A Beginner’s Guide to the Judgment Tarot Card

Wondering just what the Judgment (also spelled Judgement) card means after finding it in a tarot spread? We’re here to explain everything you want to know. Judgment is the 20th card of the Major Arcana, often associated with themes like self-reflection, awakening, rebirth, and karma. It predicts a period of awakening or a major turning point coming up in your life—usually something that’ll help you fix old mistakes and grow as a person for the better. Read on for a detailed overview of the Judgment tarot card, including its Upright and Reversed meanings regarding love, money, health, and more.

Things You Should Know

The Upright Judgment tarot card symbolizes self-evaluation, renewal, patience, karma, enlightenment, purpose, forgiveness, and decisiveness.
The Reversed Judgment tarot card represents self-doubt, unwillingness to learn karmic lessons, unfair blame, false accusations, and lack of self-awareness.
The Judgment card shows humans with their arms outstretched as the archangel Gabriel calls them, illustrating the idea of facing the Universe’s judgment.

Section 1 of 8:

The Judgment Tarot Card Upright & Reversed Meanings

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Upright Judgment represents self-evaluation, renewal, and purpose. It tells you that, through self-reflection, you can gain a clearer sense of where you stand and what needs to happen for you to grow as a person. Judgment also means you’re approaching a turning point in your life. Alternatively, you may already be undergoing a period of awakening and discovering the changes you want to make in your life. Judgment signifies the big moments and decisions that change you for good, emphasizing the importance of letting go of the past and embracing your new life.
- Common themes: Awakening, judgment, self-evaluation, purpose, reflection, reckoning, decisiveness, rebirth, inner calling, forgiveness
- Element: Fire
- Planet: Pluto
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Judgment Reversed symbolizes self-doubt and lack of self-awareness. It can mean you’re judging yourself too harshly or caught up in self-doubt. This card may warn that your self-doubt is causing you to miss valuable opportunities, which can hinder your progress in life. However, it also gives encouragement, urging you to leave the doubt behind and proceed with confidence instead. It’s a hint that now may be time for self-reflection; ruminate on what you’ve learned thus far and consider how those lessons can help you going forward.^{[1]
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- Common themes: Indecisiveness, self-doubt, lack of self-awareness, unwillingness to learn lessons, unfair blame, inner critic
- Judgment Reversed can also be a warning that you’re being too critical of yourself and struggling to forgive past mistakes, making it difficult to move forward in life.
  - Remember, mistakes don’t make you a bad person. They’re lessons; as long as you learn from them, you can let go of your guilt and keep going.
  - Judgment Reversed is a sign that holding onto mistakes will only increase self-doubt; it’s important not to focus too hard on them!

Section 2 of 8:

The Judgment Tarot Card Yes/No Meaning

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In a Yes/No spread, Judgment is neutral but leans more toward a “Yes.” Typically, if you do a Yes/No tarot spread, the Judgment’s meaning depends on the other cards you pull. When most of the other cards are also positive, the Judgment card is more of a “Yes.” If the other cards you pull are neutral or lean negative, the Judgment is a neutral answer—neither “Yes” nor “No.”
- Judgment represents change and transformation. Therefore, when you specifically ask about a big, life-changing matter and pull Judgment, the answer is “Yes. Do what you have to do to evolve, but be ready to put the past behind you.”

Section 3 of 8:

The Judgment Tarot Card Appearance & Symbolism

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The Judgment card depicts people responding to the angel Gabriel’s call. Its illustration is intended to capture the idea of “last judgment.” It specifically portrays the archangel Gabriel, with men, women, and children rising from the grave at his trumpet call. Their arms are outstretched, indicating that they’re ready to be judged by the universe, meet their creator, and learn where their souls will rest for eternity.^{[2]
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- The tidal wave (or, alternatively, mountain range) in the background of the card signifies the inevitability of judgment—a reminder that everything ends and that new beginnings always follow.
- Archangel Gabriel is a messenger of God and a representation of authority in each of the Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam).
  - However, the card is also intended to capture the idea of final judgment regardless of your particular religious or spiritual beliefs.

Section 4 of 8:

The Judgment Card in Love

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Upright Upright Judgment in a love tarot spread means it’s time to reexamine your love life and pinpoint things that might need to be changed. It’s a call to self-reflect and identify issues in your love life so you can overcome them! It also means that past actions may be catching up with you, both good and bad, so you now have the chance to take the lessons you’ve learned in the past and use them to make positive changes for your romantic life in the future.^{[3]
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- If you’re single: Judgment gently reminds you to give potential partners a chance before judging them too quickly. Work on getting to know them for who they really are!
- If you’re in a relationship: Judgment may be telling you that you’re judging your partner too harshly (or vice versa). Instead of casting blame on one another, focus on clear communication.
  - Try to talk through your feelings together without any accusatory language.
  - Make an effort to forgive past mistakes if you want the relationship to flourish. Resentment will only hold you both back!
- Judgment may also be a warning that other people are talking about you and your partner behind your back—but the best thing to do is ignore it and take the high road.
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Reversed Judgment Reversed is a sign that recurring relationship issues may be lessons that haven’t been fully learned yet—and that it’s time to realize those lessons. It’s also a call to assess your current romantic situation; you may be in denial about an issue, for example, or have a negative attitude toward love that’s affecting your relationships. Judgment encourages you to reflect on your relationships honestly and face the truth, whatever it might be.^{[4]
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- If you’re single: You may be letting self-doubt stop you from introducing yourself to potential partners. Judgment encourages you to let that fear go and take the leap; you’ll never know what might happen if you don’t try.
- If you’re in a relationship: You may be experiencing a lot of self-doubt and struggling to make a decision about your relationship (whether that means progressing or ending it). Judgment is a sign that it’s time to make that decision.
  - Additionally, Judgment may be a sign that more compromise and communication are needed in your relationship.

