Justice and Equity: a Modern Tarot Illustrator’s Lens
Why Redesign the Justice card?
“ All I want to do is drink tea, do science, and smash the patriarchy.”
STEMinist merch at my local tea shop, Cup of Tea.
The Justice card appears when we are called to fight for justice, or when we are dealing with injustice in our own lives. As an indie tarot artist, I am always looking for ways to incorporate my progressive values into my illustrations.
Given the current political landscape in the US where I am, this card is having a moment. Never before in my lifetime have we had so much to lose, so fast, in the multi-generational fight for justice.
It is for this reason that I decided to illustrate the Justice card the way I did.
From Balance to Equity: Evolving the Justice Archetype
Traditionally, the Justice card is illustrated with scales of justice, hanging in the balance. When this card shows up in a reading, I usually interpret this as a good sign. Perhaps I have an opportunity to right a past wrong of my own doing. Or maybe I am being called to be a better advocate for justice in my own sphere of influence.
One quibble I have with the traditional illustrations and interpretation of the Justice card is the concept of right and wrong as a binary concept. In reality, there are many different interpretations of justice, depending on the view of the person being wronged.
Within oppressive systems of patriarchy, racism, and capitalism, the concept that one perspective is the right one usually doesn’t result in true justice. If that’s true, then what imagery would represent powers being in balance, and justice for those marginalized by systems of oppression look like?
Justice tarot card examples from my personal collection of tarot decks, see footnotes for artist credits.
Once an Organizer, Always an Organizer.
Before I was an illustrator, I spent my career as an organizer and advocate for environmental and social justice. My most challenging and rewarding role was the decade I spent as a racial equity program manager. As a white, cisgender, straight person in this role, I exercised my privileges to be a squeaky wheel in the very bureaucratic organization where I worked.
That said, I desperately needed to learn more about my own identities and where they are positioned in society. I studied white racial identity development, how to facilitate conversations about race, and how to move an organization toward equity, instead of focusing only on diversity. Developing awareness of socialized patterns of white supremacy, heteronormativity, and internalized gender oppression, was the first step. I accept that dismantling these patterns will be lifelong work.
Intuitive Symbols and our Modern-Day Fight for Equity
This all lead me to wonder: what symbols should be centered in the Justice card in 2026? The title of my deck, "Tarot of These Times,” purposefully points to the current socio-political landscape. Here in the U.S., oppression and injustice seem to be the main values of the current federal administration. As an independent artist creating a tarot deck based on progressive values of equity and inclusion, the Justice card is too important to ignore.
Today, one of the most oppressed and marginalized communities in the US are queer and transgender people, especially youth and trans people of color. These communities face a massive campaign of anti-trans legislation and sentiment. I am inspired and awed by the intergenerational nature of the fight for LGBTQAI justice. To me, it shows how organizing builds power - both political and personal power.
While I don’t identify as queer, I still fly Progressive Pride flag on the front of my house. In this era, it carries meaning for what my home stands for. That in this home, we stand in solidarity with our queer and trans friends. I included the Pride flag as the backdrop for the Justice card. The very nail on which the flag hangs also holds the weight of the scales of justice.
On those scales, the elements (earth, air, fire, and water) are shown in balance with the four suits of the tarot (pentacles/coins, swords, wands, and cups). In the tradition of the tarot, each of the elements correspond to a suit. I wanted to illustrate
The Ink-and-Watercolor Process Behind my Indie Tarot Deck
As an illustrator, I draw and paint all of my art by hand. That said, I have a few shortcuts I use to help me get my ideas out of my head and onto the page. I describe this process in detail in this post, but here’s a quick summary of how I designed the Justice card.
First I created a detailed sketch with colored pencils, pigment pen, and acrylic paint (see below). I took a photo of the sketch, then uploaded it to Procreate for iPad. I re-drew all of the linework using Apple Pencil on my iPad in Procreate. I printed my linework on watercolor paper, then painted it with black ink, liquid watercolor, and watercolor brush pens.
Creating illustrations this way gives me the ability to combine bold, flowing colors with crisp, detailed linework - both are central to the look and style of my indie tarot deck.
The final illustration
Below is my illustration for the Justice card. I used black ink on wet watercolor paper for the stormy background. The flag and elements are painted by hand with Ecoline watercolor paint pens.
The Justice card illustration from my forthcoming Tarot of These Times deck.
© Registered copyright Molly Chidsey, all rights reserved.
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Footnotes
Materials notes from this post
Blick Hot Press 100% cotton watercolor paper; EcoLine liquid watercolor paint and brush pens; Winsor & Newton masking fluid; Winsor & Newton walnut ink (tree). I used masking fluid on the snowy areas before painting to preserve the white of the paper (there is no white paint in watercolor!)
I use an Epson Workforce Pro printer to print my drawings onto watercolor paper, using their water-resistant Durabrite ink.
Other tarot artists featured in this post
Clockwise from top left: Rider-Waite Tarot, illustrated by Pamela Coleman Smith; Modern Witch Tarot Deck by Lisa Sterle; The Wild Unknown Tarot by Kim Krans; The Gentle Tarot by Mari in the Sky; Rainbow Heart Tarot by Rachel Rosenkoetter; and The Reclaimed Tarot, ReClaim it! PDX, collage by Melissa Evans.
Learn about tarot
Want to learn more about tarot? I highly recommend the book Modern Tarot: Connecting with Your Higher Self through the Wisdom of the Cards by Michelle Tea.
