Court cards

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 31 Aug 2001, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Alhem	31 Aug 2001
Como interpretais rey, reina, caballero y sota del mismo palo juntas? How do you interpret king, queen, knight and page of the same suit altogether?

MeeWah	31 Aug 2001
A full house :D If all the court cards of the same suit appeared in a spread, my first reaction would be to see them as a family, people who are related to each other or share some common link; however, the meaning could vary. It would depend on their positions in a spread &/or the focus or question as they could represent people or the development of a situation. Possibly other situations arising out of one main issue.

Talisman	31 Aug 2001
Samsara2001, Listen to MeeWah. I think court cards are the hardest of all to read. Perhaps because I am a Hermit, my inclination is to ask, "What 'ta hell you doin' on my mountain?" A wild exaggeration, but you see what I mean. But make a note, think about it, and you'll find that it fits. Talisman

Lunalicious	31 Aug 2001
I have a lot of problems with court cards especially. Tarot Moon's article helped me out a lot. But, like MeeWah, I see all the court cards of one suit together as a family. Together, they can peaceful and loving but like all family's they can have their ups and downs. But most family problems can be solved with everyone's support and co-operation. Sometimes, the family members need to put their personalities aside in order to solve the problem... but sometimes it's the personalities that get the family thru times of trouble... I think I've talked myself into confusion, but maybe you'll understand what I mean.

Mojo	01 Sep 2001
Interesting to see this topic this morning. I did a reading last night for a young man who described himself as the black sheep of the family. Lo and behold, up come the King, Queen and Knight of Cups for his family, but he shows up as the Page of Swords. I guess he wasn't kidding about the black sheep thing.

MeeWah	01 Sep 2001
Mojo: That is a great example of how court cards can work--thanks for sharing!

New River	02 Sep 2001
i am with mee wah on this. the court cards always amaze me how they show up in groups. sometimes the querent is asking about themselves and their whole family shows up. let's face it, family play a huge role in our lives. aren't they always there somehow? your asking this question has refreshed my view of the court cards. thanks! New River

tigerlilie	02 Sep 2001
i seem to have a lot of problems with the court cards also, knowing whos who? for example;a man of 39,brown hair and beard with gray,dark blue eyes,would he be swords or wands???

Alhem	08 Sep 2001
Thank you very much. Your explanations helped a lot. I would also like to thank all the people that wrote back. Muchas gracias, las explicaciones me ayudaron bastante. Gracias a todos por haber contestado. Luz y amor en vuestras vidas Love and light.

MeeWah	08 Sep 2001
Tigerlilie: You can match up a person to a court card by his birth date, personality or physical appearance. Wands represent the element of Fire; are associated with the Sun signs of Aries, Leo & Sagitarius. Swords represent Air; are associated with Gemini, Libra & Aquarius. Astrologically, a person's appearance & personality (social skills) are seen as being influenced by his rising or ascendant sign, which is the 1st House of the Zodiac. The character or basic traits is influenced by the Sun sign (but most people will have traits encompassing other planetary positions). Courts can also represent a quality the querent is using & therefore is an aspect of same rather than another person. It can also represent a situation.

Major Tom	08 Sep 2001
May I ask further questions about court cards please? }> All decks seem to have kings & queens. Some decks have kings or some have princes. Some decks have pages or some have princesses or some have knaves. Does this make any difference? I'm struggling with court cards and how to depict them in Major Tom's tarot. Kiama - would you rather be a page or a princess or a knave of cups? }> (Yes, that is an invitation)

tarotbear	09 Sep 2001
Some decks have a 'boy & girl' or a 'prince and princess'. You would have to see the interpretations to decide which is the Page and which is the Knight, because in The Goddess tarot, the Prince is the Page (The Prince and the Pauper?) and the Princess is the Knight!

Talisman	10 Sep 2001
Major Tom, Ah, that's the trouble with creating a new deck. (I've seen the scans of yours, and I like it.) You see, you have to make decisions. The World Spirit Deck has Seers, Seekers, Sibyls and Sages. I like this very much. There ain't a whole bunch'a kings and queens in my life. On the other hand, the idea of a King, even in a country that has never known that ancient form of government, still has validity. We all play King of the Mountain. Another thing about creating a deck, is the difference between personal and universal symbolism. I remember a morning when it was 20 below zero and I shoved green wood into the barrel stove and the cabin filled with smoke. Then, 20 yards away, an out-of-hibernation-early bear appeared between me and the outhouse, and the cabin. It was not a good morning. There was so much symbolism involved, I live with it to this day. But, I'll betcha it means zip to most people. You gotta be universal, I guess. So, at least, Kings and Queens and stuff is pretty universal. Lot'sa luck, Talisman

Jeanette	10 Sep 2001
Lunalicious, could you please direct me to the Tarot Moon article you refer to? Court Cards are making me crazy! Thanks in advance :)

Major Tom	10 Sep 2001
Quote: talisman (10 Sep, 2001 14:20): Major Tom, Ah, that's the trouble with creating a new deck. (I've seen the scans of yours, and I like it.) You see, you have to make decisions. The World Spirit Deck has Seers, Seekers, Sibyls and Sages. I like this very much. There ain't a whole bunch'a kings and queens in my life. On the other hand, the idea of a King, even in a country that has never known that ancient form of government, still has validity. We all play King of the Mountain. Another thing about creating a deck, is the difference between personal and universal symbolism. I remember a morning when it was 20 below zero and I shoved green wood into the barrel stove and the cabin filled with smoke. Then, 20 yards away, an out-of-hibernation-early bear appeared between me and the outhouse, and the cabin. It was not a good morning. There was so much symbolism involved, I live with it to this day. But, I'll betcha it means zip to most people. You gotta be universal, I guess. So, at least, Kings and Queens and stuff is pretty universal. Lot'sa luck, Talisman No Kings & Queens in your life? How sad! Are you sure? I live in a country ruled by a Queen :-) so it's pretty relevant to my life. I am struggling with both Knights & Pages though - there don't seem to be many of those in my life }> There do seem to be princes and princesses though...having said that I do know one or two Knights... I suppose it goes without saying I'm only beginning to learn the court cards?

tarotbear	10 Sep 2001
Talisman - who made it to the outhouse first, you or the bear?

The Court cards thread was originally posted on 31 Aug 2001 in the Using Tarot Cards board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Using Tarot Cards, or read more archived threads.