When a king appears in a tarot spread, many readers inwardly cringe, not because of what he represents, but because he can represent so many different things.
Like all tarot court cards, the tarot kings can be a bit of a mystery, but it doesn't have to be that way. Once a reader understands the position the king holds in his court and the meanings of his suit's symbol, it becomes much easier to interpret a tarot king in place in a spread.
Tarot Kings Overview
Each of the four tarot suits has fourteen cards, Ace through king. Four of those cards make up the court of that suit - page, knight, queen and king. Each of the court members has a specific "role" in that court. Pages represent beginnings. Knights represent action. Queens represent fruition. Kings, however, are much harder to explain in a simple one-word term.
Tarot kings represent both authority and mastery in the element represented by their suits. Each king may represent an actual person in a reading, but he is as likely to represent a personality trait of the person for whom the tarot reading is being done, commonly called the querent.
A king often represents a strong influence in the querent's life, but defining the influence can be tricky. The one thread that runs through most of the possible interpretations of tarot kings is authority. Whether the card represents a father, a corporation, or a part of the querent's own psyche, the reader will often find that there is an element of authority in the interpretation.
The Tarot Kings by Suit
As with other court cards, each king is influenced by the suit in which he holds court. He is the leader of his suit, and embodies all the qualities of the element which the suit represents. Those qualities are both positive and negative, though one side or the other may be highlighted in a particular spread.
- The King of Wands heads the court that represents the element of fire. Like fire, his passions run hot and fierce. His influence is enthusiastic and energetic, and can burn brightly and warmly for a lifetime. It can also be destructive, manifesting as a hot temper and uncontrolled anger.
- The King of Cups rules over the suit of water and emotion. He is often seen as moody, but he may also be stoic, keeping his emotions under tight control. When he appears in a reading, he may be suggesting that the querent controls emotions too tightly, or conversely, that the querent needs to rein in his emotions.
- The King of Swords is the leader of the suit of air, which represents both strife and higher thought. He is the most authoritative of the kings, and may represent the legal system, the military or the government. He is intelligent, highly principled and believes in order.
- The King of Coins is the ruler of the suit of earth, the most pragmatic and family-centered of the kings. He is often seen as a successful businessman, but in the abstract he can represent the authority of family and heritage.He is fatherly, supportive and kind.
Physical Characteristics of Tarot Kings
Each of the court cards also is associated with specific phyiscal characteristics. If a tarot reader believes that a king represents an actual person, he may fit the following characteristics.
- The King of Wands is fair-skinned with red or blond hair, with blue or gray eyes. He may be a charismatic leader in politics or religion.
- The King of Cups is light-skinned with blond or light brown hair and blue, brown or green eyes. He may be a doctor or otherwise involved in caring for people.
- The King of Swords is dark-haired and swarthy, with brown or hazel eyes. He may be a lawyer, judge or military commander.
- The King of Coins is dark-skinned with dark hair and eyes. He may be a successful businessman or the patriarch of a family.
Of course, these brief descriptions only serve as an introduction to the tarot kings. They can, however, help beginning readers grasp the concept of integrating position and suit when deciding on how to interpret one of the tarot kings in a spread.
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