Judgement shows the rebirth of the integrated Self. The naked figures in the foreground are the divine brother-sister pair with their child between them. The child from The Sun has matured into adulthood and united the opposites to give birth to the Divine Child, or regenerated Self. The united psyche bursts forth from the walls surrounding it and a new stage in spiritual development is reached.
The Divine Child is the Philosopher’s Stone, the treasure the hero has been searching for. It is the ‘God within’ and will act as a guide to the mystic Centre. This is a moment of profound healing and rebirth. The individual parts of the psyche have been integrated and the last shadow of illusion melts away.
The angel’s banner is a red cross on a white background symbolising the meeting of opposites. But it could also be St George’s cross which would connect it to ideas of dragon slaying – the dragon being a symbol of the devouring aspect of the unconscious. The sea surrounding the tombs from which the figures rise, signifies the transitional realm between life and death, or death and rebirth, but also the waters of the womb where new life begins.
The end is in sight. The hero has succeeded in letting go of his past self and integrated the warring sides of his psyche. He is ready to step forward into the truth of the mystic Centre.
Keywords for Judgement:
- Rebirth
- Rite of passage
- Metamorphosis
- Healing
- Maturity
- Cleansing
First posted: https://jessicadavidson.co.uk/2014/08/16/tarot-heros-journey-judgement/
