XI · Justice
Key points of this lesson
Roman numeral XI
11 is 1 joined to 1 — parity, and the balance of cause and effect. Waite swapped it with Strength at 8, putting the rational order of law and logic in this place.
The same symbol also appears in
- VIII Strength · In the Marseille tradition Justice is usually 8; Waite made it 11 to fit the astrological sequence.
Red robe
The broad field of red stands for vitality, drive and the authority to enforce law in the worldly realm. Justice is not talk: it is a ruling with force behind it.
Red = worldly authority and enforcement
The same symbol also appears in
- IV The Emperor · robe · Both wear the colours of worldly rule and order.
Yellow background
Bright yellow stands for sacred wisdom and clear thinking, implying that the verdict rests on rational illumination rather than private motive in the dark.
Yellow = wisdom and clarity
The same symbol also appears in
- I The Magician · background · The same ground colour, for the awakening of consciousness and wisdom.
Sword of Justice
The sword held straight up in her right hand stands for decisiveness and the absoluteness of truth. Double-edged, justice both shields the innocent and punishes the guilty — without leaning either way.
The same symbol also appears in
- X Wheel of Fortune · sphinx · It too holds the sword of wisdom and judgement.
The scales
The scales in her left hand hang in perfect balance, standing for fairness, assessment and weighing. They demand that all the evidence be examined before acting, so that inner and outer come into accord.
Crown with a square jewel
The square jewel at the centre of the crown stands for the order and solidity of the material world. Justice is the foundation stone of a working society — a structure that cannot be shifted.
White shoe tip
The white shoe showing beneath the red robe stands for the pure motive behind the ruling. However hard the outward means, the ground it stands on is moral innocence.
Grey stone pillars
The two pillars form the hall of law; grey stands for neutrality and objectivity. They echo the High Priestess's pillars, but here the emphasis is the constraint of outward institution.
The same symbol also appears in
- II The High Priestess · pillars · Hers are black and white; the pillars of Justice are a neutral grey.
- V The Hierophant · pillars · Likewise the support of institution and tradition.
Purple curtain
Purple stands for nobility and mysterious intuition. The curtain screens the view behind her, hinting that the truth of justice often hides behind appearances and has to be sought through the haze.
The same symbol also appears in
- II The High Priestess · veil · Both use a hanging cloth for hidden truth or the boundary of knowledge.
Element of air
Justice answers to Libra, an air sign — objectivity, reason, logical analysis untinted by feeling, and the pursuit of what is true.