Judgment Card

Judgment Day -Truth and Lies

Who is to judge? Who passes judgment on someone else? These are questions we all must deal with and there are at least two kinds of judgment to consider: civil and religious. What does the dictionary say about judgment? “The act of judging … to ascertain truth; the process of examining facts and arguments to ascertain propriety and justice. The act or faculty of judging truly, wisely, or skillfully. The sentence of the law pronounced by a court and a judge.”

Civil judgment and the law

B.O.T.A. deck

In civil cases, who is qualified or justified to judge another person’s behavior? Some people choose to become a lawyer or a politician by studying the laws of the land. A Judge is chosen for the bench because of his or her knowledge of the law and competent experience in adjudicating and passing judgment on cases brought before the court. These cases may deal with ethics, criminality, or abuse of power and/or other forms of wrong doing. Evidence is presented, and witnesses are called to testify. In criminal cases, a jury may be brought in to hear the evidence of the case and submit their verdict before a Judge, who then pronounces punishment or acquittal.

Theological judgment - religious beliefs

Where and how did the Tarot card “Judgment” originate?

It is obvious that, visually, the Tarot card, “Judgment,” in the classical Waite deck and other early decks, have biblical implications that have been depicted in Renaissance religious paintings of the “Last Judgment.” Here, we see people rising from their graves and tombs beneath an angel blowing a trumpet, which implies they have been redeemed and the virtuous are judged fit to enter the Kingdom of God and Heaven. The Judgment card clearly portrays the Christian view of resurrection and redemption. What happens to those who don’t pass the test and are “found wanting” -  eternal punishment? “You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting.” (See Daniel 5:27) Do our choices in this life have eternal consequences? If so, what is God’s Kingdom and Heaven? What is Hell? Is it really the Devil’s ghastly place in the so-called Underworld of punishment and retribution for evil exploits, sins and wrong doing?

In theological doctrine over the past centuries, “Judgment Day” has been the final punishment of the wicked and, on the other hand, redemption of the righteous. In Judeo-Christian religion, the belief is that God judges. This has been the teaching of the church exemplified in the great religious paintings of “Judgment Day” by Renaissance artists from the 14^th to the 17^th century.

“We must live with our sins and one day we must account for our wrong doing … this card suggests atonement. Judgment. The need to repent and forgive.”

Stuart R Kaplan, Tarot Classics (US Games Systems 1972)

Hippie trip to Hell

In a movie short, a Hippie crashes his car into a tree and dies. We then see him going through a long laundry-type chute and come out in a very hot waiting room with a nasty lady at a desk in front of a red door. He realizes this is the entrance to “Hell.” He is actually excited to see what his eternal punishment will be because he has led a petty ostentatious life. He keeps asking the lady when it will be his turn. (There is nobody else in the room.) She keeps grumbling at him to sit down and wait.  After a long wait, the door opens and there is the Devil, all in red and he welcomes him to Hell. They go to another hot room where he will receive his punishment. After long wait, a couple comes in wearing Hawaiian shirts and, oh! he’s so happy to see them! They proceed to set up a screen and projector and get him started on his eternal punishment - which was - to watch their home movies and photos of their trips to Hawaii for Eternity.

Earlier religious beliefs -  Egyptian (See my previous blog on Judgment, May 19, 2012)

Well, it isn’t quite like that, but when we look back in history at the funerary art of ancient Egypt, at the time of death, according to the “Book of the Dead,” the deceased goes to the Hall of Justice in the underworld where there are 42 Judges or judgments that one must pass before achieving eternal life. Questions are proposed about wrongful acts, including theft, murder, fraud, inequity, violence, sin, lies, deceit, misplaced anger, wrathfulness, revenge, plunder, evil intent, and so on. This was presided over by Osiris who pronounced judgment, and the heart was weighed against the feather. (See “Egyptian Cosmology” by Mustafa Gadalla, Bastet Publishing 1997)

In biblical literature, there is “Judgment Day” (NT) where God or the Messiah, a Savior, passes judgment and punishes the wicked, or redeems the righteous, and redemption is in the form of resurrection. It is more about the immortality of the soul then reanimation of the body. In Renaissance paintings, sinners are depicted being punished in Hell by means of various tortures conducted by demons and monsters; payback for violating and disobeying God’s laws. (Such as the “Ten Commandments,” Exodus 34:28) In Judaism, Yom Kippur refers to the “Day of Atonement,” a time of confession and repentance. This day is when you confess your wrong doing and ask for forgiveness or make amends. 

