Justice: Tarot Card Meaning
Justice is the eleventh card of the Major Arcana in the Rider-Waite-Smith deck and stands for fairness, truth and cause and effect. A figure in red sits between two pillars, holding upright scales in one hand and a sword in the other. The scales weigh the facts, while the sword cuts through excuses. The card asks you to be honest and to accept the results of your choices.
Upright meaning
Upright, Justice calls for clear thinking and fair decisions. Gather the facts, weigh both sides and act with integrity. It can point to legal matters, contracts or agreements, and it promises that honest conduct will be rewarded. It also asks you to take responsibility for your own part in a situation, rather than looking for someone else to blame.
Reversed meaning
Reversed, there may be unfairness, dishonesty or avoidance of accountability. You could be treated unjustly, or you might be ignoring the consequences of your own actions. It can also suggest bias or a one-sided view. Check the facts, read the fine print and ask whether you are being as fair to others as you expect them to be to you.
In love
In love, Justice suggests honesty and balance, a relationship built on fairness, or a decision about commitment made with a clear head. Reversed, it points to imbalance, unspoken resentment or a refusal to see your own role in a problem.
In career
At work, it favours contracts, negotiations, legal matters and ethical decisions. Be thorough and fair, and expect to be judged on the facts. Reversed, it warns of unfair treatment, shaky agreements or poor accountability.
As a yes or no answer
As a yes or no answer, Justice is a maybe when upright, since the answer depends on the facts and on whether the choice is fair. Reversed, it leans no, because something unfair or untrue is affecting the situation.
Advice from this card
Write down the facts of the situation without adding opinions, then ask what a fair outcome looks like for everyone involved, including you. Honest accounting now saves difficulty later.
At a glance
- Arcana: Major Arcana, card XI (11)
- Journey: the Fool’s journey through the 22 trump cards
- Yes or no reading: Maybe when upright, No when reversed
Explore more cards
Continue with The Wheel of Fortune or The Hanged Man. Or draw your own cards for a reading.