The Archetype and the Tarot: The Judge and Three of Swords
Through the Judge and Three of Swords, this week we’re being called to examine our beliefs about old wounds. Can we quiet our inner critic and turn towards healing?
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The Judge Archetype
If you’re like me, the first thing that comes to mind when you hear about the Judge archetype is a black-robed person in charge of a courtroom. While this is certainly a prominent example, the Judge is not only a pattern that exists inside of authority figures, but one that lives within us all.
As a sort of mixture of the Sage and the Visionary, the Judge has the capacity for tremendous wisdom and the ability to see the bigger picture of every situation. It’s also the part of us that evaluates, discerns, and makes determinations. It's the inner voice that weighs our actions and the actions of others, in an attempt to uphold what we believe to be right.
In the light, the Judge has a remarkable gift for seeing situations with clarity and impartiality. Trustworthy, wise, fair, and compassionate, they understand that true justice is about reestablishing harmony, not punishment or criticism. The Judge uses their abilities to mediate conflicts, provide sound advice, and achieve resolutions that serve the greater good. Rather than being a controlling authority figure, they are more like a wise elder in the community, whose clear discernment helps determine the best course of action for restoring right relationship.
The shadow Judge, on the other hand, can be rigid and overly critical. They might struggle with self-righteousness, believing their judgment to be infallible. This can lead to harshness and an inability to see the shades of grey in complex situations. The shadow Judge might also become stuck in their quest for perfection, losing sight of compassion and understanding. They might impose their own moral standards on others or offer criticism without determining any course of action towards solution. In the shadow, the Judge can become a source of division rather than unity, emphasizing judgment over understanding. We are probably most familiar with the shadow Judge through the ways we judge and criticize ourselves.
When the Judge card appears in a reading, I believe we’re being asked to consider all perspectives and apply wise judgment in determining the most appropriate steps towards restoring harmony, either within ourselves or with others.
Some questions to consider:
How can I learn to trust my own discernment?
Am I being overly critical or perfectionistic in any area?
Has my ability to see all sides of a situation ever prevented me from taking a course of action?
How can I tap into my inner Judge to restore harmony in a relationship that feels out of balance?
Three of Swords
This is one of the cards in the tarot that people usually dread. Generally speaking, interpretations are often about betrayal and heartbreak. In the Rider Waite Smith deck, this card has an image of a heart being pierced through by three swords. The background shows a stormy sky.
It does seem like a clear depiction of pain, but I don’t believe it’s a message foretelling doom, or a warning of a possible outcome. I think this card is a call, or an invitation, to look at our own wounded heart; to look at the wounds that are already there.
I often like to turn to the story of the numbers in the minor arcana. To me, threes are about the relationship we have with the world outside of us. With the aces, we’re given the gift of the suit. In the twos we come to understand a sense of duality, of one thing and another, or even self and other. The threes, then, are about the actual relationship that exists between those things in the twos. The threes symbolize the relationships we have with the world and experiences outside of us. And they ask of us: how will we tend, or steward, that relationship?
Swords, to me, represent the realm of mental energy. This includes our thoughts, but also our awareness (on various levels) and the ways we communicate our thoughts. The three of swords is showing us that, in the realm of mental energy, the relationship between self and other can be filled with overthinking, mistrust, mal-intent, sharp words, and an awareness of the pain of separation. And we can carry the hurt of these wounds within us.
When the Three of Swords comes up in a reading, I believe we’re being asked to look at the ways our past wounds impact our mindset around what is other than us. How can we shift our thoughts towards tending the space between instead?
How does this pair work together?
Here I see the shadow Judge entering the Three of Swords card, As rain pours from the sky around them, they stand before their own pierced heart. While they gaze at the wounds still lodged there, they pass judgment on themselves.
“I should be over this,” they say and affix a barb to one of the swords.
“Only a weak person would still be hurt by what happened. I’m not strong enough to forgive,” they say, attaching another barb.
“I’m not wise enough to understand why these wounds happened and so I’ll never be able to learn from them.” Yet another barb is put in place.
On and on it goes. Self-judgment adding barbs to the wounds.
But then one day, the rain stops. The clouds dissipate and a beam of magical sunlight peeks through. It shines on the heart in exactly the right way so that the Judge can now see the bigger picture. They know now that they possess the necessary discernment to decide what course of action to take to restore right relationship with these old wounds.
Simply by releasing the self-criticism, the barbs dissolve, allowing the heart to finally integrate the wounds.
This week I believe we’re being called to notice and (gently, lovingly) set aside our self-judgments about old wounds that still live in our hearts.
Let’s hold ourselves in kindness as we move through the week. I’d love to know how you do with releasing these self-judgments. Let me know by replying to this email, sending me a DM, or leaving a comment a below.
Jenna! The first image that came to mind when I read the Judge was a wise Druid. One who is called upon to help calm the court, to give sound wisdom on the battles, to give advice and herb and lore. And then you showed the 3 of hearts. I saw that in my own heart where I have been anything but a kind judge the Druid within me is coming to show me with soothing balms, words and non verbal cues how to heal the inner words of my mind and thoughts. This is wonderful. I will aim to be more like a wise Druid this week and tend my heart in that way.
Blessings to you dear one. 🙏
This was incredibly spot on for me, exactly what I needed to hear. I have been in recovery for two years but my healing has been very slow. I hold so much self hatred and shame that it has driven me to such a terrible place, I developed agoraphobia and haven’t been able to leave my home in months.
But within this past week, I went into crisis, and in my desperation and despair I finally asked my family for help.
Now things are rapidly changing, and I am realizing a large part that has been holding me back from fully healing is my guilt and shame. I am so hard on myself, i tear myself apart constantly… dismissing the importance of my own accomplishments and progress…
Right after I came to this realization, I read this post. Even the number three was very symbolical to me because I have been experiencing incredible synchronicities, ever since I really started to buckle down and work on getting better, and they always happen in threes.
Thank you for this affirmation 🙏❤️