Giotto’s “Last Judgment,” (1304) a huge painting on the back wall of the Arena Chapel in Padua, Italy, and other paintings like it in various Cathedrals of Europe were probably the inspiration for the Judgment card. The lower left corner of the painting portrays a Christian view of the redemption of morally righteous people who appear to be rising out of their graves and tombs, to be taken to Heaven.  

Other forms of judgment

In ancient biblical accounts, Israel, at first, never had kings like the divine kings of Egypt, or any rule by kings as in the other Middle Eastern countries. God was considered the King of Israel. (Deut. 33:5; Judges 8:23) In the section “Judges,” there were twelve leaders or heroic saviors who were not kings or monarchs, but they alone presided over and judged Israel.  As there was no king, “… every man did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 17:6). After continually disobeying God, the people begged for mercy and would send in a champion, a judge, who could deliver them from oppression and this cycle kept repeating through twelve different judges. The most famous was Deborah and her General, Barak, who were victorious over the Canaanites. Sisera, the insolent, arrogant commander of the Canaanite army was then tricked and killed by the woman Jael, who nailed his head to the floor while he slept - the subject of several artists' works such as the painting, “Jael and Sisera” (1620) by Baroque woman artist Artemisia Gentileschi.

“Anywhere and anytime that people begin speaking and acting from their hearts to protest world destruction and work toward peace, judgment is being felt.”

Vicki Noble, Motherpeace (HarperCollins, 1983)

Meanwhile, the other kings in that region were having their own problems.  “MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN!” That was the “handwriting on the wall” seen by the corrupt Babylonian King, Belshazzar, which was interpreted by the Israelite Daniel to read that the king had been “found wanting” and Daniel predicted the division and collapse of Belshazzar’s kingdom. (These were verbs in Aramaic for stone weights of measurement -  meaning number, weighing and division) In Judges 4:4-23, the people of Israel disobeyed God again and again, so God’s judgment upon them was to deliver them to their enemies where they experienced the law of retaliation: “An eye for eye …” (Exodus 21:23-25)

“There are times in all our lives when we come under judgment followed by major changes.”

Madeline Montalban, The Prediction Book of the Tarot (Blandford Press 1983)

In Giotto’s monochromatic painting of “Prudence,” also in the Arena chapel, a woman is looking at

Giotto Prudence, Arena Chapel

herself in the mirror, perhaps examining her shortcomings and reviewing her life experiences. Prudence means the ability to judge between virtuous behavior and vicious actions. There seems to be a bearded old man’s head behind hers. Is this Father Time, and is the pensive woman looking back to her past? Some interpretations say this is an allegory of Time - past, present and future -governed and judged by the Virtue, Prudence.

Judgment - What is Fair and equitable?

Currently, we have been watching the Articles of Impeachment against the President carried out in the US Congress, as you all know. The US Constitution states in Article II, Section 4, that “The President, Vice president and all civil Officers of the United States shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.” In Amendment XXV “… Congress … determines by two thirds vote of both Houses that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office …”

The House of Representatives investigated the allegations of wrong doing by the President in soliciting aid from a foreign government to “dig up dirt” which could denigrate a prospective candidate for the next Presidency and, through stochastic inference, cause irreparable harm.  This Impeachment process was carried out and voted in favor for by the House of Representatives. Documents and the witnesses’ sworn depositions were presented to the Senate for a vote. The Senate refused to hear any witnesses or evidence and voted along partisan lines to not hold the President accountable for misdeeds. They voted to acquit. Was this fair and equitable judgment?

