Court Cards: The Royal Families of the Tarot Welcome to the Royal family! These cards create the voices and personas of each of the suits in the Minor arcana. They are the ‘humans’ of the Tarot. Like humans, they are ever evolving and changing from reading to reading. They evolve with us as we build our relationships with them. Let’s break down a few ways to interpret them. These ways include: People around us Internal archetypes Elemental The Kings: Authority All kings are ruled by the element of Air. Kings rule over our ego and intellect. They help us see the reasoning behind certain situations and bring sound judgment and logic to the table. The Kings represent the wise masculine energy that has matured over time and demands respect from all. When a King appears, he is very commanding and can be very authoritative. They know how to dish out tough love. The Kings mean well though. They endeavor to bring us more order and control into our lives. The King of Pentacles is the smart and grounded business man whom has found great material success and stability in the world. He generously offers his wisdom. The King of Cups knows how to guide us through our watery emotions and relationships with a more balanced and logical approach. Sometimes, it may not be what we want to hear, but need to. The King of Swords has mastered the potential of his intellect and has conquered his ego. He reminds us to be the masters of our own minds and thoughts. His messages are powerful. The King of Wands is courageous and active warrior king. He inspires us by his determination and love of life to manifest our desires. The Queens: Mother The Queens represent the element of Water. Queens let themselves be guided by their ever evolving intuition and emotions. They bring balance to the logical King. They give us loving and nurturing advice and a soothing shoulder to cry on. Queens are the feminine Yin energy and the matriarch of the throne. They rule with grace and poise. But do not let that fool you into thinking they are weak. When the waters are stirred up, you best not be in a Queen’s path. Queens wish us to use our intuition and listen to our bodies more. Nurturing is so important for the human experience. The Queen of Pentacles is the grounded Earth mother and sage healer. You can find her in her garden if you need her with a remedy always nearby. She reminds us to protect our boundaries emotionally and physically. The Queen of Cups ebbs and flows like a beautiful dance with the moon. She provides us a safe container to release our emotions and wants us to reconnect with the Divine feminine within us. The Queen of Swords is guided by the bigger picture. She helps us to see past our tunnel vision thoughts and brings us clarity and peace of mind. The Queen of Wands embodies sensuality and is not afraid of her fiery side. She helps us to find our passions and sparks the creative flow within. The Knights: Action The knights are fun, but reckless. They are the dashing exuberance of maturing youth, still learning their boundaries, but thinking they are invincible. They are old enough to know the consequences, and still daring enough to live life on the edge. They are the dreamy bad boys we have all encountered before. It’s no surprise then that they are ruled by the element of Fire. They are passionate, bold, moody, arrogant, and hot tempered. But they stimulate us to live. Take a stand for something. To fight for what we believe in. To make a move and be transformed by it. Knights are here to serve us, woo us, and help us conquer our own battles. The Knight of Pentacles pushes us to make bold choices in our careers and finances. He wants to bring out the entrepreneur within us. To love what we do and do what we love. The Knight of Cups will sweep us off our feet and bring out the romantic within us. He wishes to open our hearts in the name of love. Take a chance in love. All’s fair in love and war, right? The Knight of Swords is here to help us slash through our sabotaging beliefs and conquer the battle of the ego. He reminds us to stay sharp so we do not give in. The Knight of Wands explores the balance of our primal nature and spiritual essence. Are we a spiritual being living a human experience, or a human being striving for a spiritual existence? Which do you choose? The Pages: Messengers The Pages are the starry-eyed soul students of the court. They have a child-like innocence and sense of wonder about them. They are in awe of the magical universe we live in and we are enchanted by their enthusiasm. Because they are receptive messengers, they are made of the element of Earth. They are heralds of universal tidings and lessons. Their messages bring us back to our youthful magic and inner child. Do not underestimate the Pages’ power. There is so much wisdom to learn from them. The Medicine Woman deck shows the Page as an apprentice – and it is such a perfect word for them. They are the apprentice in whatever realm they are studying in – soaking up knowledge and wisdom. Their thirst is unquenchable. The Page of Pentacles is the student of the material world. He reaches out to us through domestic and financial issues we must learn from. He brings a message of universal manifestation – something abundant is heading your way when he arrives. The Page of Cups offers tidings of new love, or new levels in a relationship. New emotional pathways are opening to you and he wants you to walk in. The Page of Swords gives us an “Ah ha!” moment – striking clarity is being brought into a situation that you have been overthinking and struggling with. It is time to be decisive. The Page of Wands is your muse whispering to you the creative and spiritual inspirations you have been yearning for. Dive in with awe and absorb everything. The People in Your Court Because the court cards represent the human essence of the Tarot deck, strong voices and personalities will emerge in readings. Do these voices sound familiar to you, like someone you actually know? You probably do know them in your life. These cards can be seen as real people in your life who are actively affecting the situation you are asking about in your reading. These people can be seen as authoritative figures (Kings), nurturing healers/teachers (Queens), activists or instigators (Knights), and students or messengers (Pages) here to guide you down your path. These people can be from your past, present, or will be in your future. Typically reversed royal cards mean this person has passed on or you will soon meet them. Pentacles King: Who dictates your material world? Who controls your finances and domestic issues? Queen: Who is helping you with the ways of health? Who is the nurturer in your life? Knight: Who collaborates with you on projects? Who helps you strategize your material world? Page: Who helps you hone your skills in your trade? Who offers a practical perspective? Cups King: Who rules your heart? Who has power over your emotions? Queen: Who can nourish and support you emotionally? Who can guide you through turbulent times? Who speaks to your intuition? Knight: Who brings out the romantic in you? Who helps you ride the waves of your emotions and passions? Page: Who brings you soothing energy and wise words every time you need it? Swords King: Who do you let dictate your thoughts and patterns? Queen: Who helps to remind you that positive thoughts and communication is essential? Knight: Who challenges your beliefs and makes you think in different ways? Page: Who keeps your thoughts in perspective and keeps you on your toes so you can prepare for challenges? Wands King: Who rules your inner, creative world? Queen: Who guides you spiritually? Creatively? Who guides you in your tribe/community? Knight: Who ignites your passions? Who motivates and encourages you to take action? Page: Who is the life of the party in your life? Who brings the life into your creations? Internal Archetypes Court cards also remind us we have ever evolving personalities and archetypes within us to tap into. These cards can be showing us the archetype we are growing into in this phase of our life, or the ones we need to tap into more. Pentacles King: How must you take over your finances of domestic issues? Queen: What do you need to do to heal your body? What does your Inner Healer like to use as medicine? Knight: What can you actively do right now to impact your finances/career/home/environment in a positive way? Page: How can you learn more about your trade? What can you do to discipline yourself in your craft? Cups King: What can you do to empower yourself in relationships? Queen: What must you do to balance your emotions? Will you listen to your intuition more? Who is your inner High Priestess? Knight: How will you keep your heart open to love? How will you seek healthy relationships? Page: Who is your inner romantic? How do you practice self- love? Swords King: Who is in control of your thoughts? Ego or Higher Self? Fear or love? Queen: Who is your Higher Self? What is her message to you? Knight: What is your ego trying to hold on to? How can you let this go? Page: How do you keep your inner soul student stimulated? How can you communicate the voice of your authentic self? Wands King: How do you manifest your desires? Who is your inner warrior? Queen: Who is the fiery sensual Goddess within you? How do you let her shine? Knight: How do you ignite your inner flame? What keeps you motivated? Page: How do you communicate with your inner muse? How do you communicate your passions to your community? Elemental Personalities As each suit is ruled by an element, so is each court card.