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Tarot Key 20: Judgment — The Hermetic Formula of Realization and Resurrection

Tarot Key 20 represents one of the most decisive initiatory thresholds in Western Hermetic Qabalah: the stage called Realization. Here, individual consciousness approaches the brink of dissolving into Universal Collective Consciousness. The coffins in the imagery symbolize the limitations of name and form—structures of identity that dissolve when the soul awakens to its true vibratory nature.

In this card we witness resurrection not as a religious event, but as an inner alchemical process through which consciousness expands beyond the confines of the personal self.

The Trumpet of Breath: Awakening Through Vibration and Pranayama

At the heart of Key 20 is the angel’s trumpet—the symbol of breath, vibration, and the call to higher life. In Hermetic terms, the trumpet embodies:

• Pranayama and Life-Breath (Ruach)

• The vibratory power that breaks psychic inertia

• The inner sound that calls the soul back to its Source

Every resurrection begins through a shift of vibration. When the aspirant consciously regulates breath, they align the personality with the Higher Genius. The trumpet is the exhalation of Spirit that awakens the deadened parts of the psyche.

The Cross on the Banner: Reason as a Tool of Redemption

On the Rider–Waite–Smith Key 20, the angel bears a white banner with a red cross—one of the most meaningful symbols of Hermetic measurement.

The square represents the realm of physical manifestation and concrete thought.
The cross represents balance, proportion, and the correct ordering of elemental forces.

Thus, the banner communicates that judgment is the act of accurately measuring reality.
It is not condemnation, but discernment.

This is the resurrection of right reason, where the mind becomes capable of perceiving Truth without distortion.

The Angel and the Clouds: The True Self Veiled by the Unconscious

Dr. Paul Foster Case identified the angel as the True Self—the higher aspect of consciousness that is eternal, radiant, and unbounded. The clouds surrounding this figure symbolize the Veil of Water, the astral substance that obscures higher awareness.

The clouds thin during moments of spiritual insight and thicken when the personality sinks into reactive unconsciousness.
 

Key 20 illustrates the moment when the veil parts just enough for the personality to receive illumination.

Icebergs and the Hanged Man: Arrested Mind-Substance and Reversal of Consciousness

The icebergs in the background of the Rider–Waite–Smith image are far more esoteric than many modern readers realize. Water is the symbol of Mind-Stuff—the astral fluid that shapes the forms of imagination. When frozen, water becomes:

• Fixed mind patterns

• Crystallized beliefs

• Suspended psychic movement

The upward orientation of the icebergs mirrors Key 12: The Hanged Man, representing reversal—the overturning of old perception. Through spiritual heat (Spirit-Fire), these frozen structures begin to thaw, allowing consciousness to flow freely again.

The Seven Rays: Planets, Chakras, and the Ladder of Ascent

From the trumpet emanate seven rays, corresponding to:

• The seven classical planets

• The seven primary chakras

• The seven stages of inner ascent through the Tree of Life

The rays indicate that all planetary forces harmonize into a single call—a unified impulse toward spiritual awakening. Judgment is the moment when the inner Sun rises in Tiphareth.

The Three Figures in the Foreground: LVX — The Formula of Light

The three resurrecting figures symbolize the total psyche:

• Man — Self-Consciousness

• Woman — Subconsciousness

• Child — The Personality they generate

Their arm positions form the magical word LVX:

• Woman’s extended arms = L

• Child’s uplifted arms = V

• Man’s crossed arms = X

LVX is the formula of Solar Light—the mechanism of illumination used in Golden Dawn and Thelemic rituals. It signifies the rebirth of the psyche under the influx of the Higher Self.

To “rise in LVX” is to awaken as a solar being.

The Three Figures in the Background: Souls Not Yet Awakened

Behind the primary triad stand three more figures. These represent aspects of consciousness still asleep—those areas of the mind not yet touched by illumination. Their grey coloration teaches two Hermetic truths:

1. Grey = the neutralization of opposites

2. Grey = Chokmah’s wisdom, the beginning of true discernment

3. Grey also = the “dead,” the unawakened self that waits for resurrection

All parts of the soul rise in their own time.

The Qabalistic Essence of Key 20: The Resurrection of Consciousness

Judgment is not about the afterlife—it is about awakening during life.
This card portrays the moment when:

• Breath aligns vibration

• Vibration awakens Light

• Light dissolves limitation

Here the lower self rises to meet the Higher Genius.
Here the LVX formula activates.
Here the soul steps out of the coffin of form and remembers its origin in the stars.

