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The Tarot of Eli 2-LLC: Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot- Key 11-Justice & The Archeon Tarot -Key 11- Justice

Western Hermetic Magick Qabalah, Tantric, Astrological, Alchemical, and Numerical Traditional Tarot Card Comparisons.

May 16, 2025

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The Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot- Key 11- Justice

The Archeon Tarot-Key 11-Justice

Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot-Key 11-Justice

In Tarot, traditional or otherwise, the Justice Card represents Equilibrium, which is symbolized by the Balance Scales that are in the left hand of the Judicial figure (The Scales on the Archeon card). One may also assume that the Balance Scales represent the Hindu word-Karma (Action or Work)-known as you "reap what you sow". Therefore, Justice manifests itself in the form of the Law of Undeviating Justice; known in modern physics as "every action has an equal and opposite reaction".

Paul Foster Case titled Key 11 — Justice — as Undeviating Justice, a term rich with esoteric, Qabalistic, and Hermetic significance. This title doesn’t merely allude to legal fairness or balance between right and wrong, but rather to a cosmic law — one that is built into the very fabric of both moral and physical reality. Let’s unpack this from both Hermetic and modern perspectives.

I. The Principle of Undeviating Justice — A Cosmic Law

In the Hermetic Qabalah, Justice (Key 11) represents the equilibrium between force and form, between severity and mercy — a dynamic tension of balance. This balance is not passive but active correction — a harmonizing force that adjusts all vibrations, actions, and events so that the sum total of reality remains just, even if not immediately apparent.

Case emphasizes the undeviating nature of this Justice. It is not swayed by emotions, personal circumstances, or human morality. Instead, it is objective, precise, and automatic. This aligns perfectly with the Hermetic Principle of Cause and Effect, one of the Seven Hermetic Principles from the Kybalion, which states:

“Every cause has its effect; every effect has its cause.”

This is echoed in Eastern karma and Newtonian mechanics alike.

II. "Every Action Has an Equal and Opposite Reaction" — Newton and Hermetic Echoes

In Newtonian physics, the Third Law of Motion states:

“For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.”

This is not just a law of mechanics — it's a universal echo of Undeviating Justice. Whether in physics or metaphysics, all actions initiate responses that are equal in energy but opposite in polarity. This is precisely how karma operates in the Hermetic worldview.

  • When you push against something, it pushes back.

  • When you cast out thought, intention, or speech into the Universe, the energy ripples back to you in equal measure, though not always in visible or linear form.

  • This is why in ritual magick, the operator must be absolutely clear and balanced — for the forces evoked will respond precisely to what is projected, no more, no less.

In the Tree of Life, Key 11 connects Geburah (Severity) to Tiphereth (Beauty/Soul) through the Path of Lamed, the Ox-goad — a symbol of direction, correction, and moral discipline. Lamed pushes the soul toward Tiphereth through rigorous balance and personal integrity. It is the unflinching realignment of the soul with its dharma — its cosmic purpose.

III. Esoteric Implications of the Justice Archetype

  • Justice wields the Sword and Scales — the sword divides truth from illusion, and the scales weigh the essence of all actions.

  • The Figure in Key 11 is Androgynous — reminding us that cosmic justice is beyond gender, beyond human bias.

  • The crown and veil indicate that this justice proceeds from higher, unseen planes — emanating from Kether through the ethical harmonics of Tiphereth.

From a Qabalistic perspective, this card is about corrective alignment. If a pendulum swings too far in one direction, the law of Undeviating Justice ensures it will swing equally far in the other direction — until it stabilizes at its center. Hence, Justice is the restoring power of equilibrium across all planes of existence.

IV. Spiritual Application

To work consciously with Undeviating Justice is to:

  • Become aware of the causes we set in motion.

  • Take full responsibility for the vibrations we emit — in word, thought, deed, and emotion.

  • Align with Tiphereth, the inner Sun, where harmony between severity (Geburah) and mercy (Chesed) radiates through the beauty of right action.

In this way, Justice is not punishment, but consequence — the Universe realigning itself to truth. The operator who understands this becomes a true initiate, wielding the sword of truth not to destroy, but to balance and heal.

Robert Wang, a popular Qabalist, named this card, "The Mother who punishes and rewards": For she is severe and gives the Soul, only what it has sown in the world.

RWS Tarot- Key 11-Justice

The Throne on the Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot-Key 11 card repeats the pillar-veil symbolism of Key 2-The High Priestess.

