The Wheel and Justice
As the sun reaches its zenith, we move from The Wheel to Justice.
The image in The Wheel shows Arianrhod casting a circle – this is the circle of cyclical renewal. In her left hand we see a symbol for the Wheel of The Year (there's that number 8 symbolism again from the Ace of Wands). Her flail and her Wand (another link between this card and the suit of Wands) show us her powers to create (Wand) and to destroy (flail).
The accompanying book draws links between the X The Wheel and I The Magician, with the Wheel showing how the divine energies drawn down by the Magician and further drawn down into the land itself.
One way that we will feel The Wheel's effects at the Solstice is with the tailing off of the Swords suit and the beginning of the Wands. We are feeling the full effects of the change of gear – the internal, thought-based Swords energy is morphing into the external, physically active and enthusiastic energy of the Wands.
Another way that we will feel it is that – for better or worse – the days are starting to become shorter from this point forward!
The Wheel asks us to consider:
What cycles have we been going through – have you moved up on the wheel or have you been cast down?
A third way that The Wheel can be felt at this time is, of course, that we move into the part of the year governed by the energies of Justice.
The card image depicts Brigh who was both Druid and Judge. She is seated with a symbol of wisdom, the owl, and holds perfectly balanced scales in her left hand and in her right a drawn and perfectly perpendicular sword. She is not blind-folded – she can see clearly to make her decisions.
We do not completely leave the airy energies of the Swords behind because Justice is associated with Air too. So while we are getting to grips with whatever messages and opportunities the Ace and Princess brings, we are also asked to keep some mental energies involved!
This card relates to The Wheel in that we might feel unhappy with the way the turning of The Wheel has affected us. Justice reminds us that we DO get what we deserve and sometimes we are just too caught up in the turning of the Wheel to see what blessings the adverse turn of the Wheel might be bringing us.
Justice is about decision-making – being able to discriminate through a morass of information with clarity.
At the Solstice, Justice asks us:
Did you handle the turning of The Wheel well?
Have you acquired sufficient information to make decisions fairly?
How can you bring about the balance of Justice to properly consider the opportunities and beginnings that the Princess and Ace of Wands herald ?
