Judgement

A moment of waking up and answering a call. Judgement is about honest self-assessment, forgiveness and starting a new phase with a clear conscience.

Upright

• reckoning
• renewal
• a calling
• forgiveness

A moment of waking up and answering a call. Judgement is about honest self-assessment, forgiveness and starting a new phase with a clear conscience.

Reversed

• self-doubt
• avoiding the call
• harsh self-judgement
• regret

Ignoring a calling, or being too hard on yourself over the past. Reversed, the card asks for mercy toward yourself alongside honesty.

Not every reader uses reversals. Many treat a reversed card as the same theme, blocked, delayed or turned inward.

In the picture

An angel blows a trumpet from the clouds and people with raised arms rise from coffins on a sea, as mountains stand in the distance.

Astrology and numerology

The Golden Dawn, the Victorian magical order whose scheme most modern decks follow, linked Judgement with Pluto, a planet discovered after the original scheme was drawn up and added by later writers. Read about Pluto and the element fire, which the card shares.

Its number reduces to 2, which numerology associates with partnership, balance, sensitivity. See every card that reduces to 2.

Yes or no

In yes or no tarot, Judgement counts as a yes when upright, and as a no when reversed. This follows a common convention and not a rule from the deck's makers.

Tarot is a tradition of symbolism. This page says what readers traditionally associate with the card. It does not predict anything and it is not advice.