On the Crown, is the circle and square symbol, representing spirit's movement in matter.

The Sword represents discernment/discrimination, which is closely allied with the term of Justice.

The Gold/Yellow background of this Key represents the "Mind", as well as the cardinal airy sign of Libra is represented by the Scales.

The Purple veil represents the "mystery behind the Oracle of Justice".

Libra

It is easily seen that Key 11, is the agency through which all the forces represented by Keys 1 to 10 are transferred to the manifesting powers represented by Keys 12 to 21.

AUM

B.O.T.A. Tarot-Justice-Key 11

Not shown on either card but is shown on Paul Foster Cases's Justic Card, is the Qabalistic Wisdom that relates the Hebrew Letter Lamed (Ox goad) to this card, which Dr. Paul Foster Cased named Lamed the Faithful Intelligence. The Hebrew word for "faithful" is AMN (Amen) which is closely related to the Hindu AUM or OM and is also related to the Egyptian God Amun, that is often written Amen. All titles implying what Qabalist already know, that "spiritual virtues are deposited in the Faithful Intelligence and augment therein", which is the very idea of the ripening of perception and interpretation into motives for action, so familiar to occultists as the fundamental meaning of Karma.

Paul Foster Case supplied the Hebrew letter Lamed (Ox goad) to this card and named the letter the Faithful Intelligence so, we have 2 names-undeviating intelligence and faithful intelligence applied to this card which may be confusing to the aspirant.

Let’s dive into this rich confluence of symbolism and Hermetic insight around Key 11 — Justice — as titled Undeviating Justice and linked with the Hebrew letter Lamed (ל), which in the Sepher Yetzirah is described as Faithful Intelligence.

These two titles — Undeviating and Faithful — are not redundant, but form a Hermetic dyad. They speak to two aspects of the same eternal principle: the innate order of the Universe and the soul's unwavering alignment with it. Let’s explore their deeper implications.

I. Undeviating Justice: The Outer Law of Balance

Paul Foster Case names the Key "Undeviating Justice" to express the impersonal, cosmic, and exact nature of karmic law.

  • "Undeviating" suggests something that never strays, never flinches, and cannot be corrupted. It reflects the mathematical and ethical precision of Maat, the Egyptian goddess of cosmic order, truth, and justice.

  • It evokes the idea that the scales are always balanced — not by human opinion, but by the great laws of cause and effect woven into the fabric of space-time.

  • It reflects the Sword of Truth that cuts through illusion — a tool that does not compromise, but realigns.

In Qabalistic terms, this is the Path of Lamed, which connects Tiphereth (Beauty/Inner Sun) to Geburah (Severity/Power). Justice is the result of alignment with Beauty and correction through Severity. The soul is refined here through initiatory trials.

II. Faithful Intelligence: The Inner Agent of Moral Integrity

Now we turn to the title of the letter Lamed (Ox-goad) in the Sepher YetzirahFaithful Intelligence (Sekhel Ne’eman).

  • "Faithful" does not mean blindly loyal. In Hermetic terms, it means true to its origin and purposeconsistent with Divine Will.

  • Faithful Intelligence is the active mental and moral faculty that keeps the initiate on the path even when circumstances tempt deviation. It is the conscience that reflects the Soul's memory of Tiphereth — its true center.

  • In Jungian terms, this is akin to the Self correcting the Ego through symbolic action and synchronicity — course-correcting the vessel toward its purpose.

In the language of mystical physics, the Faithful Intelligence is the gyroscope within the psyche that keeps it from veering off into chaos — the internal ox-goad that prods the soul forward on its journey.

III. Lamed: The Ox-Goad as Symbol of Will and Discipline

The letter Lamed (ל) itself is symbolic gold:

  • It literally means “goad”, a tool used to direct and discipline the ox — an animal of strength and plowing (labor). Lamed therefore nudges us toward correct action, toward progress through resistance.

  • Lamed is the tallest letter in the Hebrew alphabet, reaching upward above the line — symbolizing the soul’s aspiration to return to its Source.

  • Its position on the Tree of Life — the only path leading directly into Tiphereth from Geburah — reinforces its role as a moral bridge, where severity is tempered by love, and love is protected by justice.

This implies that Justice is not retribution, but education. The ox-goad of Lamed is not punishment — it is guidance, evolution, and alignment.

