#tarot interpretation

Benefica’s series on the Court Cards is now complete. There are five posts total, intended to familiarize you with her approach to interpreting these cards. Feel free to ask us if you have any questions. Below is a list of posts in the series.

Introduction

The Pages

The Knights

The Queens

The Kings

Thank you all for reading. We hope this series can help you gain new insights into the interpretation of the Court Cards. If you enjoyed this series, you might like to check out some of our other series. We plan to start our series on talismans and other magical objects soon. Until then, you can also keep an eye on our standalone posts if you’re interested.

-Admin

Hello, all! Welcome to the fourth post in my series on interpreting the court cards of the Tarot.

The Queens of the tarot take us back from the practical to the esoteric. Pages and knights encounter subjects in theory and in practice, but the Queens deal with meaning. They represent a stage of deeper understanding in which we begin to synthesize what we are learning into something with internal consistency. I tend to interpret the Queens as a phase of learning that begins when a subject first starts to gel, and, like the practices represented by the Knight cards, might not necessarily ever end.

I don’t draw a hierarchical distinction between Queens and Kings.The Pages definitely precede the Knights as beginner and intermediate. But after that, phases of learning tend not to be linear. I find it more useful to treat Queens and Kings as different ways of engaging with a subject. Whether one represents a higher stage of mastery than the other depends on the subject and the perspective of the querent. Instead of the beginner/intermediate progression, the Queens and Kings represent mastery of meaning versus mastery over form. In this way, I often associate Queens with teaching, with theory, and with a deep amateur love of a subject. Unfortunately, these ways of approaching knowledge are often devalued, especially as they are not usually geared towards professional development in a given area. For this reason, it is quite common for querents to have a significant amount of anxiety surrounding Queen material. But the Queens teach us the emotionally satisfying dimensions of their subject areas; they teach us the love of learning for its own sake

It is important, then, to emphasize that the Queen-King relationship is not a progression from intermediate to advanced, but a polarity. In subjects or disciplines which emphasize form, one might achieve a “King” stage of mastery well before gaining the deep understanding of the Queens. A musician with bravura technique (King) may have underdeveloped musicality (Queen). Someone who reads voraciously about the history of fencing but rarely gets a chance to (or doesn’t care to) pick up a foil and practice has developed a Queen-type understanding of a subject in favor of a King-type mastery. Theoretically, if one has achieved absolute mastery over a subject, one would have equally strong skill sets in both. Practically speaking, true expertise requires mastery over both modes; for most subjects, this will mean that everyone spends significant time going back and forth between the two.

Queen of Wands

The Queen of Wands is the card of the skilled amateur, the person for whom love of a subject outweighs any practical benefits they may gain from it. Although people can and do engage professionally in areas where this card applies, it is far more likely to be a “labor of love” or a sideline done mostly for the fun of it. I find that this card comes up especially often with amateur artists. Emotionally speaking, the Queen of Wands represents a healthy engagement with our passions; in readings that center on emotional growth, the upright Queen of Wands rarely carries with her the connotations of recklessness or immoderation that can sometimes come with the Knight of Wands. Rather, she represents an avenue of expression that channels the fire of the Wands in a way that is tempered by the Queen’s maturity and wisdom. Hypothetical Queen of Wands situations might be: The querent’s novel is starting to gel; the querent is (or needs to go back to) engaging with an area of creative fulfillment; the querent has made great strides in controlling their naturally fiery temper.

Reversed Queen of Wands

In my experience, the reversed Queen of Wands almost always indicates that the querent (or other person represented) has difficulty expressing anger. It can also sometimes refer to a period of depression (as if the fires are banked) or lack of creative fulfillment. However, even when reversed, she still represents a kind of growth. People often find themselves here when they are still learning to express their feelings openly and constructively. Situations to which the reversed Queen of Wands might apply could be: The querent’s novel is stalled with no end in sight; the querent harbors a great deal of resentment and anger, but does not express it for the sake of appearing “nice”; the querent needs to take an emotional break from a stressful situation in order to cultivate their emotional energy.

Queen of Swords

The Queen of Swords is a card of great strength and decisive energy. The Queen of Swords knows who she is and what she wants, and gets it with minimal beating around the bush. The unfocused energy of the Pages and Knights has been transformed into an efficient, direct line of thought. The Queen of Swords embraces order and precision. Although people (particularly women) with a great deal of Queen of Swords energy can appear brusque to others, at its core this energy is merely assertive and direct. It is especially favorable in situations involving negotiations of any kind. The Queen of Swords is also a heavily academic card, representing complete understanding of theory and criticism. Hypothetical Queen of Swords scenarios could be: The querent is editing their novel; the querent has reached a level of maturity marked by straightforward, assertive communication; the querent can understand almost anything in their target language, but still makes mistakes in speaking and writing; the querent is acting as a whistleblower or otherwise using their words in service of a cause.