This is the call of the True Self echoing across the inner worlds, summoning the aspirant to their own divine identity.

Shin – The Holy Letter of Judgment and the Fire of Spiritual Resurrection

The Qabalistic attribution for Key 20 is the Hebrew letter Shin (ש), pronounced sheen. Its literal translation is “tooth”, evoking the image of sharpness, penetration, and the active breaking-down of form. In the Hermetic tradition, Shin is far more than a dental symbol—it is the Fang of Spirit, the fiery serpent-tooth that shatters illusion.

Since all existence is ultimately vibrational, a weaving of frequencies and tonal currents, Shin represents the living serpent of Fire, the undulating waveform of spiritual force as it descends into and rises out of the planes of matter.

Shin as the Tooth: The Power That Breaks Forms

The symbolism of a “tooth” is not accidental. Teeth break down food into usable substance; Shin, likewise, breaks down the rigid structures of false identity.
It dissolves:

• Dogma

• Indoctrinated beliefs

• Old psychic shells

• The false personality crafted by societal conditioning

Shin is the power that kills the illusion of separateness.
It is the fire that consumes the husk so that the hidden seed of the True Self may emerge.

In Hermetic psychology, this is the moment when the ego’s artificial architecture collapses and the Inner Light radiates unobstructed.

The Number 300 – Ruach Elohim and the Holy Spirit

Shin carries the numerical value 300, the same value as the Hebrew phrase:

RVCh Elohim — Ruach Elohim
“The Life-Breath of the Divine Ones”
“The Holy Spirit”

This places Shin in the category of what Qabalists call the Holy Letters—those that express direct emanations of Divine Activity.

Shin is therefore the fiery Breath of Divinity, the animating force that:

• Purifies

• Resurrects

• Rekindles

• Transforms

• And awakens

Just as teeth break substance into nourishment, Shin breaks down the dead husks of form so that Spirit may infuse new life.

Shin and the Ruach: Breath as the Vehicle of Resurrection

“Spirit” itself comes from the Greek Spiro—to breathe.
This linguistic root is no coincidence.

The Ruach (the Solar Soul-Breath) is the mediating principle between the Higher Self and the personality. When the breath becomes conscious, vibration aligns with Will. This is why Shin governs all practices of:

• Pranayama

• Purification

• Invocation

• Resurrection of consciousness

Shin is the Fire that breathes through the Aeon.
It is the element that transforms the aspirant into a vessel of LVX.

Shin as Serpent-Fang: The Slaying of the False Self

The serpent-fang aspect of Shin carries immense initiatory significance.

In the Mystery Tradition, the serpent has always signified:

• Energy

• Wisdom

• Kundalini

• The coiled Fire of consciousness

As a fang, Shin becomes the precise, surgical, and fearless strike of spiritual fire that destroys illusion at its root. It pierces the hardened shell of the personality, rupturing the ego’s protective walls so that the immortal essence may emerge.

What dies is not the person—but the mask.
What rises is the True Self, the I AM.

You Are the Plasmic Prana Field — The Auric Sun

Shin reveals the deeper truth that you are not a body seeking Spirit;
You are the Spirit animating a body.

You are the:

• Auric Solar Field

• Plasmic Prana Entity

• Ruach Elohim expressing as human incarnation

You are the breath, the fire, the radiance of “I AM” condensed into form for the purpose of expansion and experience.

Thus, Key 20 does not simply depict resurrection —
It reveals who is doing the resurrecting.

In the context of Western Hermetic Qabalah and the Tarot, the term Ruach Elohim (רוּחַ אֱלֹהִים) holds profound mystical and symbolic significance, particularly in relation to the Judgement card.

Literal Meaning

• Ruach (רוּחַ): This Hebrew word translates to "spirit," "breath," or "wind." In a metaphysical sense, it refers to the animating principle, the divine breath that sustains life and movement.
• Elohim (אֱלֹהִים): A plural form often translated as "God" or "Gods," it represents the creative and generative aspect of divinity. In Qabalistic thought, Elohim is associated with the Sephirah Binah (Understanding), which is the archetype of form and structure in creation.

Together, Ruach Elohim is commonly translated as "Spirit of God" or "Breath of God."

