Understanding The Court Cards

The whole deck of Tarot cards represents a certain system, in which there is a strict hierarchy and in which the ordered knowledge of astrology, Kabbalah, numerology and alchemy is woven. If we briefly characterize this system, it is 16 - court cards «live» 22 life scenarios (major arcana), and between them there are 40 types of actions (minor arcana).

The Court cards occupy an intermediate value between the major arcana and number cards, that is, they serve as a kind of portal for the passage of energy. This is their main meaning and main function.

Certain tarologists contend that interpreting this group solely involves identifying individuals. And in some cases it is really more convenient to make a rendition without them. For example, if we take out a card of the day, week or month. The character in this case will have an insignificant meaning.

But if we guess without the Major arcana, then the cards of the court must necessarily be in the deck - it is they that will create the structure of the layout, acting as a controlling force.

Namely, why do we need the Court cards at all. After all, the Tarot has the Major Arcana and the Minor Arcana - cards that are able to describe and demonstrate any influence. Why else would you introduce court cards? The fact is that such cards can indicate a number of aspects.

Reading these cards involves several components:

• First, it can be an indication of a specific person - in this case, when describing the card, the questioner recognizes it as a relative, boss, lover, or someone else.

• Secondly, the Court card may indicate the most advantageous style of behavior.

• Third, the Court card can indicate the relationship that people enter with each other.

And, last but not least, the Court card, like any card of the Minor Arcana, can indicate some circumstances of the case. The card of the Major Arcana acts as a carrier of philosophical ideas, the cards of the Minor Arcana are those landmarks, external circumstances that are easily fixed at everyday level.

So, the court cards consist of four personalities - King, Queen, Knight and Page. Remember that Wands, Cups, Swords, Pentacles symbolize the elements of Fire, Air, Water, Earth. However, the Knight, Queen, King, and Page also correspond to the levels of elemental disclosure - this is the next thing that is important to understand when studying court cards.

-Kings - Fire - Father, Actor, Steward

• Queens - Water - Mistress, Mother

• Knights - Air - Messengers, Transmitters, Mediators.

• Pages - Earth - Servants, Children.

If suit is what people have in common, then the Kings, Queens, Knights and Pages are all similar to each other in the way they accomplish certain tasks. For example, Kings are united by having specific goals and strategic thinking. They have the power and ability to change the world as they wish and see fit. However, the King of Wands, being the highest manifestation of its element (Fire of Fire) is endowed with power over anything, and can even indicate the imposition of will. At the same time, the King of Cups (Water of Fire) who skillfully manages his own and others' emotions, has a developed emotional intelligence, and a good empath. Agree, these have completely different meanings.

Thus, the King of Wands is Fire of Fire, controlling, influencing. The Page of Pentacles - Earth of the Earth; the Page of Pentacles is the most «pure» representative of his suit, through him we can best feel the element of Earth.

The Knight of the Air and the Knight of the Earth are both represented on horseback, but... the Knight of the Air gallops at full speed, while the Knight of the Earth's horse stands still. The Knight of the Air rushes forward, sword in hand, while the Knight of the Earth looks at the plowed field: he has brought grain that will be planted in the ground, he has come to sow the field. Both Knights are in motion, but the motion is different. Earth movement is different from Fire movement, Fire movement from Water movement, Water movement from Air movement.

So: the cards of the Court are not necessarily people. They are forces, principles, processes, stages, keys, operators of the elements. They can also indicate how a particular element is unfolding in us. How is Fire unfolding in us? Do we trust our intuition, our fire, our burning? Do we hear our Spirit? How does Air unfold in us? Are we able to think creatively, not in patterns? How does Water unfold in us? Do we know how to love, and what is Love in our understanding and what does it become in our life?

We can produce a separate article on each group of Court cards if you are interested. Write to us in support!