Queen of Cups

The Queen of Cups is a card of great emotional and spiritual wisdom. She often pops up when the querent is about to start a relationship that is deeply fulfilling; although this is not strictly about learning, I often read these relationships as learning experiences of a sort. The Queen of Cups appears when the querent has or is about to achieve a new level of satisfaction in their lives; the thing they are gaining mastery over is their own happiness and how to cultivate it. I get this card especially often in the readings of those who are quite adept at caring for others, but who habitually neglect their own emotional needs. However, the dimensions of the Queen of Cups extend to spirituality, and to any kind of activity that brings a deep sense of joy and contentment. Situations for which this card might apply are: The querent is about to gain new spiritual understanding; the querent has internally resolved their emotional baggage, but has not yet necessarily effected this in their relationships with others; the querent is about to begin an important relationship, often a love affair; the querent’s depression is reversing.

Reversed Queen of Cups

The Queen of Cups is so naturally giving and nurturing, that even more than the upright card, the reversed Queen often represents a need to focus on self-care. Reversed Queen of Cups can indicate a tendency to overdo self-sacrifice, and to have a difficult time filling one’s own emotional “cup”. The reversed Queen can be a red flag for codependent or otherwise unhealthy emotional patterns. It may also be a card of loneliness and isolation. However, it is not fundamentally a negative iteration of the card. Depending on the context, the Queen of Cups reversed can indicate a need for retreat and solitude in order to cultivate peace and relaxation. Because the emotional content of the cups is already a very interior matter, I have found that the reversed Queen of Cups turns up most often when querents are having a difficult time expressing, or even identifying their feelings. Situations in which the Queen of Cups may show up reversed might be: The querent is depressed or isolated; the querent is considering a spiritual path or other life decision that will lessen their contact with the outside world; the querent is in a relationship that is restrictive or oppressive; the querent needs more time to examine their feelings about a particular matter.

Queen of Coins

The Queen of Coins knows her own worth and revels in it. She represents a kind of mastery over practicalities that frequently manifests itself as a simple feeling of confidence and competence in daily life on the part of the querent. She also comes up often when the querent has a level of practical mastery over a subject (which I would designate as a King-type mastery), but has no desire to develop it evenly across all areas. The paradox of the Queen’s esoteric knowledge combined with the practical Earth nature of the coins means that the Queen’s area of expertise is in the value of things. Look for the Queen of Coins to appear when the querent needs to question or return to their values. She can also come up when a querent is too caught up in the financial risks or rewards associated with a given venture, and needs to return to the subject for the simple love of the thing. I also designate those activities which bring to us a sense of luxury or nobility (for example, tending one’s own garden and deriving a sense of satisfaction and ownership of it) as falling under her jurisdiction. Example situations dealing with the Queen of Coin’s territory might be: the querent has recently retired and is looking for a new activity to pass the time, especially things like gardening or the arts; the querent is beginning to enjoy some material success in life and is navigating new feelings of maturity, responsibility, and self-worth; the querent has an idea to monetize a skill they have mastery over, but is uncertain about whether they want to deal with the professional demands of doing it for money.

Reversed Queen of Coins

If the upright Queen represents value from its most tangible to most abstract, the reversal of this card often shows us when we are cut off or diverging from those values in some way. The reversed Queen can frequently call on the querent to take a step back from the rat race and to cultivate a slower, more relaxed pace in life. This card can come up for querents who, after attempting to make a living at the pursuit of a passion or skill, found that the professional demands associated with monetizing the activity killed their enjoyment of it. This card also comes up often when people feel undervalued or worthless, and can also indicate anxiety about financial matters. However, depending on the context, it can carry with it the positive connotations of having rejected materialistic ways of ascribing value to things. Situations in which the Queen of Coins might appear reversed could be: the querent is feeling disillusioned about a career path; the querent has anxiety surrounding their body image; the querent feels that they have had to sacrifice their values for the sake of making a living; the querent is feeling dysphoria and is not deriving the same kind of pleasure from activities they enjoy as usual.

