Judgement (Tarot card)
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Judgement (XX), [1] or in some decks spelled Judgment, is a Tarot card, part of the Major Arcana suit usually comprising of 22 cards.
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[edit] Rider-Waite symbolism
Very clearly, it is modeled after the Christian Resurrection before the Last Judgment.
- An angel, possibly Gabriel, is depicted blowing a great trumpet, from which hangs a white flag bearing a red cross, most likely the St George's Cross.
- A group of humans (man, woman, and child) of grayish complexion stand, arms spread, looking up at the angel in awe. The people are apparently emerging from crypts or graves.
- There are huge mountains or tidal waves in the background, which almost seem like glaciers as they are so white and blue. These may signify insurmountable obstacles and the impossibility of avoiding the Judgment, or may be a reference to the ocean giving up its dead on the day of judgment, as described in Revelations.
[edit] Divination usage
A. E. Waite was a key figure in the development of modern Tarot interpretations.[2] However, not all interpretations follow his practices. Please remember that all Tarot decks used for divination are interpreted up to personal experience and standards.
Some frequent keywords are:
- Judgment ----- Rebirth ----- Inner Calling ----- Absolution
- Restart ----- Accepting past mistakes/actions ----- Release
- Forgiveness ----- End of repression ----- Reconciliation ----- Renewal
- Decision ----- Salvation ----- New beginning ----- Hope ----- Redemption
When Judgment appears in a reading, it is usually interpreted as a signal of an impending judgment, such as of postponed decisions. As the card symbolizes resurrection, it can also be interpreted to herald the return of individuals from the past. The card also represents God's promise of life after death. In a reading, especially near the Six of Cups, it may represent a preoccupation with the past, while also suggesting a new beginning and clearing out of the past. Tarot scholar Tara Miller writes that "Judgment represents the House of Gabriel, the knowing that Judgment Day can come at any moment; live your life to the fullest, as the trumpet of Gabriel is at hand."[citation needed]
[edit] Popular culture
- The first boss of The House of the Dead 2, a light gun game by Sega, takes its name from the Judgment card, and is decpicted as an imp(Zeal) and a giant headless suit of armor wielding a battle axe as its puppet(Kuarl). It should also be noted that all of the bosses in the House of the Dead series derive their names from the Major Arcana. Kuarl was said to have been based on Curien's "The Chariot, and Zeal "The Hanged Man".
- In the Persona video game series, the Judgment Arcana contains personae of the Abrahamic mythos, such as Lucifer, Messiah, Satan, etc.
- Jojo's Bizarre Adventure had a minor enemy stand Judgement, who masqueraded as a genie granting wishes to Polnareff, but actually controls clay golems that assume whatever form specified in the 'wishes'.
[edit] External links
- "Judgment" cards from many decks and articles to "Judgment" iconography
- The Judgment from Learning the Tarot: A Tarot Book for Beginners - Joan Bunning
[edit] References
- ^ see caption on the original Rider-Waite card - http://www.learntarot.com/bigjpgs/maj20.jpg
- ^ Wood (1998).
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