Tomorrow, January 25th, is the Full Moon in Leo. We’re also nearly complete the first month in our Collective Year 8. Both of these things share something in common and that’s their association to Strength in tarot (Justice in some decks, but we’ll get to that). Given the heavy influence this card will have on us for 2024, we thought it would be helpful to dig beyond the keywords and the basic correspondences to get to the root of what it really has to offer.

We think in this case, it all boils down to energy (just like everything else, we suppose!). But, how does that apply practically? Well, it applies because as unlimited as energy actually is, we all (at least at times) struggle to tap into it, maintain it and use it effectively. If that weren’t true, we'd be powerful beyond measure and this article would be a moot point!

We have been so quiet around here the last couple months, but I did want to share our latest musickal meditation, designed to connect listeners with Justice. We’ll likely post again soon with some updates, but for now, we hope you enjoy this latest track!

As with all meditations, you may opt to simply enjoy the music on its own, or work with some of the suggestions provided to perform a fuller ritual. We do hope you enjoy the sounds! We will be updating the YouTube page regularly as we add more tracks as well as storing all links on a separate page of this site, so they are easy to find! Keep reading to learn more about connecting with Justice.

It was almost one month to this day that we shared our last entry in this series, highlighting the High Priestess as a Guardian to the Water Gate. In that post, we speculated that The High Priestess contained keys to a path that, if followed, would lead to unlocking hidden faculties and a greater sense of awareness. Today, we will continue with that exploration, diving straight through the gates of The Emperor into the land of Fire. Of course, if you’re feeling a bit lost, you may want to go back and read the full introductory post. Now is also a good time to remind readers that these are just ideas and in no way are we making any definitive claims. This is just one way of many to understand tarot and we hope others find it interesting and resonant.

The pillared cards in tarot are among the most fascinating. They act as gateways or portals to elsewhere...but where do they lead? What lies beyond their veil? In what way should we approach them? And how may we be granted access?

When we first decided we would write about the pillared cards in tarot, we did so with the intention of producing one article with our speculations and explorations. But we've realized that there is more to say than can be contained in a single post and so this will be at least a 5 part series, starting with this one, an introduction to the whole scheme.

What are the pillared cards in tarot? Simply put, they are the Major Arcana cards which feature a central figure sitting between 2 pillars. There are 3 which are obvious - The High Priestess, The Hierophant, and Justice. But examining these 3 cards, the set feels incomplete. A reliable structure, after all, is typically defined by its 4 posts. As well, we have only 3 of the 4 elements represented, so it stands to reason we’re missing a fourth. The elements so far accounted for are water, earth, and air - so, where’s the fire?

Preface: If you've found this article (or others) helpful, or have enjoyed the resources that I create, please consider joining me on Patreon. Even at $1 a month you are helping me sustain my work here while also unlocking access to content that has never been and will never be published in this space. Thanks!

Full disclosure - I am of the camp that believes Justice has found it's proper place as the 11th Arcana, though I know there are many who prefer it as the 8th and I am sure there are plenty of valid reasons why that makes sense. However, I'm here to discuss one of the reasons why the latter resonates more with me, and that is because in the 11th spot, based on numerology, it vibrates in line with The High Priestess.

While on the surface, Justice and The High Priestess appear to have little in common, I actually consider these cards to be two sides of the same coin and the secret to reading the tarot. A bit of a bold claim I suppose, but stay with me and we'll get to that...before we do though, let's explore the visual similarities and differences.