Qabalistic Context

In the Sefer Bereshit (Book of Genesis), Ruach Elohim appears in the creation narrative:
"And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters." (Genesis 1:2)

Here, Ruach Elohim is the divine force hovering over the primordial chaos, bringing order, life, and creation. In Qabalistic terms, it represents the interplay of the infinite (Ain Soph) with the manifest world, infusing the material plane with divine vitality.

Connection to the Judgement Card

In the Tarot, the Judgement card corresponds to Shin (ש) in the Hebrew alphabet and the element of Fire, symbolizing purification, transformation, and awakening. When Ruach Elohim is depicted on the card, it conveys several layers of meaning:

1. Divine Awakening and Resurrection

   • The Judgement card depicts the resurrection of souls, symbolizing a spiritual awakening or rebirth. The Ruach Elohim breathes life into these souls, calling them to ascend toward higher consciousness.

2. Purification and Renewal

   • Just as the Spirit of God brought order and light to the primordial waters, Ruach Elohim signifies the cleansing and renewing forces of divine grace. It points to a release of karmic debts and the restoration of balance.

3. Union of Spirit and Form

   • Ruach Elohim represents the divine breath that reconciles opposites: the spiritual (spirit) and the material (form). On the Judgement card, it emphasizes the soul's realization of its divine origin and ultimate destiny.

4. Call to Higher Purpose

   • The divine trumpet in the Judgement card symbolizes a spiritual call to action or purpose, much like the Ruach Elohim impels the cosmos into being. This is the inner prompting toward self-realization and divine service.

Qabalistic Symbolism of Ruach

In Qabalistic psychology, Ruach represents the middle aspect of the human soul, situated between:

• Nefesh (Animal soul, instinct)
• Neshamah (Divine soul, intuition)

Ruach is associated with intellect, will, and emotion. On the Judgement card, this indicates the harmonization of mental and emotional faculties with higher spiritual truths, enabling the individual to transcend worldly limitations.

Summary

In the context of the Judgement card, Ruach Elohim encapsulates the themes of divine awakening, spiritual renewal, and the transformative power of the Spirit of God. It highlights the soul's journey from material existence (symbolized by the figures rising from their graves) to divine unity and eternal life. This phrase serves as a reminder of the divine breath that animates and guides all creation, urging us to heed the call of higher purpose and spiritual ascension.

Perpetual Intelligence — The Expanding Consciousness of Shin

Dr. Paul Foster Case, founder of the Builders of the Adytum (B.O.T.A.), named the Path of Shin The Perpetual Intelligence—a title chosen with exquisite precision. This “Perpetual” quality arises from the Hebrew root suggesting “to stretch,” “to extend,” or “to reach beyond.” Thus, Perpetual Intelligence is the mode of awareness that extends consciousness beyond its habitual limits. It is the elastic expansion of mind that carries the aspirant into super-conscious realms normally veiled from the average waking mind.

This Intelligence is everlasting, self-renewing, and eternal, because it emanates directly from Ruach Elohim—the Life-Breath of the Divine. It is the Fire of Shin that perpetually regenerates consciousness, enabling the soul to step outside the illusion of mortality and into conscious immortality.

The Perpetual Intelligence is the power by which the True Self continually recreates, resurrects, and transforms the personality. It stretches awareness beyond the cycle of birth and death, allowing the aspirant to participate in life as an eternal being.

The Number 20 → 2: Returning to the High Priestess and the Hermaphroditic Root of Being

When reduced (2 + 0), the number 20 becomes 2, drawing Key 20 back to the deep cosmic currents of The High Priestess—the Hermetic root of memory, potentiality, and the primordial Hermaphrodite.

Key 2 represents:

• Cosmic Memory (the Universal Unconscious)

• The Virgin Womb of Form

• The Shekinah seated between the pillars

• The “Two Who Are One”—the Divine Hermaphrodite

Thus, Judgment is not merely the end of a cycle; it is the unveiling of the soul’s origin in the unified polarity of the High Priestess. It completes the circuit, returning consciousness to its Source.

In this light, the Perpetual Intelligence is the culmination of all mental and spiritual forces that first arise through the High Priestess. What began as pure potential in Key 2 becomes full realization in Key 20. The wave that was breathed out into form now returns consciously to the Ocean of Being from which it arose.

This is the axial teaching of Hermetic Qabalah:

The end is concealed in the beginning,
and the beginning is revealed at the end.

Key 20 is the soul recognizing itself beyond polarity, remembering its origin in the One, and awakening as the eternal Light that shines through every incarnation.

