Ah, judgement.

We’re all guilty of it, aren’t we?

No surprise then that it turns out to be an important card in Tarot.

A significant milestone in the journey to a joyful life.

You can see this in its position in Life Lessons Tarot (aka the Major Arcana)…

Judgement is the second last card on the Life Lessons journey. You have to nail this experience before you reach nirvana in The World.

Back when I was more of a Judgy McJudgson, I used to hate it when this card showed up in a spread. Yes, I know, I gossip a bit too much. Oh, the shame! Then I realised that the ultimate judgement is compassion – to see all and yet continue to send out good vibes – and I fell in love with it.

And now I’ve had a new thought.

What if an even higher expression of this card is gratitude?

Look at the image. The people in the picture are raising their hands to the heavens with their palms open, as if eager to receive the message the angel is trumpeting. A classic physical expression of appreciation.

What if we’re meant to be more than caring? What if we’re meant to be glad that difficult people have entered our life? What if we’re meant to look for the gain in the most challenging situations we face? Maybe that’s why new agers harp on about gratitude sooooooooo much.

Apparently the four A’s of gratitude – who comes up with this stuff? – are attention, acknowledgement, appreciation and action. And Judgement is very much a card of action. The image is full of people. We’re called to give to others here after becoming whole ourselves in The Sun.

Now, I’m not saying it’s easy to feel gratitude for everything. Certainly not for those peeps who drive us bananas at work or play loud music next door. Or for the high mortgage repayments we’re stuck with. I’m just saying that Tarot promotes this practice. That it suggests shifting into a more grateful space will have a positive impact on how we feel overall.

Do you practise an attitude of gratitude in your daily life?