly see it as a card of karma, playing off the idea of spiritual justice. It is a reminder that whatever we are experiencing, we created. This is useful when a client is wondering “why me?” It is also a good reminder, for when someone is in a difficult situation, to choose their actions very carefully, because whatever you do will affect and shape their reality in the future. This is why I like it as 11. It is the middle. It is always the middle. Because every moment is always the culmination of past actions and is simultaneously planting the seeds for the future. Every moment is, in a way, a moment of perfect balance, or maybe more specifically of balance being restored or created.
image from Legacy of the Divine Tarot by Ciro Marchetti
I am quite fond of the number 11 as well – it shows up all over the place in my life. I’m born on the 11th, my birthpath is 11, my name adds up to 11, 11 is in my home address…and on and on.
I also learned tarot with Justice as 11.
When I see Justice, often I am reminded “you reap what you sow” – meaning no matter what is happening in your life, you have created these consequences through past/current actions. When Justice shows up in a reading, it gives us an opportunity to explore our choices and perhaps reconsider our next move.
I like Justice as number 11, too. I picture the traditional Lady Justice with scales, 1 on each side (1….1). And yes, it is the middle, always the middle.
And Strength as number 8 works best for me, too. When I look at the number 8, I can picture the traditional woman at the top and the lion at the bottom (as if she is sitting or standing behind the lion). Together they form (in my mind) that “figure 8” or lemniscate shape.
Interesting thoughts about Justice, and there is the simple fact there is a Balance to the 1-1 of the card; you can almost see it in the figures of this one.
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I must admit I perfer Justice as 11 largely because I prefer Strength as an 8; I like the Solidity of the 8, and the fact as 2 Fours it represents, both a doubly solid foundation, and a culmination of skills. Here as Strength as 11 just never spoke to me personally.
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Blessings, BB.