Traditionally Judgment represents a time of returning to the light after experiencing the darkness.  It is a card of rebirth, renewal and rejuvenation; of healing and transformation.  It can also be seen as a wake-up call telling us that our perspective on life is about to change and wake us up to new ways of looking at things.   It may represent experiencing natural growth and maturation; an old phase of your life ending because you are ready and mature enough to move forward.  Things are maturing at their natural pace and now you are transitioning into a new phase of your life so it's time to celebrate.

Judgment is always a tricky card for me.  I have an unfortunate tendency to be judgmental - and it's not really something I'm ashamed about.  I admit that I have had situations where I have been proven embarrassingly wrong or where my need to be judgmental prevents me from learning a more important lesson.  And yet still it doesn't stop me.  Of course the flip side to that is that I am just as judgmental about myself.  Many folks say they are their own harshest critic, and that may be true for them.  I know it's true for me.  I have managed to internalize all those critics that I've met in my lifetime and found a way to give them a voice.  It's quite frustrating.  On the other hand it is one way I can use to keep myself in check.

A long time ago my mother told me I was "unmoralistic".  I don't believe it's a real word but I do think it fits.  I keep a tight rein on myself because I'm afraid that if I don't I would become amoral.  There are times when I will make comments about situations that implies I don't care what happens to the people involved.  Sometimes that is just an affectation I use to hide deep feelings but to be perfectly honest, there are times when I truly mean it.  There are times when I feel absolutely no compunction about the fact that I have more than others.  It's not such a pleasant fact to face but if it's one thing I usually try to be it is honest, even when it hurts.

The thing I find most interesting about Judgment is that it allows me to take a reality check on my life.  It seems to me that many people today refuse to take responsibility for their own actions.  I find this somewhat reprehensible.  It isn't the state's responsibility to support you or keep your children safe or protect you from your own stupidity.  Some of the current financial crisis is the result of people taking on mortgages they knew they couldn't afford.  As a result the rest of us have to bail them out.  I realize this is probably not the majority of people in crisis but it is a portion.  We see criminals every day to try to fob off their culpability for their behavior on a tragic or horrific childhood.  The reality is that a lot of people have horrific childhood and don't become criminals.  So why should that excuse be acceptable.

I also realize that I don't really believe any needs to change their lives because of my judgments.  After all they as all they are - MY judgments.  The last time I checked I am not Ma'at or some archangel or any other deity with the power to determine where folks spend their afterlife.  I don't want to be my brother's or sister's keeper.  I just don't want them crying to me when their own judgments cause bad situations.  If you don't want to listen to me to help prevent the situation then don't look to me to clean up the mess.

Of course if I wanted to take a more positive approach I could acknowledge that I have become a bit less rigid in my judgments over the years.  I'm still a bit of stone like the statue on the Voyager card but my eyes are focused above because deep down I do believe in the best in human nature.  I do think that we can reach the stars or find perfection in our lives.  And it's not about being so judgmental that I can't respect other's choices.  It's about realizing that my judgments aren't infallible and neither are anyone else's - even all those critics I've internalized over the years.