Justice Tarot Card Meaning: Upright, Reversed, Love & Yes/No
The honest answer is the right one today. Weigh the facts, take responsibility for your part, and fair outcomes will follow.
| Arcana | Major Arcana |
|---|---|
| Number | 11 (XI) |
| Element | Air |
| Astrology | Libra |
| Hebrew letter | Lamed (Golden Dawn attribution) |
| Yes or no | Maybe |
| Upright | fairness, truth, accountability, balance |
| Reversed | unfairness, avoiding responsibility, dishonesty |
Pamela Colman Smith · Rider–Waite–Smith (1909)
Justice symbolism
A crowned figure in red sits between two grey pillars, holding an upright double-edged sword in the right hand and balanced scales in the left. One white shoe peeks out from beneath the robe. The sword stands for clear judgement and the scales for weighing both sides fairly. Unlike the Wheel of Fortune, nothing here is left to chance: outcomes follow actions.
The descriptions on this site refer to the Rider-Waite-Smith deck (1909), illustrated by Pamela Colman Smith and designed with Arthur Edward Waite, which is the reference for most modern tarot. Other decks may show different imagery with a similar meaning.
Upright meaning
- fairness
- truth
- accountability
- balance
Justice is the card of truth, fairness and cause and effect. It shows that the situation will be resolved according to what is actually true and what has actually been done. If you have acted honestly, this is reassuring; if not, it is a call to take responsibility.
In a reading, Justice often relates to decisions, contracts, legal matters and any situation where facts need to be weighed carefully. It asks for objectivity: set emotions aside long enough to see the whole picture. In the Rider-Waite-Smith deck it is number eleven, the midpoint of the Major Arcana.
Reversed meaning
- unfairness
- avoiding responsibility
- dishonesty
Reversed, Justice points to unfairness, dishonesty or avoiding accountability. You may feel you have been treated unjustly, or you may be reluctant to admit your own part in a problem. It can also indicate delays or complications in legal or official matters.
The reversed card asks for honesty first. Clarify the facts, own your share and seek fairness through the right channels.
New to reversals? Our guide to reading reversed tarot cards explains the different ways readers interpret an upside-down card.
Drew Justice in a love reading? Tell Mystica about your situation in the free chat and see what it could mean for your relationship.
Ask the love chatJustice in love and relationships
Upright in love
In love, Justice brings balance and honesty. It favours relationships where both partners give and take equally and where commitments are respected. It can also point to formalising a relationship.
Reversed in love
Reversed in love, the card can show imbalance, dishonesty or a partner avoiding responsibility for their actions. It asks you to look clearly at whether the relationship is fair.
Justice as feelings
As feelings, Justice means someone is trying to be fair and rational about you. They may be weighing up the relationship carefully before acting.
What about work? Ask the free chat what Justice could be telling you about your job, an offer or your business.
Ask the career chatCareer and work
At work, Justice supports contracts, negotiations, fair evaluations and careers in law, mediation or administration. Make decisions based on evidence.
Money and finances
With money, Justice favours paying debts, reading contracts carefully and making balanced decisions. What you put in comes back.
Is Justice a yes or no card?
Maybe
Justice is a maybe that depends on fairness. If your cause is honest and balanced, the answer leans to yes.
Want to ask your own question? Try our yes or no tarot, which uses the same yes, no and maybe values shown on this page.
Number, element and astrology
Justice is card 11 (XI) of the Major Arcana, the 22 trump cards that describe life's big lessons and turning points. In the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn's system, which shaped the Rider-Waite-Smith deck, it is attributed to the Hebrew letter Lamed and to Libra, giving it the element of air. In numerology, 11 reduces to 2, linking it with The High Priestess.
Want to apply it to your own situation? Ask Mystica what Justice says about what you are going through right now. Free, no signup.
Ask in the free chatAdvice from Justice
Be truthful and consider both sides. The outcome will reflect your actions, so make sure they are ones you stand behind.
