I’ve written interpretations for every card in the Wild Unknown Tarot. As the box of the deck states, there are no rights or wrongs. These are simply my perspectives on the tarot card meanings. I hope you find them useful!
Click here for a directory of all posts in my Wild Unknown series.
Deck Creator’s Keywords: rebirth, forgiveness, awakening
Carrie’s Keywords: calling, rebirth, absolution
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Judgement Tarot Card Meanings in the Wild Unknown
A white bird, possibly a dove, draws attention from the upper portion of the card. Rays of light surround his outstretched wings. He has a serene, welcoming, all-encompassing energy. The bird looks like a spiritual force, perhaps an angel or other guide.
A flock of small black bats rises to meet the open-winged embrace of the white bird. The card is entirely black and white, making use of the contrast of light above and dark below.
The closer we get to the bottom of the card, the more the bats blend into the darkness. The bats have been slumbering, entrenched in darkness below, waiting for something to inspire them to emerge into the light. The bats are now ready to awaken, be more fully alive, to respond to a higher calling.
The angelic bird welcomes the bats without discernment. He seems to say “Come on up. I welcome everyone. Your past mistakes are in the past. You are forgiven. You can begin again. You can choose to soar into the light, and I will embrace you.”
And the bats are responding “YES! I’m ready and here I come.”
The Judgement card shows you that it is always possible for you to embrace new energies, to shed old skins and step into more aligned ways of being. This card is often associated with feeling a calling – just as the bats feel the call of the bird above, you may feel called towards something.
Finding the power within you to say YES when feel such a calling is a potent landmark of your spiritual journey. This card reminds you that you are not bound by your past. You can shed old skins, you can be reborn time and time again. You can be forgiven and most importantly you can forgive yourself.
By doing this, you awaken powerful forces both within you and in the universe as a whole. Judgement reminds you that when you listen to the whispers of the universe, and when you act upon your highest callings, you experience the full exhaltation of life.
Judgement Tarot Card Meanings in General
The Judgement card often contains a lot of biblical energy. An angel trumpets from above, raising the dead from their slumbers. As such, one connotation of this card is the concept of spiritual forgiveness and absolution of sin. When you are weighed down by your past, it is difficult to rise up to meet your future. Thus, Judgement gives you the gift of a clean slate, washing away what was so that you can embrace what is and what will be.
Many decks (including the Wild Unknown and my deck pictured above, The Spacious Tarot) have moved towards a more holistic way of showing these concepts instead of relying so heavily on Christian imagery. In the Spacious Tarot, you’re beckoned into a portal, a new way of being. In other decks this card has been depicted showing a phoenix, alluding to the way that you can metaphorically die and be reborn from the ashes.
Metaphoric rebirth is always available to you, infinite times, even in this one lifetime. Who You Are is always evolving, morphing, shifting. This card asks you to step fully into that dance, to be willing to devote entirely to your endless becoming.
In a reading
When you see the Judgement card, you may be feeling “called” towards one thing or another. Now is a powerful time to listen to your inner voice, to tune into the messages of the Universe. Let your ego quiet and align yourself with the murmurs of your deeper self. This is how you can more clearly hear what is “calling” you.
Your story going forward does not have to be marred by the story of your past. Now is an excellent time to energetically cleanse what is no longer serving you, to forgive yourself and to believe in all that is possible. The most effective way to find fulfillment is to constantly awaken to your callings, to embrace completely what gives your life purpose.
Hi, I'm Carrie!
I'm a tarot reader and mentor. My purpose is to encourage your expansion. If you're new, start here.
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Thank you for this! I keep getting this card on all my readings. It even falls out of the deck occasionally! As someone with more experience, what do you make of this?
Somehow I missed this comment until just now! I would say above all else, trust your intuition about what message this card has for you. I often see Judgement as a powerful sign to follow your calling – to awaken to what gives your life purpose and meaning.
Well…there’s some spirit for thought. I pulled this card today after asking what shadows in my life I need to cast more light upon. As I have worked through embracing all aspects of myself, I have begun to feel lighter in spirit and in body. I daresay I’ve even noticed my face (or my eyes at least) looking different. Less harsh, more glowing. I’ve also been doing a lot of searching a listening in regard to what I am called to do. I’m getting comfortable with the not knowing, both about the path ahead and what particular gifts I can offer to the world. And given the liminal time of year we’re in, it seems this card is a message that says, “Go inward, become still, and listen.” In other words, I need to do more of this than I have been.
This particular paragraph really resonated with me: “The closer we get to the bottom of the card, the more the bats blend into the darkness. The bats have been slumbering, entrenched in darkness below, waiting for something to inspire them to emerge into the light. The bats are now ready to awaken, be more fully alive, to respond to a higher calling.” It’s as if asking which of my shadows need illuminating this card is saying I have more of myself to embrace and in doing so I could reveal gifts I hadn’t known of before.
I love my Wild Unknown deck. Your interpretation of Judgement – which I pulled this morning – really expanded my understanding and opened up possibilities. Always exciting! Thank you. I’m looking forward to your other shared insights.