As you see, the Queens are more complex than the preceding KnightsandPages. However, stages of learning and personal growth are rarely simple or linear, and the many nuanced interpretations of the Queens reflect the cyclic and interior nature of learning. Remember that the Queens teach us about how to approach the understanding of a subject and how to orient ourselves in relation to it.

-Benefica

Hello, all! Welcome to the third in my series on interpreting the court cards of the tarot.  

At the end of my last post, I mentioned that the knights represent my favorite stage of mastery. This is because knights energy represents the very stuff of mastery: practice! The pages have had only theoretical contact with the subject they are embarking on learning or manifesting. The knights are the doing of it. The first time you put down a book and picked up a pair of knitting needles, a fencing foil, or a guitar, you left the page phase and became a knight. In most skills, the knights phase is the longest phase, because in acquiring any sort of mastery, most of the time is spent simply practicing. And truly, mastery never leaves the knights phase behind; the prima ballerina does the same sequence of practice as the corps de ballet, and will continue to do so until she retires. We are knights when we are mastering the nuts and bolts of our crafts. The knights are the most active of the court cards; in most decks, they are depicted on horseback. They represent the longest arc of the learning curve, the period in which we (and our skills) change and grow the most. Knight energy is what we get when our ideas finally start to gain some traction.

Although there is typically a lot of gung-ho, charging energy, I have observed that the knights often pop up when the querent is uncertain about direction. When this is the case, I often find it helpful to pay attention to any cards the horse appears to be moving towards (or away from!) and where the knight’s gaze is directed. Different decks depict the quality of the motion of the knights differently. Is the horse standing? Walking calmly? Running at breakneck speed? Is the knight looking where they are going? Or is their attention wandering elsewhere? This can tell you a lot about the querent’s focus and direction.

The following are some hypothetical examples of the kinds of scenarios I encounter in working with the knights, and how I categorize them. As always, take what is useful, experiment, and trust your intuition. Happy holidays and happy reading!

Knight of Wands

The Knight of Wands is usually a very energetic card, and often turns up in the readings of highly creative people. It is a card of great passion and forward momentum, but more than the other knights, I have found that it can sometimes indicate a lack of focus, although this is more common when the card is reversed than upright. The upright Knight of Wands is a wonderful card for exploration and discovery, and it can often be helpful to remind querents who find themselves in this stage that experimentation can be extremely important, and not at all a waste of time. Scenarios in which the Knight of Wands may appear are: The querent has outlined a novel and started work on a rough draft; the querent has begun to take painting classes and is getting a feel for it; after trying a variety of creative activities, the querent has settled on one or two they want to pursue more seriously.

Reversed Knight of Wands

When the Knight of Wands comes up reversed, it can quite often— but not always!— indicate a lack of direction or focus. This is not necessarily a bad thing, although it is often accompanied by frustration or impatience in people with fiery temperaments. However, as I noted above, progress is not necessarily linear, and the Knight of Wands reversed can represent a very fertile scenario in which the client’s mind is overflowing with creativity, even if it can feel like spinning one’s wheels. Scenarios in which the reversed Knight of Wands can apply could be: The querent is becoming more aware of what makes them happy, and is in a period of emotional growth centered on rediscovering joy in their life; the querent has hit a wall in their novel and is feeling stuck; the querent has begun to do preliminary research into their new idea but is still not sure if it’s strong enough to pursue formally, or is having to consider closely what direction it will take.

Knight of Swords

The Knight of Swords is an excellent card for personal growth, and I quite often find that this card comes up as often in emotional situations as intellectual ones. Recall that the swords, which represent the element of air, are concerned with communication and mental patterns. Although this card can and certainly does apply to academic learning and similar areas of life, it is also frequently a reference to one’s ability to speak with integrity and clarity, to defend one’s boundaries, and to calibrate and restructure thought patterns. The kinds of situations in which the Knight of Swords comes up can include: the querent has begun to stand up for themselves more in their interpersonal communications; the querent is working steadily at an academic subject; the querent’s study of language has reached an intermediate stage.  

Reversed Knight of Swords

The reversed Knight of Swords, in my practice, has overwhelmingly referred to the mental and emotional situations I refer to above. Again, although this is a common interpretation I use, you may find that it occurs less often— use your intuition! When the Knight of Sword is reversed, I find it very helpful to remind the querent that the element of air represents distance in a very literal sense; it can be very helpful to get some distance from the situation at hand, some new perspective. It can refer to the need for the client to put distance between themselves and people or situations that cause stress. It also carries with it the need to regard the topic as analytically as possible, even though emotions can be running high. Situations in which the reversed Knight of Swords can come up might be: The querent has begun to tackle their problematic thought problems and is feeling overwhelmed by how deeply they run; the querent has taken times to reverse their negative self-talk but still has a ways to go.

