Court Cards 3
Discover how to relate the court cards to yourself and others and learn how to pick the best way to read these complex cards.
Aspects of Yourself and Others
If the Major Arcana are the big themes in ou lives, and the Mnir Arcana the detail and everyday activity, then the COurt cards are the people that populate our lives as well as our own character traits, tendencies and perspectives. As a result, a useful way to approach the Court cards is to think about how the figures in the cards and the meanings they represent - intuitive or traditional - can provide insights into yourself and the people around you.
The court represents you: You act, feel and operate in many different ways over the course of 24 hours. Court cards represent different shades of your personality and even your actions.
The Queen of Wands, for example, will point to your outgoing, passionate side, the Page of Cups to your shy tendencies, the King of Pentacles might be you taking control of your finances and the KNight of Swords represents you racing to the defence of a friend in need.
The Courts cards represent other people: In the same way that Court cards represent aspects of your own personality, these cards can also be a useful source of information about people who play a role in your life. The QUeen of Wands may represent your mother, the Knight of Pentacles may bring to mind a handsome man wh has a lot to offer you, the King of Swords your favourite lecturer at university and so on.
Easy understanding - the nuclear family: Remember, the simplest way to become grounded in what the Court cards mean to understand them through the simple structure of the nuclear family:
King: Father
Queen: Moth
Knight: Son
Page: Young Daughter
Definition Through the Elements
Some schools of Tarot have proposed another group of models for interpreting the Court cards. These are based on esoteric teachings such as Astrology and, above all, on the elements.
Some of these schools of Tarot teaching define the meanings of the Curt cards with a system that is rigidly based on the elements: Fire, Earth, Water and Air. One of the four elements is attributed to each of the figures that commonly occur in the Court cards:
The King: Fire
The Page (or Princess): Earth
The Queen: Water
The Knight: Air
In the same way, each of the four Tarot suits is linked to an element as follows:
Cups: Water
Wands: Fire
Pentacles: Earth
Swords: Air
With this simple structure, Court cards can be interpreted as a combination of two elements. The King of Swords, for example, would be connected to Fire (as King) and Air (Swords).
It is also a good idea to look at the relationship between what the figure on the card represents and the element. Using this system we might say that, for instance, the Queen of Cups is the nurturer or channel (Queen) of emotions (water), the Page of Pentacles is the expansion )Page) of finances (Pentacles), and the King of Wands is the mastery (King) of the self (Wands). There are numerous permutations of this type for each of the Court cards, as each suit concerns itself with a number of aspects of everyday life, and the four Court cards may manifest their qualities in many different ways.
Choosing Your System
In addition to the systems we have outlined across the Court Cards, there are a dozens of other ways of interpreting the COurt cards.
Each has strengths and limitations. Every Reader must determine the extent to which a given systemfits in with their own personal reading style. Below are a few tips to help you make a decision about which approach to take.
Adopting a system: The Reader embraces one system for a specific period of time, then switches to try out another one. Eventually, the Reader will discover which system seems to work best for them and adopt it exclusively.
Comparing systems: The Reader interprets a Spread using one system, then interprets the same Spread using another one. Over time, a preference for one system may evolve or you may find that different systems work better with different clients.
Referring to the traditional meanings: Every deck is associated with a list of Essential Meanings and Keywords. Referring to these gives an insight into the mid of the deck's designer, illuminating the system they used when assigning meanings.
Developing your own system: The Reader is free to pick one system, fuse several systems or design their own. Ultimately, experience and experimentation will reveal what works best for you.
Now we will delve into these important cards by looking at how you can relate them to yourself and others as well as the relationship between the Court cards and the elements. We'll also give you advice about how to choose the right system for you as well as suggesting some fun exercises using the Court cards.
Updated
1 January 2025 at 15:33:57