There is no punishment or reward (as in the justice card). Rather, on a variety of levels, Judgment determines if one is free or remains shackled to unresolved unconscious materials and/or "the false ego". Christianity has labeled this process as "damnation" or "salvation". However, both are temporary conditions resulting from self-scrutiny.

Hence, judgment represents evaluation at the end of a long cycle, such as retirement from a job, end of a marriage, graduation from college, completion of a book, or a building project. Therefore, this is not the "last judgment", but rather a process that repeats repeatedly in a person's life, at the end of cycles.

Triple Goddess Tarot – Key XX: Judgment as the Soul’s Ascent and Return

In the Triple Goddess Tarot, Key XX—Judgement distills the resurrection mystery into a deeply personal vision of ascent. Gone are the coffins, trumpeting angels, and crowds of risen figures found in traditional decks. Instead, the card presents a solitary initiate ascending the stairway to heaven, approaching a pair of open golden gates flooded with radiant, blinding light. Within that light stands a human figure—arms uplifted—as if calling you home.

This singular figure represents you, the aspirant, responding to the inner summons of Spirit. Rather than emphasizing collective resurrection, this card focuses on the individual’s return to Source, the intimate moment where the soul recognizes its own divine origin and begins its ascent.

The Stairway to Heaven — The Path of Return

The staircase symbolizes the Path of Shin as a rising spiral of consciousness. Every step is a shedding—of fear, of judgment, of the false personality, of self-limiting narratives. Each ascent takes you closer to the blazing brilliance of your immortal nature.

Where the Rider–Waite–Smith card shows many rising from their coffins, the Triple Goddess deck recognizes a profound truth:

Awakening is always deeply personal, even when it unites you with the whole.

The Open Gates — Initiation Completed, The Veil Withdrawn

The golden gates signify the veil between incarnate awareness and the Eternal. Their openness signals that the time of return has come—the invitation extended, the path unblocked. The gates also symbolize entry into the spiritual community, the communion of souls who have remembered their true identity.

In contrast to cards that emphasize judgment of deeds or karmic reckoning, this interpretation highlights:

• Acceptance

• Reunion

• Reintegration

• The soul’s welcome into higher harmony

It is not judgment upon you—it is judgment as you. You recognize yourself fully again.

The Blazing Light — The Shekinah and the Call of the True Self

The radiant light pouring from beyond the gates is the direct presence of the Shekinah—the Divine Immanence. In Hermetic Qabalah, this is the descending Light of Kether calling the soul back upward through the Tree. The human figure within the brilliance symbolizes the Higher Self, summoning you with the infinite resonance of your own name.

This card portrays the moment where the call of Spirit becomes irresistible—a magnetic return to wholeness.

Letting Go of Judgment — Ending Exile From the Soul

The Triple Goddess version emphasizes a crucial psychological shift:
You stop judging others because you no longer feel exiled from yourself.

Judgment dissolves into compassion.
Separation dissolves into unity.
Resistance dissolves into willingness.

By answering the call, you release the barriers that kept you isolated from the spiritual community—both human and divine.

The Meaning of the Card: Resurrection, Rebirth, and Return

At its heart, this card signifies:

• Resurrection: Rising from old patterns, beliefs, and wounds

• Rebirth: Emerging into a new phase of being

• Return to Source: Remembering your origin in the Eternal Light

• Movement Forward: Recognizing when it is time to move on, ascend, or transcend

This is a card of the Return Journey—the soul ascending the ladder of light, step by step, into its own infinite nature.

The primary meaning of the judgement tarot card is that no one judges you nor can, as you are your only judge. Truth is you are Divinely given freedom to choose your own identity. Stop trying to be "accepted" in a world of divisionism and misogynistic falsehood. You are the Solar Being who enlivens a planet. Besides, your creation and animation of the human body has already proven you to be "worthy" of the Divine "I Am", you are the Rauch Elohim on Earth.

+Questions? Just ask Eli's Thoth Tarot Guide!)

When the Key 20-Judgement card is thrown in a divination, it implies:

• Birth.
• Renewal.
• Awakening.
• Realization of utopia.
• Cosmic renewal.
• Birth of the new.
• Recognition of the great correlations.
• Expanded perception and liberation of previous concealed abilities.
• The quality of transformation.

If reversed:

• False identification.
• Self-delusion.
• Megalomania.

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