Tarot cards are fascinating things. There seems to be no end to how they can be read or what they can tell you. I’ve been reading tarot cards for a long time and I still find new stories in every card.
Let me tell you a little tale about one such incident.
Early one morning recently, before I had even considered what my work day held for me, I drew a card for the day to see what it may bring. Something I do every morning. That morning I drew the Justice card from the Everyday Witch deck. I didn’t think too much about which deck it was, I have lots and I hadn’t used this one in a little while.
The first thing that jumped out at me was the shadow on the curtain behind the woman on the chair. Second was the scales which are hard to miss. That white kitty is so stark in the foreground. Third was the law book. It’s red, so pretty easy to see. I propped the card on my desk and prepped for my day ahead wondering how it would be relevant. I was also curious as to why the shadow was so important. I doubted the card designers intended it that way and a quick look in the guide book confirmed there was nothing about the shadow.
My day started as normal, checking emails, answering calls, the usual stuff. Then, in my first meeting a discussion came up about a personal leave policy. Someone was insisting that consideration should be given to the bereaved person and their need for time to grieve. The policy stated that bereavement leave could only be taken if the deceased was a close family member. Family means different things to different people and losing someone close who is not family, even a pet, can be a difficult. The policy didn’t seem fair. I immediately thought of the Justice card, particularly the shadow.
My first thought about that shadow was that it looked like Anubis
Anubis is a god with a jackal head (later thought to be an African gold wolf head) who was held in high esteem by ancient Egyptians because he was a compassionate god who assisted people to crossover into the afterlife. He gave comfort to loved ones of the deceased and helped them grieve. He was responsible for placing the heart of the dead upon the scales of Osiris to see how it weighed up against Ma’at. Ma’at means the truth and is symbolised by an ostrich feather. A soul with a heart as light as the feather is allowed them to pass through to the afterlife whereas the soul of a heavy heart was devoured by Ammit. My meeting explained the shadow of Anubis on the Justice card watching as things get weighed up. Justice is the card of ultimate truth.
In my next meeting I was party to a discussion about workers rights and what workers were entitled to as contractors to an organisation. It heralded a flurry of online chatter about the importance of having fair entitlements, and union representation, particularly in relation to the Fair Work Act. Another link to the Justice card, but this time related to legal issues and law.
Here’s another incredible thing about my impression of the Justice card
Immediately after I thought the shadow could be Anubis, and almost brushed it off, I thought it could also be the shadow of Batman. But seriously what on earth would Batman have to do with tarot! Well, he may be a fictional character but Batman is very well known. He supports Gotham City law enforcement by chasing down the bad guys. In short, he upholds the law!
Something else to consider. I have a lot of decks. I could have drawn the Justice card from anyone of them but I chose the Everyday Witch deck that day. None of my other decks have a shadow on the Justice card. Quite possibly, if I’d chosen another deck, I may not have drawn the Justice card at all.
Of course now I’m wondering what other card, and from which deck, might I be able to see see Anubis, and Batman, with a set of scales. I don’t have any decks with Egyptian images, but I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t find another one. If you happen to come across one, please do let me know. I’ll definitely add it to my collection.