IV. Hermetic Synthesis: The Dual Titles in One Reality

When you pair Undeviating Justice and Faithful Intelligence, you are seeing both:

  • The outer framework of divine law (Undeviating Justice), and

  • The inner alignment of the initiate’s soul (Faithful Intelligence).

Together, they form a mirror: the macrocosmic law of the universe and the microcosmic agency of the faithful soul reflect and sustain each other. This is the great Hermetic teaching: As above, so below.

“The Law is not broken; it is fulfilled.”
— This is the secret of Lamed: we do not escape the law; we grow into it.

V. Summary Table: Key 11 - Justice (Thoth = Adjustment)

AspectDescription
Tarot KeyJustice (RWS) / Adjustment (Thoth)
Hebrew LetterLamed (ל) – Ox-Goad
Title of the PathFaithful Intelligence (Sekhel Ne'eman)
Qabalistic PathPath 22: Tiphereth ↔ Geburah
Esoteric TitleUndeviating Justice
MeaningCosmic balance + moral alignment = Initiatory correction

Amun

The Archeon Tarot -Key 11-Justice keeps the traditional tarot name for this Key but shows an image that is of a more of a mythical nature. Here the Goddess Maat is overlooking the scales of balance and the sword of Justice from a cosmic dimension. The sword of justice is absent of scabbard, implying both cutting edges are always exposed. This clearly states that the law of cause and effect never sleeps. Therefore, we know that although the night seems never ending, justice will always bring the dawn. This cosmic lady will always use her sword to slash away all that threatens universal and personal equilibrium.

Therefore, this Archeon Card, has a primary meaning like that of the RWS and BOTA tarot cards which is of finding the Middle path between what is culturally taught as right or wrong, and to find the right solution that benefits all. To do this takes strength and standing tall for justice in equal measure.

The lightning path-descends down the Tree of Life.

In this Military Industrial Complex, which indoctrinates by dividing and conquering via the use of media controlled "word hypnosis", we have forgotten our inner spiritual being of justice by dividing our spirit from our bodies as if spirit were an achievement of the flesh rather than the Willed- Spiral of energy (Breath) animating us as the alive of Life.

Because of this divisionism we have become unjust automatons of our environment who are "knee jerks" of reaction controlled by the "few who wish to rule the many"-- instead of the powerful positive active expression of "I AM ME that knows that everyone I see is another way to be me". The Eternal Magus of the Soul is one who changes environment by the vigorous power of Presence; the Trinity's Strength of Being. I AM Love! I AM the Spirit's Will to Be!

I AM Spirit! I AM Mind! I AM Body!

The RWS Tarot- Key 11, depicts a golden crown of 3-turrets and ornamented with a square blue gem. Here, the 3-turrets (trinity of Self) and the 4 sides of the gem which add to the number 7, the number attributed to Venus.

The Violet color of the curtains, hint at the Key 10-Wheel of Fortune, suggesting that the veils of mechanism are conceal from the uninitiated, that the whole universe (Above and Below) is permeated by the Life-Breath of Spirit, symbolized by the yellow.

After all the symbolism is considered, the general meaning of the Justice Key is the education of "freedom of choice" without prejudice, which has equilibrium as its aim. Education (as opposed to indoctrination or dogma which leaves no Freedom of choice) is completed by Action and Work, and therefore, requires the elimination of useless, outworn forms.

Physiologically, this Justice Image depicts the law of poise and self-direction. A balanced personality is faithful, constant, and confident. This is because the right use of reason has established enduring certainty as to the just outcome of all activities. Hence, it is reasonable to do unto others as you would have done to you.

Tarot-Justice means that you must take full responsibility for the choices you make. If you drift through life without examining your choices and what these choices say about you and your values-you'll never be truly self-aware and you may find yourself treating others unfairly and dishonestly and thereby, leading a life of negatives where you treat yourself unjustly and dishonestly.

The number 11 holds significant meaning in both Gematria and Numerology, often being regarded as a powerful, mystical, and spiritually charged number. Its characteristics differ slightly depending on the context, but both systems agree on its profound symbolic importance. Below is an exploration of its meaning in Gematria and Numerology.