Section 5 of 8:

The Judgment Card in Careers

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Upright Upright Judgment in a career tarot spread is a sign that you’ve found a new calling in relation to your career path and goals. You might feel that something needs to change at your current workplace. Alternatively, you may have found a new career path to pursue altogether! Judgment can also signify that your actions in the workplace lately have been affecting your coworkers in some way.^{[5]
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- Tip: Reflect on your behavior at work. Has the atmosphere there seemed tense lately? Is there anything you can improve upon your behavior?
- Judgment is a reminder that taking responsibility for yourself is important, especially if you’ve played a role in any workplace conflicts or misunderstandings.
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Reversed Judgment Reversed suggests that you’ve been a little too self-critical and down on yourself lately—particularly if you’ve made mistakes at work and keep dwelling on them. It’s also a sign that you might be doubting your abilities or having trouble taking responsibility for your actions and learning important life lessons to help you progress in your career. In other words, you may be struggling with self-awareness, especially toward your performance in the workplace.^{[6]
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- Tip: Since Judgment Reversed suggests self-doubt in the workplace, try to improve your confidence and have more faith in your talents. Making mistakes doesn’t mean you’re bad at your job or that you won’t get your dream job one day!
- When it comes to careers, Judgment Reversed is quite similar to Upright Judgment in that it also encourages you to take responsibility for yourself. So, consider whether you’ve been able to do that lately.
  - Are you putting real effort into work projects? Do you pull your weight compared to other coworkers and establish clear communication with them? These are all things Judgment may inspire you to work on.

Section 6 of 8:

The Judgment Card in Finance

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Upright Upright Judgment predicts that it may be time to go through a period of self-reflection, specifically about your relationship with money and financial habits. Your current habits may not be serving you how you want them to, but Judgment is also a sign of encouragement; it’s a reminder that developing new ways of thinking about your money can help you significantly improve your finances and feel more confident about doing financial planning.^{[7]
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- Tip: Ask yourself whether your current financial practices have been helping or hurting your monetary situation—and then create new habits to help get you to a more ideal financial situation.
  - For example, do you buy things you really can’t afford, or often forget to save money? Do you feel like you should be better with your money, even if your financial situation is fairly stable?
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Reversed Reversed Judgment reminds you to be kind to yourself if you’ve been overly harsh or critical after a financial setback. It’s okay to be frustrated, but taking that frustration out on yourself may also impact your motivation—and motivation is what keeps you focused on improving your finances. Judgment may also be a warning that you’re falling into old, unhelpful patterns when it comes to financial decisions.^{[8]
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- Tip: Steer clear of impulse buying if you see Reversed Judgment in your tarot spread. Since the card suggests you may be falling into old spending habits, it may be best to think through major transactions with a clear head before finalizing them.

Section 7 of 8:

The Judgment Card in Health

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Upright Upright Judgment predicts an upcoming period of healing, particularly if you’ve had a long or difficult health issue recently. It’s a sign that you’ve persevered and learned from the experience—and that, as a result, you’re now prepared to take care of yourself and do whatever it takes to recover fully.^{[9]
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- Tip: Try talking to other people about your struggles. Judgment is a sign that confidantes (perhaps people who have been through similar health issues) can ease your burden and guide you along the way to recovery.
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Reversed Judgment Reversed urges you to let go of lingering negative thoughts when dealing with a long-term health issue, especially if that negativity is connected to someone who contributed to your condition. Your anxieties, resentment, and fears may actually be making it even harder to recover, which is why Judgment imparts the message that it’s healthier to let go of the past.^{[10]
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- Tip: Work on managing your anxieties and dealing with negative thoughts rather than letting them fester. Judgment suggests you may feel a little better when you’re not preoccupied with negative thinking.

Section 8 of 8:

The Judgment Card in Spirituality

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Upright Judgment is a sign of spiritual awakening. Pulling the Upright Judgment card in your tarot spread is a sign you’ve learned all the most important karmic lessons in your past and are ready to embark on a more enlightened spiritual path. You may have found your true spiritual calling—or, since Judgment is a symbol of renewal, you may be going through a spiritual rebirth.
- Tip: Consider your spiritual beliefs, if any. Do you feel that you might be renewing your ties to your current spiritual beliefs—or, alternatively, do you think it might be time to leave those beliefs behind you and find a new spiritual path?
  - There’s no wrong answer here; the Judgment card is simply thought to signal that you’re on the right path spiritually, whether you have the same spiritual beliefs or are discovering new ones.
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Reversed Judgment Reversed may be a sign that you aren’t currently seeing the karmic lessons life is throwing your way. It’s also a warning that life may continue bringing those lessons back to back to you if you don’t learn them—even bolder and more clearly each time. Essentially, Reversed Judgment is a tip telling you that it’s time to figure out what karmic lessons the universe is sending you.
- Tip: Reflect on your life and consider what lessons you might be able to learn from your experiences thus far—particularly when it comes to mistakes you’ve made or challenges you’ve overcome.
  - Once you’ve identified the lessons learned over the years, give yourself some time to absorb them.
- Karmic lessons are simply common themes or situations that are thought to occur in your life until you learn something from them—and once you do, it enables you to make positive changes in your life.