This does not bode well for the upcoming Presidential election in the Fall. And the country appears strongly divided over the issues. We must keep in mind that for justice to prevail, we must hear all the witness testimony and review all the related documents in order to judge fairly and equitably. It is now up to the public to be the jury that decides. This is a good example of what is involved in passing judgment on other people’s good deeds or misdeeds and/or the problem of “burying your head in the sand.” What is left standing out for all to see?

Judgment card - reading

 When you receive the Judgment card in a reading can you pass the test?

This is a time to mentally assess your values and habits. This may involve a journey to your own “inner underworld” to take care of those mental demons that may come back to haunt you. What are your motives and past mistakes? How are you being fair and just in your dealings with others? Are they being fair to you? Take charge and confront those who may be harming you with their wrongful behavior. Take a realistic look at what constitutes the truth about your life experiences and what lies may have been told. It’s a simple matter of being able to recognize right from wrong and taking the necessary steps to change your behavior and/or make amends, to forgive and forget.

References:

Harper’s Bible Dictionary (HarperCollins, 1985)

The World of Giotto (Time-Life Books, 1967)

The Oxford Annotated Bible (Oxford University Press, 1962)

Vickie Noble, MotherPeace Tarot (HarperCollins, 1983)

The Sun

The Sun card in Tarot

The sun

The Sun TOCC

With the dawn of each new day, there is something we take for granted – the sun. Think on this. 

For most of us, astronomical aspects of the sun and its planetary system within the galaxy and the  universe is too vast to be perceived, but every day we see this enormous ball of fire, which is forever exploding violently, spewing gasses, emitting radiation, and spreading light over our entire solar system. If its light didn’t shine on earth, again and again, as it does, we would be like a lifeless dull asteroid floating in the darkness of space.Almost all life on earth depends on the heat and light of the sun where it is neither too hot nor too cold for living creatures to survive on its surface. As we orbit the sun, obviously, we are aware that we experience ultra-lightness and total darkness within 24-hour periods of day and night and, in our 1,000 mile an hour rotation, the sun appears to come up in the East and set in the West every day. During the four seasons of Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall, the sunlight is always changing because of the earth’s 23.5 -degree tilt on its axis and we experience fluctuations in the amount of light received from very little to a lot in a year. Mars receives sunlight too, but so far, there are no living beings there to partake in it. In the article, “The Secret Life of the Sun” (Scientific American, June 2018) the author states that, “The sun was born in a cloud of gas and dust … when enough matter condensed to ignite nuclear fusion.” Think of it as nuclear furnace where hydrogen fuels its core and is constantly emitting an enormous amount of light traveling at 186,300 miles a second throughout our solar system. With a diameter of 864,000 miles, it is a radiant star central to eight planets and situated on the edge of the vast Milky Way Galaxy, home to perhaps 200 billion other stars. How do we react to this thought?  As simply as possible. Some people get up in the dawn of morning and go outside to greet the sun and express their gratitude for another experience of light and life in our lives. Let us welcome every new day of sunlight and revel in a sense of aliveness.

Light

Over the centuries, we have seen various interpretations of the significance of sunlight and investigated how it has influenced the daily lives of past populations. In a historical sense, beginning with early peoples, we have learned how some groups linked their lives with the changing light of the sun and observed its cycles in their ancient religions. In those times, many communities worshipped the sun through symbolism and myths. Symbols of the sun, which were symbolic of their god “Ra” or “Atum,” are evident in hieroglyphs and tomb paintings of the earliest Egyptians. They thought the sun was the eye of Ra, the generator of life on earth.

