8. The Balance and the Sword. The handwriting which appeared on the wall in Babylon is fabled. Daniel interpreted the writing telling the pagan king that his kingdom was weighed in the balance and found lacking. This card assures both nations and men that when greed, avarice, and evil reach a certain level—which impartial, "blind" justice, symbolized here by the blindfolded holder of the scales, will determine—then judgment (symbolized by the sword) is the inevitable result. Rome was destroyed, Babylon was destroyed, as was Persia.

The symbolism here is that of the sanctuary of the Israelites and its precursors in Egypt. The semi-circle over the head of the blindfolded weigher symbolizes the shekinah, the glory of God. He is the the one who weighs the heart and the motives, He alone knows the extent of any one man’s evil. The cherubim with covering wings are a reminder that God will allow angels and his intelligent creation to review His decisions. They were not created to be kept in the dark, the goons of a Heavenly dictator.

The blindfolded weigher carries a message similar to the law encased in the Ark of the Covenant. That law, the Ten Commandments, —such as "Thou shalt not steal" — applies to all humankind, impartially. That law applies to rich and poor. The sword is a reminder that the consequences of breaking the law will bring a sure train of wrath to whoever transgresses them, no matter what their pedigree, education or level of power.

Sometimes those who think they are spiritually elite think that the law of God applies only to lesser mortals. These proud elite can be Baptists, Buddhists, New Age devotees, Agnostics, born-again Christians or humanists, it matters not.

Beware!