I was pondering the trifecta today of the Wheel Of Fortune, Justice and Hanged Man cards with a friend. These three cards are found in the middle of Life Lessons Tarot (aka the Major Arcana), the dead-set heavyweight players of the Tarot deck.

We were discussing the ramifications of a big move she made after much consideration to another town when she had Justice as her Tarot-card-of-the-year i.e. Now in her Hanged Man year she’s waiting around trying to get a job and regretting moving at all.

It suddenly struck me how Justice represents the mid-life crisis. Those crazy left-of-field decisions you make in middle age that make perfect sense at the time but in retrospect cause you to wonder, ‘What the #%! was I thinking?’

Justice is right smack bang in the middle of Life Lessons Tarot so it kinda makes sense. Although it would probably be paired with The Tower if you were experiencing a full-blown mid-life crisis.

Justice: The scales in the woman’s hand gives the big clue to this card. Justice is about weighing things up, working out what’s important to you. Making big decisions about your life. But with this card it’s not easy to make up your mind. Reminds me of that great old song by the Clash, ‘Should I stay or should I go now?’

The Tower: Radical change. Pulling down the mask you’ve been wearing for the world and revealing the inner you. Unable to pretend any longer. I think the picture sums up the mid-life crisis well because when marriages break up as a result people are thrown out of their homes.

Have you or someone close to you ever been through a mid-life crisis?