The Call to Self Love

Judgment (also called Rebirth or Call) is the next to last card of the Major Arcana in the tarot, and it brings a message of self love. It represents the clearing and healing that happens when one cycle is ending and another is beginning. You are being beckoned by your Highest Self to be authentic, creative, compassionate, and more of you. Your creative soul is ready to show up in a bigger way and be expressed through your unique gifts and talents. You’re being asked to make room for this, and self love is the key.

You feel the call of Judgment as an inner stirring or restlessness. A mild discomfort may be nagging you as you dream about new ways to express yourself. You wonder what your purpose and gifts are. If this disturbance is ignored, it grows into a deep ache for something more in your life. If things get put off for a long while, the call to emerge may turn into a push that forces you to transition in a hurry. Whatever is coming up, you can trust it's happening in the perfect way and perfect time for you. Your job is to stay aware and be a witness to your own blossoming.

"And the day came when the risk it took to stay tight in the bud was greater than the risk it took to blossom." - Anaïs Nin

Judgment brings about healing of some kind. It requires taking an inventory of your life, looking honestly at what's working and what's not. It's time to examiine your wounds and embrace every aspect of yourself. It can feel like a lot if you approach it from the perspective of “I’m broken and need to fix all these damaged parts", but that’s not what you’re being asked to do.

Judgment is simply asking for honesty and self love. When we embrace the aspects of ourselves that we have been pushing away and resisting, tremendous healing occurs, and we emerge into a new life.

What does this mean in terms of your day-to-day? It may mean you’re feeling discomfort, but fighting against it isn’t the answer. The guidance from Judgment is to take inventory, and look at everything with wide-open eyes and a wide-open heart. The area where you’re feeling the most discomfort is the area to look at first.

It’s easy to find out where these shadows are. All you have to do is ask yourself, “What is my judgment of this situation?” Do you judge a person “like that” to be stupid, selfish, or irresponsible?

You can also ask yourself: “How does this make me feel?” You’ll discover that you have been your own condemning judge, and becoming conscious of these patterns is the door to freedom. If you’ve been resisting being a “stupid” person, that is your shadow and your job is to love and forgive the “stupid” part of you.

This is what shadow work is all about, and there are many resources available to help you with this process. Check out any of the books by Debbie Ford for starters, or find a life coach for support. One of my favorite tools is a compassion modality I use in my Soul Alchemy Sessions to clear old wounds. It connects you with your Highest Self, and shifts you out of judgment very quickly. It’s creative, empowering, and healing all at the same time. This journey is worth every ounce of effort because it’s leading you to freedom.

Ultimately, the Judgment card is about freedom from all those inner judgments that drain away your ability to authentically express you soul. What is Judgment asking you to take a look at? It may be uncomfortable in the moment, but it’s a sign that something pretty amazing is in the works. When the Judgment card shows up, it's time for a transition from self-judgment into self love so you can blossom and release the amazing you that has been bottled up inside. xo

Call card from The Good Tarot by Colette Baron-Reid