 “Ra means either sun or light. Our sun is the eye of Ra and not Ra himself”

Moustafa Gadalla, Egyptian Cosmology (Bastet Publishing, 1977)

In another context, the term light had significant meaning in an esoteric sense. Biblical writings, as in the Old Testament, began with “Let there be light,” with the first day of creation. (Gen. 1:3) And then the stellar system with the sun and the moon was created on the fourth day (Gen 1:16-17). In 1 John 1:5, of the New Testament, it says: “…God is light and in Him is no darkness at all,” which is interpreted in the Oxford Bible to mean Light that: “…represents absolute holiness without taint of evil.”  “Arise, shine for your light has come…” (Matt. 5:16).  In Greek myths, the sun god was Apollo, known as the god of light, who was depicted in sculpture with sun rays streaming from his head. In Old Europe, archeologists have shown that over 3,000 years ago, people celebrated the sun in important astronomical alignments of huge stones in their megalithic structures, which can still be measured, such as Stonehenge and Avebury in England. Here, certain placements of stones in circles measured the apparent motion of the sun and moon. In Ireland, near Dublin, at the Neolithic Newgrange Tomb, there is a “roof box” over the entrance through which the sun shines on Midwinter Day - the Solstice - and illuminates the inner passage of 62 feet. Massive stones, each weighing 2 to 14 tons, line the interior and are incised with spirals. At the end, a triple spiral is illuminated by the winter light on Midwinter day. Researchers have conjectured that these spirals symbolize natural sources, such as blind springs underneath, where perhaps, in those prehistoric people’s beliefs, this symbolized rebirth and renewal where spirits travelled to and from the underworld. (See The Avebury Cycle by Michael Dames, Thames and Hudson, 1977)

This winter day,

It is warm in the sun

                  But cold!       (Onitsura)

Light in Art

In late Gothic Art, the artist, Hieronymous Bosch (1450-1516) painted what is essentially “The Light at the End of The Tunnel.” In Cardinal Grimani’s Altarpiece, he painted the Ascent of the Blessed where little figures appear to be moving through a tunnel into the bright light at the end. Concerning this enigmatic painting, Hans Belting, in his book, Hieronymous Bosch, Garden of Earthly Delights (Prestel Publishing Ltd, 2002) states that, “The light lends added drama to cosmic spaces by illuminating the darkness, culminating in a tunnel of light leading to the celestial paradise, which is present only in absolute light radiating into the tunnel.”  In a more scientific sense, Leonardo DaVinci (1452-1519) and Claude Monet (1840-1926) studied the effects of light on nature. Monet painted the many ways sunlight fell on haystacks at different times of the day. Leonardo carefully observed light and dark patterns and drew diagrams of the way objects reflected light, such as in a still life and, he showed what happens in the absence of light as he scrutinized variations of darkness in the cast shadows.

Enlightenment

 “Those of us who choose to be spiritual seekers and transformers must now move

into the world with the same degree of commitment to our spiritual selves as we would

have if we renounced the world.”

“Living in the Light,” Shakti Gawain (Whatever Publishing, 1986)

In a metaphysical sense, light means spiritual illumination and enlightenment, which enables us to see circumstances clearly - in contrast to situations that seem obscure and foggy or mysteriously dark. Sincere seekers contemplate an inner transcendent light in stages of meditation as they search for spiritual illumination in their lives. In meditation, some sense they are being animated by the divine life force and feel they are connecting to a luminous energy from the never-ending cosmic source. For them, this brings clarity to some of the truths about themselves and life on earth.  Buddhists speak of this heightened awareness as “enlightenment, Nirvana.” They have seen “the Light.”

“Enlightenment is an experience, not an idea. The person feels struck by a burst of light…”

Seventy-Eight Degrees of Wisdom, Rachael Pollack (The Aquarian Press, Ltd, 1980)

