Lunara · Tarot Card Meanings · King of Swords

King of Swords Tarot Card Meaning

King of Swords belongs to the suit of Swords — the air suit of the mind, truth and conflict. Upright it speaks of intellectual authority, truth, principled; reversed, of tyranny, cold logic. Below — the original 1911 meaning by A. E. Waite, the card's archetype and its astrological correspondence.

King of Swords tarot card — hand-illustrated Lunara deck
Minor Arcana · SwordsAir

Upright meaning

“Whatsoever arises out of the idea of judgment and all its connexions-power, command, authority, militant intelligence, law, offices of the crown, and so forth”
A. E. WAITE — THE PICTORIAL KEY TO THE TAROT, 1911

Keywords: intellectual authority, truth, principled, analytical, clear judgment.

Reversed meaning

“Cruelty, perversity, barbarity, perfidy, evil intention”
A. E. WAITE — THE PICTORIAL KEY TO THE TAROT, 1911

Keywords: tyranny, cold logic, abuse of power.

The archetype

In the language of the thinking function (discrimination, conflict and truth — the air of the mind): the directing mastery (King) — ordering, the governing psyche.

Astrology

The airy aspect of Air; court of the air triplicity (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius).

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