JUSTITIA

Sketch out for The Sword of Themis

Lady Justice is an iconic symbol that is found all over the world at this time.  One version or another of this symbol is found somewhere around most courthouses and many legal firms.  This modern version actually has its roots thousands of years in the past in ancient civilizations of Egypt, Greece, and Rome.

The modern version of Lady Justice is often shown holding a balance scale in one hand and a sword in the other.  Often she is wearing a blindfold.  The blindfold represents fair deliberation without the influence of wealth, gender, politics, or the mood of the moment.  The scales represent the ability to weigh all of the information presented in a fair manner.  The sword is double edged and can cut both ways.  It represents authority and power.  It is finality.  It is the moral imperative to protect the innocent.

When we dig a little deeper, Lady Justice is patterned after the Roman goddess Justitia, The goddess of justice and morality.  In many ways, Justice is the Roman equivalent of the Greek goddess Dike or the Greek goddess Themis.

So we trace the symbol back to the ancient Greeks.  According to Greek mythology, Themis was a Titan that was married to Zeus.  She is the goddess of divine law, order, and traditional rules of conduct.  She symbolizes prophecy and the voice of the natural order.  Sometimes she is equated with Gaia and natural law and ethical conduct.  She is a Greek teacher of the divine laws of equity, justice, morality, and good governance.  She was the fierce protector of the innocent.

We can now trace this symbol back further yet into the ancient Egyptian civilization and the goddess Ma'at.  Ma'at is often seen as a winged woman with a feather in artwork that dates to before 2100 BCE.  She was the goddess of truth, justice, harmony, and balance.  The Egyptians believed that she weighed the human heart against her feather of justice.  If the heart was as light as the feather, the person was accepted into the afterlife.  She was the teacher and the symbol of the principles that govern the order of the universe.  Those who lived by morality, justice, and harmony were welcomed into her presence.  She expected humans to live a life that honored others and the natural world, respect life, and nurture the natural world.  She too was believed to be fierce in the protecting of the innocent.

So when we trace the roots of Lady Justice, we find a rich symbolism of how to live life and structure society.  All versions of this symbol through ancient history instructs us to live according to the universal laws of justice, fairness, equity, order, and harmony.  We are to live our lives based on truth, respect, and caring for others.  We should stay in harmony with the natural world and nurturing the environment and the life around us.

All three of these goddesses that are the base of Lady Justice are symbols and teachers of a universal code of conduct that forms the basis of truly civilized societies.  These principles are also embodied by other manifestations of the divine feminine from Kali to the White Buffalo Calf Woman.  Behave honorably with respect for others.  Do not take that which is not yours by either trickery or force.  Respect, honor, and nurture the natural world, ecosystems, and the life around you.  Live in gratitude and joy.   Spread that joy by caring for those around you.  Practice good and equitable governance.  Demand justice, equity, and respect in all interactions, structures, and systems.


Sources used for this article:
greekmythology.com
theo.com
kenelexperience.com
egyptianmuseum.org
bordaslaw.com
​heatherandlittle.com