11 Justice
Justice builds on the complexity of The Wheel of Fortune by, again, reminding us that the actions that we take have consequences. But now we must take a slightly different look at the laws of cause and effect and consider balance and fairness.
What is just? What is fair? And who gets to decide?
From an institutional justice perspective, Justice may compel us to think about equality. Ensuring that the same rules apply to everyone. But on a deeper level, Justice asks us to consider how systems function differently for different people, so by applying rules equally, we are actually reinforcing pre-existing imbalances. We could also take the opportunity to critically reflect on the rules, policies, practices that inform institutional ideas of right and wrong and determine if they actually align with our own values and beliefs. In enacting Justice, we can choose to focus on doling out punishment to the rule breakers or to focus on the systems that may have failed them. In higher education, an example of this might mean focusing our energy on finding and punishing the students who cheat, or trying to understand why they cheat and adjusting the system to better support their learning and engagement.
Core to the idea of Justice is ensuring that our actions and the impact or effect that we have on the world aligns with our own values and beliefs; essentially, that our actions are true to ourselves. In the Light Seer’s Tarot, a woman, eyes closed, is holding a sword with balanced scales hanging off it, as though she is at peace with her role in making the world a more just place. Below her, another face of a simular woman is reflected back, eyes opened, as though the actions of the first are reflected in her knowing gaze.
Ultimately, we are the only ones who can decide what Justice looks like for us and what we are willing to fight for. In some ways, though, Justice also inspires a bit of wariness in how we approach ethics. If we take too rigid a stance on right and wrong and always think in the binary, we risk stagnating in our perspective and ostracising those who do not fully agree with us or with whom we do not fully agree. If we are not open to having conversations with people with different perspectives, we end up creating echo chambers where we only ever hear the same opinions, beliefs, and ideologies as our own.
Activity
Create a superhero card. Imagine your superhero is the ultimate defender of justice, as you understand it.
Things to consider:
Superhero name
Costume or uniform
Their ultimate superhero power
Their alter ego (who are they normally? what do they do?)
A motto or catch phrase
Image or visual if you're feeling creative
You are invited to share your response to the activities in the comments below.
Reflection Questions
The reflection questions are designed for your own reflection on the archetype and how it may be present in your life and practices. In thinking about Justice, consider the following questions:
What informs your sense of ethics? Think about the archetypes that we’ve encountered to this point - are your ethics intuitive, drawing on the energy of The High Priestess? Built on compassion and care, informed by The Empress? Do they follow the rule of Law and Order, established by the Emperor? Or another archetype or combination?
How do you incorporate justice into your work?
How do you engage with people who are ideologically different from yourself? What are your non-negotiables?