Knight of Cups

Cups, of course, have to do with spirituality, intuition, and our emotional lives. I often find Knight of Cups people to be highly romantic and ever on the quest for their one and only. Knights of Cups can often pop up at the beginning stages of a relationship, although the unsettled nature of the knights can also keep this squarely in crush territory. I often find that a major theme of this card is in reconciling our romantic fantasies with reality. It can also dredge up a lot of approach-avoidance behavior. However, recall that cups aren’t always about love!  Scenarios in which the Knight of Cups might occur are: The querent has started to interact with their crush and get to know them, or may have even just started a relationship; the querent is learning new spiritual path; the querent has made recent strides in their emotional growth.  

Reversed Knight of Cups

Reversed, the Knight of Cups can often (but again, not always!) refer to frustration in emotional, spiritual, or romantic situations. I often find that, like the swords, reversed cups situations benefit from some time and distance. The querent generally needs to sort out their feelings and lessen their anxieties. It often points to a disconnect between what the querent expects from romance or a romantic partner, and the human reality of another person with quirks and needs. The reversed Knight of Cups calls on us to examine our emotional assumptions, avoid making hasty emotional decisions, and to try to be calm. It can refer to situations such as: the querent fees discomfort with a spiritual path or discipline that they have begun; the querent is having difficulty moving forward emotionally, or a specific relationship feels “stuck”.

Knight of Coins/Pentacles

This card has a lot to do with skill-building, but it can also refer to business endeavours beginning to take shape and become profitable. I find that the nature of the Knight of Coins is fairly straightforward and easily interpreted. It can also be a reminder that “slow and steady wins the race”. The patient, methodical nature of this card shows us that mastery comes with time and discipline, and that even the most glamorous and exciting skill set can be made up of long stretches of repetitive, decidedly unglamorous  practice. This reminder can come up in scenarios that are seemingly unrelated to the coins’ realm of material value. Situations that might be governed by the Knight of Coins could include: the querent is getting a handle on managing finances and is beginning to look at investing or saving; the querent has found a new job; the querent is in the process of learning a new craft or skill with a physical component and/or a tangible, material result.

Reversed Knight of Coins/Pentacles

This card quite often pops up when people are feeling frustrated with their jobs. Depending on the situation and surrounding cards, it can sometimes turn up for querents who are considering going freelance or starting their own business; typically, the main concern involves the stability or sustainability of doing so. It can also be a call for the querent to question the ways in which their manner of making a living does or does not line up with their values. Situations in which the Knight of Coins comes up reversed could be: the querent is redefining their self-worth and values; the querent is considering a new career or business venture and is anxious about its possibility for success.  

And there you have it! Remember that learning anything is not necessarily a linear process, and that you may cycle through things in a lot of different ways before things start to gel. Honor the process of mastery represented in the knights by honing your skills, devoting yourself to the daily practice, concentrating on form, and trying not to rush results.

-Benefica

Hello and welcome to part two of my series on the tarot court cards. In the introductory post, I discussed the traditional meanings of the cards and suggested an alternate way of viewing them. In this post, I will discuss the Pages in more depth within that alternate view. 

The pages are the novices, the rank beginners in the journey from inexperience to mastery. The page-phase of the learning process begins when the individual encounters the subject or area in which they are to learn and grow. It implies a new awareness or attention brought to this subject; generally, it does not indicate ignorance or denial, merely lack of practical experience and knowledge.   

This may be the spark of interest that inspires someone to learn a new skill, or the moment at which the subject encounters an area of potential growth that has been unexplored or dormant. It comprises the period of time in which the individual ponders this new topic, as well as the process of doing research on it, if applicable. It ends in the moment the subject begins to put the ideas they are encountering into practice. For example, if one were taking up tennis, the Page phase would comprise of the first moment of interest or inclination towards the subject, reading about the best equipment and the best way to learn, watching tutorials, etc. But it would end and become the Knight phase at the moment one bought a racket and went to the tennis court to begin acquiring the physical skills.

