The Aeon (XX)

Meanings according to Rider-Waite:

ASTROLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Jupiter/Uranus in harmonious aspect with the Sun, or the sign of Aquarius as a symbol of liberation.

JUDGEMENT In interpreting the Judgement card, one can easily err by relying solely on its name. Judgement in general, and that "judgement" which is meant here — namely, the Last Judgement in particular — is usually associated with punishment, retribution, and thereby with hopelessness and fear. Yet the meaning of the card rests, above all, upon its imagery, which incorporates quite specific cultural and mythological symbols. The Judgement card depicts the Resurrection, that is, the moment of rebirth and liberation of something long suppressed or hidden; it is the emergence of the true, Divine principle from its prison into the light. Thus, the meaning of this card is in fact very favourable. It personifies an important, decisive step on the path of personal becoming, the successful completion of yet another stage of its alchemical transformation — that is, the transmutation of base matter into higher. On the everyday level, this card likewise signifies liberation — from certain cares or from a harmful person, from "superfluous" qualities such as timidity, fearfulness, and the like. And it may also indicate that in the very matter about which we are inquiring lies hidden the "treasure" we are seeking.

From the book: Hajo Banzhaf. THE TAROT HANDBOOK. Translated from the German by E. Kolesov. Publisher: Centre for Astrological Research, 1999.

20 — JUDGEMENT Pluto The twentieth card of the MAJOR ARCANA is called JUDGEMENT (another name being ETERNITY) and depicts figures rising from their graves. Above them, in the radiance of glory, hovers the winged figure of the Angel Gabriel sounding a fanfare. This card symbolises the liberation of the threefold spiritual power of man from the grave of his material existence. Since only one third of the spirit enters the physical body, while the remaining two thirds constitute the Hermetic anthropos (or superman), only one of them shall in truth rise from the tomb. The sound of the trumpet (fanfare) symbolises the creation of the World, and at this sound man is freed from earthly limitations. The traditional TAROT image depicts "Judgement Day" — people rising from their graves and the Angel announcing the end of their slumber with a fanfare, soaring high in the heavens. And although this card is called JUDGEMENT and evokes associations with the terrifying vision of the Apocalypse, it symbolises the affirmation of hope for the future. But that the new may come to pass, the old must give way — it must die. Astrologically, the card is linked to the planet Pluto, whose energy, acquired during its disharmonious state of destroying the old, makes it possible to begin all over again. This is that inner energy capable of raising our thoughts to their realisation in the world and which, founded upon the concept of death, destroys all that is old and worthless. In the image of the planet Pluto, transformation is correlated with suffering and passion — kindred, yet still distinct concepts. In the culture of the past, the notion of the world's renewal was connected with the ascetic feats of saving one's own soul and the souls of one's neighbours, but now it enters ordinary life together with the concept of love, and laypeople transform one another through their love. Astrologically, the conjunction of the planets Earth and Mercury impels people to build a new, rational world within this, the real reality. Awakening and Judgement over oneself is a subjective withdrawal into the inner world, a maximal detachment from the outer world, and the embodiment only of those ideas which the reason is capable of controlling. The interaction of the Sun and the Moon — the gravitation of the universally feminine and the universally masculine principles — is that eternal engine which establishes the continuity of the self-sustaining motion of the system of yin and yang closing upon itself, forming the harmony of the Tao and granting the possibility of all incarnation. The twentieth ARCANUM — JUDGEMENT — is the spiritual rebirth of man, the redemption of the past, repentance and forgiveness, the restoration of strength, awakening and renewal, the release of hitherto hidden possibilities, and the knowledge of the great interconnections.

In the upright position, the card signifies an improvement in health and the growth of goodwill. The decision to embark upon a new undertaking that will change life for the better. Joy — owing to the fulfilment of a dream. It may also signify a situation in which, after a long period of stagnation, changes for the better have at last arrived. Reward, an increase in pay, rest after long labour. In a word — the attainment of one's goal.

In the reversed position, the card warns: do not delay in making a decision, for you will not avoid it in any case! Do not be late, seize the opportunity! Procrastination threatens losses. Through your own fault, insurmountable difficulties may arise. Do not fear change. If the neighbouring cards say nothing, then it may be said that circumstances will not change until the one for whom the reading is performed undertakes decisive steps. In personal matters, the card may symbolise separation or even divorce.

"You have attained a high level of consciousness. You have a rich, wise soul, and you now know what happiness is. You have understood what your destiny is, you have settled your karmic debt, and can now help others in this as well." Papus