Tarot 101: The Court Cards
The court cards in the tarot deck hold worlds of possibilities. This court of Page, Knight, Queen, and King can signify a myriad of things in a tarot reading. Today, I’d like to share with you three ways that I read the court cards. I’m sure there are many more ways, but this is a good place to start if you’re interested in learning how to read the court cards.
Disclaimer: What I’m sharing with you here is a work in progress. I’m very much in a Page moment when it comes to codifying the ways I like to read the court cards. That means- I’m just beginning to express these ideas. Therefore, I may change my mind later and I’ll certainly add more depth to these ideas at some point. I’d love to hear your thoughts on how to read the court cards. Please do share me with me! We’re all able to learn together.
Ok, that disclaimer being made, let me share three ideas I have for reading the court cards in the tarot!
Idea #1: Read them as people in your life
This seems obvious, right!? The court cards have people on them, so they can easily signify people who are in your life.
Here are some examples of how this might work:
Page: A young person, perhaps a child or teenager, but anyone younger than you. Someone who is learning, just starting out, or new to you and therefore your relationship is unknown. If you have children, this could represent your child.
Knight: A bit of a wild card person, with a fun, daring energy. Someone who sweeps in to bring change, helps you act spontaneously, or pushes you along a your path. These are often people your own age or friends and colleagues.
Queen: A stabilizing, feminine or yin presence. Someone who is emotionally mature, has a strong inner character, and works behind the scenes to nurture, care for, and make your life easier. They are often a mentor or mother figure.
King: A wise elder with an outward-focused, masculine presence. Someone who can lead, take charge, guide, and get things done in the material world. They are often a boss or a father figure.
Idea #2: Read them as aspects of yourself
You can read court card as a way of understanding some part of yourself. There will naturally be some court cards that you feel represent you very well, but any court card can be related to you depending upon what aspect or season of your life the reading is about. Each court card is different aspect of your full personality.
Here are some examples of how this might work:
Page: You are being childish or immature. It could be that you are beginner and are just starting to learn something. It’s time for you to have a growth mindset or beginner mindset and assimilate new information related to the suit of the card. The Page could also be telling you that it is time to grow up and stop acting like a child.
Knight: You are being hasty or slapdash in your activities. Perhaps you are naturally a fly by the seat of your pants type of person, or you could just be in a situation where you are acting off the cuff and are a bit all over the place. The Knight comes up when you feel like stepping out and having fun, acting irrationally, or wanting to try a new way of doing something.
Queen: You are looking inward and consolidating your inner wisdom. This is a time when you’re doing what resonates with your heart and using your intuition to make informed choices for yourself. You may also feel like a nurturer or caregiver for those around you. The Queen possesses emotional intelligence, self-awareness and a sense of calm. But she is also capable, strong, and empowered to be her full, confident self. She can help others develop this inner confidence as well.
King: You are looking outward and seeing how you can affect the world. It’s your time to lead, to make decisions for the group, to practice the wisdom of your experience. You can now excel at practical steps, getting things done, and making things happen. The King is in control, out in the world, and making himself known. He can help others through teaching and demonstrating.
Idea #3: Read them as timing, how far along you are with something
This idea goes along with the court cards being aspects of yourself, but takes it to a more abstract level. Instead of focusing on how you are acting as the typical court card description, let’s take it to a place of personal evolution. This idea of timing/growth also works for how far along you are with a project or goal. This can give you a sense of how much work you have left to do.
Here are some examples of how this might work:
Page: You, your project, or your goal are just getting started. Consider this a good time to start something or a reminder that you have just started something and are therefore at the beginning. Take on a beginner mindset to learn and grow here and you’ll make a good foundation to take yourself to the next step. This is a time for research, education, training and asking questions.
Knight: You, your project, or your goal is in that messy in-between stage. You don’t have a good grasp of your process or how you’re progressing, but you’re definitely learning, taking action, and trying to grow. It could be that the actions you are taking are not leading you forward, but remember that even wrong turns can teach you something. Try to stay focused and make sense out of all the new information you are gathering in your quest. The outcomes aren’t clear, but you’re trying!
Queen: You, your project, or your goal are reaching inner assimilation. The lessons you are learning are sinking into your subconscious and integrating into your awareness. Things are starting to make sense on an inner level, click into place, and resonate with your inner knowing. This is the time to start consolidating your findings and making sense of disparate pieces. Your wisdom is increasing along with your knowledge. You’re really starting to “get it”.
King: You, your project, or your goal have come to a culmination. You are becoming a master of your domain, able to express your knowledge and teach it to others. You have a clear picture of what you set out to achieve, the road that you took, and the outcome you have reached. This is a time to notice and celebrate your achievements, solidify them in your being, and share them with others. Don’t forget to reflect on how you got here so you can use the process again with your future endeavors.
This blog post feels more like a list of notes I took from my mental inventory of court card ideas than a fully formed blog post. But oh well, it is what it is! I hope it gave you something to think about and helps you to read the court cards if you draw one in a reading yourself. Do remember to give me any insights you have on reading the court cards. I’m always interested in other people’s perspectives on how to read the tarot!