Royalty cards represent a hierarchy of maturity and competence.
By Michelle Crandell
Tarot decks have sixteen Royalty cards: Kings, Queens, Knights, and Pages in four suits. In archaic, gypsy readings, Royalty/Court cards represent people in the seeker’s life and are identified by physical characteristics. Swords have brown hair, medium skin, and brown, hazel, or gray eyes. Cups are blondes, with blue eyes and fair skin. Wands have auburn or red hair, ruddy or medium complexion, and green, hazel, or brown eyes. Pentacles have dark brown or black hair, dark skin, and brown eyes.
Royalty cards represent a hierarchy of maturity and competence. Pages are undeveloped, immature, in need of guidance, children. Knights are focused, motivated, impulsive young adults. Queens represent influence and wisdom, “power behind the throne,” adult feminine energy. Kings represent authority, power, interaction with the outer world, adult masculine energy.
In modern interpretations, Royalty cards are symbolic. Pages represent learning, Knights represent action, Queens represent feeling and Kings represent judging. Royalty cards can also represent personal qualities or suggest how to behave in a situation.
“Would it be advisable to approach a situation with self-confidence and capability?” ( Kingly) “Or be responsive and sensitive to others?” (Queenly) “Are you open to learning something new?” (Pagelike) “Or goal-directed, daring?” (Knightly)
Finally, Court cards personify the energy of the suit they are part of. Swords represent thought; Cups, emotion; Wands, motivation; and Pentacles, manifestation in the physical world.
Michelle Crandell provides individual Tarot readings for a fee. Once a year, she teaches LEARN TO READ TAROT. Call if interested in her next class. To learn more, email michelle.crandell@gmail.com, or call 501-655-6242.
