(2008) 5 1/2" x 10 1/2" Pencil on Paper. Processed and framed in Photoshop.

Okay, so I just had to jump the gun with this one. Once the hi-res shot of Lucius in Azkaban started to appear on the web, I just knew he had to be my "Judgment". Not only is it just such a thrill to see our favorite arrogent bastard brought so low - bandaged up with scrapes and bruises, and in a neck-brace from Sirius' spirited upper cut no doubt... I also felt the card had a lot more meaning this way than my previous idea to draw the wizengamot in session.

Plus I wanted to participate in the "Villains" contest that is holding over at her site.

Judgment traditionally shows the archangel Gabriel blowing a trumpet from the sky, and below a family rises from their graves to face god’s final judgment at the end of all time – good old catholic resurrection of the flesh etc.

Crowley wanted nothing to do with it, renamed the card "The Aeon" and gave it an Egyptian spin signifying the end of the age of Osiris and the beginning of the Age of Horus (what inveterate new-agers call "The Age of Aquarius" and which isn’t nearly as fabulous and spiritual so far as it had been cracked up to be, instead it’s all old human superstition, greed and madness all over again, and maybe even worse!)

So I wanted to go back to Judgment, but take the idea out of it that it’s an external event, like the angels coming from the sky and sticking you into heaven or hell depending on some outward code of behavior you managed to keep up or not. To me you are judged every minute of every day by what you believe, and by what you do, judgment is continuous, and it is yourself and your actions that condemn you or absolve you.

As a card I usually interpret judgment to show that you’re being called on your actions and behavior. If you can live with yourself and what you did, the card is nothing to fear. Perhaps it means you have a chance to justify yourself before others, or that there is a decision point in the future where you have to exercise good judgment. On the other hand, if you have behaved in ways that are contrary to who you are, or if you have hurt others through your actions, this card will show you retribution in some way – perhaps you are asked to redress past wrongs, or to deal with your remorse constructively. Perhaps your bad karma will catch up with you…

Lucius is judged several times in the books, and he has so many faces that he’s hard to pin down. He is an upstanding member of society, gives to charity and serves on the board of governors at Hogwarts. Everyone judges him to be rich, noble and influential, and he even possesses the ear of the Minister of Magic. He himself judges all of that to be just a mask, and underneath it all he really is a Death Eater through and through.

Then he is judged twice: by the society he betrayed and who throws him in prison, and by his master who takes what he has, mocks him and finally finds him expendable. Every identity he’s had is rendered hollow and meaningless and has been cast aside as false. Those are all outward judgments.

And so Lucius develops a third identity, one that is built on who he is, one that is free from outside labels. He learns slowly, but in the end he has his priorities and his behaviors straight, and that is to get himself and those he cares about alive through this whole mess that he’s started, to save his son. He judges himself by this behavior, and at the end of DH there is no more external judgment for him – his master is dead and the other wizards and witches leave him and his family alone. No one interferes.

Interestingly I looked up the two runes he has on the table on his mugshot – they are Othala (O: Ancestral property.) "Inherited property or possessions, a house, a home. What is truly important to one and fundamental values" and Ansuz (A: Ancestral god, i.e. Odin) "A revealing message or insight, communication. Signals, inspiration, speech, true vision, power of words and naming" and I liked both for the interpretation of the card, because in order to be judged well you need to be in touch with your true will and you have to have your priorities straight.

In "Judgment" Lucius has just now begun his journey of painful learning that shows him his false labels like pureblood, influential politician, Death Eater until he names himself right as a loving father. The same with his priorities: he has to discard power, wealth, ambition, control and social position and get to what really matters – his family and his son.