What do you want? “… a better life,” says Edith in the TV series, Downtown Abbey. Don’t we all want a better life? Enlightenment in Buddhism means letting go of attachments. It is a search for truth about this life and the true nature of reality. It is a “…realization of the universal law of Oneness wherein there is no ‘these and those.’” (Nyogen Senzaki, Buddhism and Zen, Philosophical Library, 1953). In meditation, one hopes to discover Truth. Nirvana may be brought about by examining oneself and discovering that materialistic desire is the root cause of anxiety and suffering. “I want this, I want that. Please God, grant me patience and give it to me right now!” The experience of enlightenment is transformative and can only be reached in the absence of desire. In Zen, an awakening can occur by practicing mindfulness and following the 8-fold path to union with wisdom, in Oneness. This state is achieved through right view, right conduct in thought, speech, action, resolve, livelihood, and mindfulness. Inner peace is found in dealing with, and transcending, the duality of the “monkey mind” chattering away in our heads. There is an unpretentious logic in this - having to do with how we perceive the world. That tree we see is a tree. The image we have in mind about the tree is not the tree, it is an illusion in our imagination.  Just as in a still-life painting, the table and the flowers are not the real table and flowers, only a facsimile of what they really are.   

“Buddha means an enlightened mental state or condition.”

Nyogen Senzaki, Buddhism and Zen (Philosophical Library, 1953)

Age of Enlightenment

From a totally different perspective, the term “enlightenment” can also refer to radical changes in thought, which historically, has spurred revolutions. What occurred in the Western World of thought in the 17^th  18^th century is not to be confused with spiritual or religious enlightenment. It was a political and philosophical movement that promoted science and reason over myth and superstition and has since been called The Age of Enlightenment. It centered on the idea that reason was the source of knowledge, which included liberty, progress, constitutional government, and separation of church and state. It was a time of revolutionary cultural change that began with the liberation of Europe from the tyranny of feudalism and absolute monarchies. It was the influence behind the American Revolution where the colonies separated from the British Monarchy and became their own nation, and all people were deemed to have inalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. In Europe, the French Monarchy ended in the Revolution of 1789 with the establishment of a Republic. And the Hapsburg dynasty formally collapsed in 1918 during World War I and then new nation states were established. The British Monarchy still continues with lesser governmental powers and a Constitutional Monarch in Queen Elizabeth II. 

Tarot Interpretation

B.O.T.A. deck

In Tarot and Astrology, the meaning of The Sun card centers around perceptions of enlightenment and joy in our lives. The Sun in Astrology is the archetypal symbol of the constellation Leo the Lion, signifying regal courage and strength of purpose, desire and will power.  “…the Arcanum, The Sun with which we are occupied is an Arcanum of children bathing in the light of the sun – implying simplicity and enthusiastic joy.” (Anonymous author of Meditations on the Tarot, Putnam 1985) In a Tarot reading, this means a person is fully awake, experiencing happiness and the good life; going forward with hope, energy, enthusiasm, and optimism. With The Sun card in Tarot, this means we can proceed in the radiance of light with a sense of commitment to love and magnificence wherever we are. The Sun card signifies the positive aspects of the promise of good things to come and brings something new with the dawn of every new day. The light in your life is when you or someone else brings inspiration and joy and good feelings to the rest of us, of being uplifted in everyday experiences, “You light up my life!” It is the gift of happiness and of feeling really alive and present with the ability to participate fully in everything. For yourself, you are being in charge, taking on leadership with courage and strength and making things better for everyone. This may seem obvious, but as we know, there are some things we can’t be sure of, although we can be sure that while we are living on the earth – the earth is still here and the sun is still shining on it.

One more note:

 When we are having scary thoughts about life on earth and what is happening to the earth, climate catastrophes and all that, keep in mind what E.O. Wilson has said succinctly, “…to stave off a mass extinction crisis…set aside half the planet as permanently protected areas for the ten million other species.” (See “The Wildest Idea on Earth,” Tony Hiss, (Smithsonian Magazine, September 2014).  Let’s do our best to make sure there is still a healthy earth for the sun to continue to shine upon.

Resources:
The Dream of Reason, Anthony Gottlieb (W.W. Norton 2000)
The Notebooks of Leonardo DaVinci, Jean Paul Richter (Dover Publications 1970)
Zen and Reality, Robert Powell (Viking Press 1961)