Remember that these may be academic or practical skills, but may also refer to spiritual enlightenment or emotional growth. The following breakdown by suit is my take on the kinds of domains represented by them and their associated elements; but depending on the nature of the question and the querent, I may interpret them differently from time to time. For example, I may associate a client’s writing project with a wands card, because wands have to do with creativity. But if the project were a very private spiritual one, it may be more of a cups project. If the client is a professional writer and the rent is due, it might well be a coins project! And anything under revision can fall into the domain of swords.

As always, use your experience and intuition and see if alternate interpretations work for you. The roles of the court cards are not static, because neither are the roles we play in life. The following are just hypothetical scenarios and how I would associate them:

Page of Wands

Wands, which represent the element of fire, are tied up with our passions and our creativity. Although this is traditionally associated with the arts and humanities, anything which excites our interest or requires us to think creatively can fall under the rubric of Wands. Scenarios in which the Page of Wands may appear might be: the querent is flirting with a new idea for a novel, but hasn’t yet put pen to paper; the querent is considering taking up painting and has been reading books but hasn’t yet figured out whether they want to work in oils or watercolorst; the querent is seeking a creative or passionate outlet, but has not yet  decided on one.

Reversed Page of Wands

I usually interpret reversed cards as representing an aspect of the querent’s inner life, and so a Page of Wands rx points to the interior, emotional process of cultivating one’s fire or passion. Scenarios in which the Page of Wands rx may appear might be: The querent is recovering from depression and taking their first steps towards cultivating their zest for life again; the querent is questioning what makes them happy or engaged with life and evaluating what truly “lights them up”; the querent is incubating a wonderful new idea that is not yet ready to be discussed or enacted.

Page of Swords

Swords, which represent the element of air, refer mostly to our cognition and our verbal abilities. They represent our thought patterns, our speech patterns, our ability to delineate and discriminate, and our ability to create our own personal boundaries. Swords activities involve learning a new academic skill or something similarly abstract, but in the broader sense refer to reorganizing outdated thought patterns. Scenarios in which the Page of Swords may represent this process might be: the querent is aware that they need to stand up for themselves more, but has not yet put this into practice; the querent is doing preliminary research of an academic subject; the querent is beginning the study of a new language but is not yet generating spontaneous sentences.

Reversed Page of Swords

When swords represent our inner lives, they very frequently refer to thought patterns; I frequently see reversed swords come up in a reading that deals with the querent’s self-image, destructive thoughts, and negative self-talk. They also appear reversed when interpersonal patterns demand that the querent defend themselves emotionally. Scenarios in which the Page of Swords appears reversed might be: The querent is caught in repetitive negative thoughts but does not know how to get past them; the querent has internalized a great deal of criticism or even verbal abuse and has not yet healed from this.

Page of Cups

Cups represent our emotions, our spirituality, and our relationships in a broad sense. They are the heart or unconscious.  The Page of Cups is one’s first steps of a spiritual or strictly emotional journey, and therefore comes up at times when the querent is about to experience a huge spurt of emotional growth. Scenarios in which the Page of Cups may appear could be: The querent has a crush on someone but hasn’t spent much time with them yet; the querent is interested in spirituality but has not yet chosen a path; the querent is on the brink of a powerful emotional discovery.

Reversed Page of Cups

The cups are already centered on our inner lives, and so when the cups appear reversed in a reading, this often clues me in to examine areas of emotional experience which are unconscious, blocked, or dormant. It can also indicate that the situation needs to be “turned on its head,” that is, a change of perspective is needed. Therefore, scenarios in which the Page of Cups may appear reversed can represent: the querent feels the lack of spirituality in life, but has not yet acknowledged that it should be a priority for them; the querent has a lot of unconscious baggage that must be explored.

Page of Coins/Pentacles

The coins or pentacles traditionally represent our material resources, finances, and tangible things. Situations in which the Page of Coins appears may indicate: the querent is beginning to learn how to manage finances; the querent is looking for a new job; the querent is interested in learning a new craft or skill with a physical component and/or a tangible, material result.

Reversed Page of Coins

The inner component of the material world, represented by the coins, is our values system. When coins are reversed in a reading, we turn our attention not to the literal, material world of finances and matter; rather, it is a call for us to examine our sense of self-worth and our priorities. Situations in which the reversed Page of Coins comes up may indicate: the querent is questioning their self-worth; the querent is considering the ways in which their profession does or does not line up with their values; the querent is becoming aware of how their priorities match, or do not match, those prescribed by society.

Remember that these are just hypothetical examples of the kinds of ways we find ourselves in Page situations in life!  Next time, I will explore my favorite stage: the Knights!  

-Benefica