Deirdre of the Sorrows - 20 - Judgement

shadowdancer

This is a card that can cause us to sit up and take notice, and we may not like what we hear. In Greek Mythology, Zeus was no fool, nor would he suffer fools. If anyone lied to him or displeased him, there was a fair chance they would be on the receiving end of the thunderbolt. Therefore, this card is asking you to be honest and look long and hard at your actions or deeds. If you have acted with good intent you have nothing to fear. If you know you have some past issues that have left a shadow, you need to face up to your actions and be prepared for possible consequences. Tied in with the key words used by Deirdre in the Tarot Unlocked book, if you can do this you have a chance to put things right or in effect, be given a second chance. Zeus is not vindictive, and will be willing to show mercy, but he will not be taken for a ride.
Let’s take a closer look at some of the characters shown on the card.

ZEUS
He is ruler of the sky, and this can be evidenced by the fact his throne is on a cloud. Take a look at his demeanour and the way he holds the lightening bolt in his right hand. He really does appear to be sitting in judgement. He has a lot of power at his disposal – is he about to use it on you at this moment in time? Imagine you have discussed your issue with him – what do you think he would be saying or advising, bearing in mind he will have an objective viewpoint? If you are lucky enough to be offered another chance with an issue, what would you need to do to capitalise on this to ensure you don’t let it slip by?
We see the Angel blowing their trumpet to summon the dead on this day of judgement. They will be guided through their life and allowed to act in judgement for themselves on themselves. Not an easy thing to do.

THE 3 SMALLER CHARACTERS.
We came across three characters on the Death card, whereby we witnessed how they reacted to his presence. Perhaps we can identify with these characters in the same way. The character on the left has his right arm up in what appears to be surrender or as a defensive stance. Is he reluctant to accept responsibility for himself and is trying to defend himself against the might of Zeus? If you identify with this character, where in your life is someone trying to absolve themselves of similar responsibility? He is facing Zeus and standing firm, so we can see this as positive in a lot of ways. He may be feeling very uncomfortable with the fact he has to face up to something, but has the courage to do so. This bravery may prove to be a valuable life experience or lesson – if he accepts the judgment passed.
The second or middle character has their arms spread wide in an open and accepting posture. This shows an acceptance of their actions and also subsequent consequences. If you identify with this character, do you feel Zeus will look on you favourably? What makes you think this?
The final character has not fully emerged from his grave, and is skeletal in appearance. Importantly, we see him with his back to Zeus. So, what can be gleamed from his appearance. Well, I see this figure as being the one who was resistant to change and to accepting responsibility. There was no moving on, no learning from actions, and therefore no progress or movement. He has instead rotted in his grave. We can assume he had an opportunity or a second chance, but failed to do what was necessary to grasp it. Zeus may have used his lightening bolt on this character, but it would not have been his first resort. I see lightening as having both the power to destroy and charge with energy at the same time. Sometimes we need that lightening bolt to galvanise us into a change of attitude or positive action. When it comes we have no choice but to take notice, or face the subsequent consequences.

Post thought: If you see yourself as Zeus, you may have people trying to plead their case before you, or asking for understanding/forgiveness. If that is the case, be objective in establishing their true motives. If you suspect mind games, or manipulation you have the lightening bolt at your disposal :)