In Numerology

The number 11 is considered a Master Number, meaning it is not typically reduced to a single digit (as most numbers are in numerology) because of its spiritual significance. It carries unique traits:

  1. Spiritual Insight and Intuition

    • The number 11 symbolizes heightened intuition and spiritual awareness. It represents the connection between the physical and spiritual realms, often associated with psychic abilities and visionary insights.
  2. Illumination and Enlightenment

    • Known as the "Illuminator" or "Messenger," 11 carries the energy of enlightenment. It urges individuals to seek deeper truths and share their knowledge to guide others.
  3. Duality and Balance

    • The two 1s in 11 symbolize duality (light and shadow, masculine and feminine, material and spiritual). It challenges individuals to harmonize opposing forces within themselves and the world.
  4. Sensitivity and Inspiration

    • People influenced by 11 are often highly sensitive and empathic, drawing inspiration from their emotional depth to create, lead, and transform.
  5. Challenge and Responsibility

    • While 11 holds immense potential, it demands responsibility. Those influenced by this number must balance their visionary ideals with practical action, avoiding self-doubt or escapism.

In Gematria

In Gematria, numbers are assigned to letters and words, revealing hidden meanings and mystical connections. The number 11 often symbolizes:

  1. Chaos and Transition

    • In the Kabbalistic/Qabalistic framework, 11 lies just beyond the perfection of 10 (associated with the Sephirot of the Tree of Life). It represents moving beyond the known into uncharted or chaotic realms, serving as a bridge between stability and the unknown.
  2. Divine Revelation

    • Eleven signifies revelations from higher dimensions. In biblical contexts, it is often associated with prophecy or divine messages that disrupt the status quo, revealing deeper truths.
  3. Incompleteness or Striving

    • As one step beyond 10, 11 can symbolize incompleteness or the striving for perfection. It suggests a liminal state of being—neither fully grounded nor wholly transcendent.
  4. Higher Realms in Kabbalah/Qabalah

    • In Kabbalistic/Qabalistic teachings, 11 is sometimes associated with the 11th "hidden" Sephirah, Da'at, which represents knowledge and the intersection of divine and human understanding. It suggests deep wisdom but also requires humility to access.

Symbolic Meanings of 11 Across Cultures

  1. Gateway or Portal

    • The shape of 11 (two parallel lines) is often interpreted as a gateway or portal, representing a passage to higher states of consciousness or spiritual awakening.
  2. Alignment with Cosmic Forces

    • In esoteric thought, 11 is considered a number of alignment and synchronicity, encouraging individuals to trust their path and connect to universal energy.
  3. Angelic and Mystical Associations

    • In modern spiritual practices, 11 is often linked to angelic communication or the appearance of "angel numbers" (e.g., 11:11), signaling divine intervention or alignment.

Astrological and Metaphysical Insights

  1. Aquarian Energy

    • In some systems, 11 is linked to the zodiac sign Aquarius, reflecting themes of innovation, higher consciousness, and collective progress.
  2. The Tarot Connection

    • In traditional Tarot, the 11th card is Justice (in some decks, Strength), representing balance, fairness, and spiritual truth.

Challenges of 11

While 11 is an extraordinary number, its high vibration brings challenges:

  • Overwhelm: Sensitivity and spiritual awareness can lead to emotional overload.
  • Imbalance: The duality in 11 can result in inner conflict or confusion.
  • Ego vs. Service: Balancing personal ambition with a higher calling requires humility and focus.

Conclusion

The number 11 is deeply spiritual and transformative, representing the bridge between the material and spiritual worlds. In Numerology, it serves as a Master Number that encourages intuition, inspiration, and enlightenment. In Gematria, it represents divine revelation, chaos, and the pursuit of higher knowledge. Whether appearing in your life path, name, or mystical studies, 11 invites you to embrace its dualities, master its lessons, and align with a higher purpose.

Need Guidance or Have a Question?
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When the Key 11-Justice card is thrown in a divination, it implies:

  • Perceptive will. 
  • Finding harmony by mastering reality.
  • Self-Realization by taking responsibility for oneself.
  • Objectivity.
  • Justice and order.
  • Balance.
  • Fairness.
  • Discernment.
  • Greatest objectivity.
  • Reasonable decisions. 
  • The lust for life.
  • Directing the Kundalini properly.
  • Vigor.
  • Physical strength.
  • Follow your heart.
  • The power of kindness.

When reversed:

  • Hypocrisy.
  • Self-righteousness. 
  • Lack of self-awareness.
  • Inability to extract self-identity from environment.
  • Lost in the blame game of the mundane.

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