Follow the Song
Embracin the unknown with Judgement
“Take the leap of faith and build your wings on the way down.”
– Ray Bradbury
Many people new to Tarot or who have never received a reading before often sit before me, anxiously awaiting to hear what ‘the future’ holds. Will I get the job? When will I meet Mr. or Ms. Right? Can I expect to have a baby soon? Am I going to become a gazillionaire? But more often than not, I get an anxious, “You’re not going to tell me I’m going to die, are you?” I always (jokingly, of course) respond with, “Yes! We all will die someday!”—which usually lightens the mood. What I love most about these interactions is the emotional contrast we experience. In one moment, we can go from anxiety to joy in just seconds.
Tarot is full of these contrasts: life and death, light and dark, male and female, structured and loose, pragmatism and intuition, beginnings and endings—the list seems endless. However, one pairing that often gets overlooked during readings is hope and fear. This duo can evoke a heavy emotional response in a Seeker. While Tarot is meant to provide guidance, direction, and clarity, it can sometimes do the opposite, eliciting a profound sense of uncertainty and conflict. The interplay between hope and fear can challenge our perceptions and reveal deeper truths, making it both a useful and daunting aspect of the Tarot experience.
XX. Judgemenet. Clockwise from top left: Tarot for All Ages, Golden Tarot, Fyodor Pavlov Tarot, The Carnival at the End of the World Tarot, Erenberg Tarot.
Card 20, Judgement, highlights the contrasts and balances between hope and fear, all contained within one image. In the traditional RWS depiction, a man, a woman, and a child hold their arms upward toward an archangel who blows his horn, as if awakening this family from sleep. The scene captures the dual nature of Judgement, encompassing both the promise of renewal and the apprehension of transformation.
When this card appears in a reading, I often liken it to hearing a wonderful song or the distant sounds of a party. Our ears perk up, and we feel a strong urge to follow it, like a sense of intense "FOMO." However, the music or joy might be coming from a place we've been hesitant to explore. This can lead us to play a game of "what-ifs," delaying our chance to fully embrace the experience and enjoy ourselves. And therein lies the contrast.
Judgement created with the help of artificial intelligence.
Judgement calls on us to let go of what we know and feel comfortable with, opting instead to “rise up” and follow the alluring yet intimidating sound. Fear, in this sense, is natural and quite easy to sit in compared to taking the leap. We should challenge ourselves to embrace the transitions and discomforts, hoping that through it all, we end up on the other side, enjoying the party (and music) with those who have also dared to follow their calling.
We may not know what song is playing, what drinks are being served, or even what the dress code is, but we will be much more in tune with our future selves if we simply say “What the hell” and follow the archangel’s music.
Take a spin through a mini-playlist inspired by Judgement—tunes to follow for release, rejuvenation, and transition.
Listen HERE