(The above image is a copy of The Judgement card in a standard Rider-Waite Tarot deck. The 6 symbols pointed out above are explained below.)
Card Description
The Judgment card signals the near end of The Fool's journey. It contains an announcement so majestical that it wakes the dead. More than a revelation, The Judgment card illustrates a revolution in thought. If it appears in your spread, prepare for a life changing wonder.
If you are looking for a deck of Tarot cards, check out our standard Rider-Waite deck here or check out one of our recent arrivals here.
For more information about The Judgement card, check out A. E. Waite’s description here.
Point 1 – ANGEL
The central figure of the card is the archangel Gabriel blowing his trumpet to wake the dead. While it might be natural to feel connected to the humans in the card, the angel can also be a part of us. The angel can represent our ability to wake up from old beliefs through to education and epiphanies.
Point 2 – TRUMPET
The instrument that the angel uses to wake the dead is the trumpet. In making music the tool that opens the eyes of the dead, Tarot suggests that art in general can move us from our stagnant dispositions.
Point 3 – FLAG
The flag on the trumpet contains an illustration of a cross. The cross symbol connects the themes of Judgement to the divine. It also exhibits a paradox between connection and separation, a connection reiterated in the dead/alive humans in the card.
Point 4 – HUMANS
At the bottom of the card, six humans are resurrected from the dead. The pair of three figures, man, woman, and child, mirror each other in the card, illustrating a family or community. The humans’ nakedness reveals their shamelessness in resurrection and their embrace of the naked Truth. The figures’ grey skin tone can either signify their recently dead nature or it can signify their unbiased nature in the face of Truth.
Point 5 – COFFINS
The coffins have been open from the outside, revealing the need for something external, like the art of music, to free us from our bondage. The coffins could be a reiteration of the black box in The Devil card. While in that card, the humans were trapped, in this card, the humans are free.
Point 6 – BLUE MOUNTAINS
The blue mountains in the background are a callback to The Fool card. They are much closer than previously depicted in The Moon card, illustrating the coming end of the journey.
Tarot Reading
Upright
An Upright Judgment card suggests the coming arrival of revelation. You are about to awake to a higher consciousness of being. Perhaps the opening of the coffin has already begun. You might be at a crossroads where you can either choose to revert back to your old self or to embrace something new and grander. If this card is in your reading, choose the latter.
Reverse
A Reverse Judgment suggest that you on the verge of a great revelation, however, you are not listening to it. If a Reverse Judgment shows up, begin a period of self-reflection and meditation. Distance yourself from distractions and try to hear the trumpet within the noise. If you do so, great changes will come to your life.
For more Tarot Card Meanings, check out our blog here.
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About the author: John Taylor is a content writer and freelancer through the company Upwork.com. You may view his freelancing profile here. He has a B. A. in English, with a specialty in technical writing, from Texas A&M University and a M. A. in English from the University of Glasgow. You may view his previous articles about Tarot here and his LinkedIn profile here.
