King of Swords

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King of Swords TAROT CARD MEANINGS KEYWORDS

Upright: Mental clarity, intellectual power, authority, truth.

Reversed: Quiet power, inner truth, misuse of power, manipulation.

King of Swords TAROT CARD MEANINGS AND DESCRIPTION

The King of Swords sits upon his throne, facing forward as if ready to confront whatever life throws at him. He holds a sword in his right hand, the hand of the conscious, rational mind, and points it upright and to the left, the side of the subconscious, intuitive mind. This symbolises the King’s decisiveness, but also flexibility in all matters; while he makes decisions based mostly on his intellectual understanding, he stays open to his intuition. The King wears a blue tunic, symbolic of a desire for spiritual knowledge, and a purple cape, symbolic of his compassion and intellect. The back of his throne is decorated with butterflies (transformation), crescent moons and an angel just near his left ear, positioned as if to give him subtle guidance.

The trees behind him stand still, and the clouds have settled. The wind from the previous Swords court cards has died down, giving the impression of stability and clarity rather than the confusion of sweeping change.

NOTE: The Tarot card meaning description is based on the Rider Waite cards.