Example reading
Illustrative example
Someone involved in a dispute with a former employer over unpaid wages draws Justice. The card favours a fair outcome if they document everything and follow the proper channels, including advice from a qualified employment adviser.
This example is written by our editors to show how the card is read in context. It is not a real client's reading. See our tarot spreads for how positions change a card's meaning.
Justice in question readings
What Justice says when it lands in a specific position. These are the interpretations our free readings by question show for this card.
- As their feelings (Does my ex still love me?): This person is weighing what happened between you with a cool, careful mind. Their feelings are real but filtered through fairness: they are asking who was responsible for what, and whether coming back would be right, not just whether it would feel good.
- As what they are not showing (Does he like me?): Behind their composure is a strong sense of right and wrong. They may be holding back because of a commitment, a rule they set for themselves, or a wish to act with integrity. They will not pursue you in a way that feels unfair to anyone.
- As the outcome in a reconciliation reading (Will he come back?): This leans toward a fair and deserved ending, whichever way it falls. If you both take responsibility, a balanced reunion is possible. If not, the scales suggest the separation stands because it was, in truth, the right result for both of you.
- As what is coming in love (Will I find love?): A relationship built on mutual respect and fair exchange is on its way. This card points to someone honest and reliable, possibly met through work, a formal setting, or a commitment of some kind, where you both show up as equals.
- As the outcome for work (Will I get the job?): Expect a fair result that reflects the effort and integrity you have put in. If you prepared honestly, this leans strongly positive. If shortcuts were taken, the outcome will reflect that too. Either way, cause and effect are clearly at work.
- As advice (What should I do?): Decide with integrity and you will be able to live with the result. List the facts, weigh them evenly, and choose what you would defend out loud. The fair choice is the one that will still feel right in a year.
- Reversed in a love reading (Will we get back together?): Reversed, the scales are off. Blame may be running one way only, or someone is rewriting the story of the breakup to look blameless. Until honesty returns to the conversation, any reunion would rest on an unfair version of events.
Pulled Justice next to another card? See what they mean together with the tarot card combinations tool.
Popular combinations with Justice: Justice + Two of Swords.
Justice as a birth card or year card
In the birth card system of Mary K. Greer, Justice belongs to constellation 2, together with The High Priestess and Judgement. Find out whether it is one of your cards with the tarot birth card calculator, or whether it rules your year with the tarot year card calculator.
Related cards
Dream symbols linked to this card
Exam or test. Our dream dictionary explains how the same symbolism appears in dreams.
Ask the cards about your situation
Draw three cards for your own question. Every card in your result links back to its meaning here.
Free tarot readingCard of the daySources and further reading
- Rider–Waite Tarot · Wikipedia
- Major Arcana · Wikipedia
- Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn (astrological and elemental correspondences) · Wikipedia
- A. E. Waite, The Pictorial Key to the Tarot (1910), the companion book to the deck illustrated by Pamela Colman Smith
Reviewed by The Mystica Editorial Team under our editorial standards. Last reviewed: September 28, 2026.
Frequently asked questions
What does Justice mean in tarot?
Upright, Justice means fairness, truth, accountability, balance. Justice is the card of truth, fairness and cause and effect.
What does Justice reversed mean?
Reversed, Justice points to unfairness, dishonesty or avoiding accountability. You may feel you have been treated unjustly, or you may be reluctant to admit your own part in a problem. It can also indicate delays or complications in legal or official matters.
What does Justice mean in love?
In love, Justice brings balance and honesty. It favours relationships where both partners give and take equally and where commitments are respected. It can also point to formalising a relationship. Reversed in love, the card can show imbalance, dishonesty or a partner avoiding responsibility for their actions. It asks you to look clearly at whether the relationship is fair.
Is Justice a yes or no card?
Justice is a maybe that depends on fairness. If your cause is honest and balanced, the answer leans to yes.
Does Justice mean a legal case?
It can, and when a legal matter is involved, upright Justice is a favourable sign for a fair outcome. It should never replace advice from a qualified lawyer.