Confused on the Court Cards
Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 27 Apr 2005, and now archived in the Forum Library.
| calligirl |
27 Apr 2005 |
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I am having trouble with the meanings of the court cards if they don't pertain to a particular person.
For instance, I did a "journey" spread and the Knight of Pentacles came up in my past but all the rest of the Knights came up side by side in the future. I'm not sure how to interpret that. Knights are representative of teenagers/young adults sometimes but I don't have any around me personally.
Any ideas?
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| Moongold |
27 Apr 2005 |
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All the Court cards can represent aspects of the self.
Are you taking the Knights as representing "other" young people? That may be a restricted view. Without seeing the spread and throw, it's difficult to say.
Why not post the whole thing -spread, throw and question if you have one in "Your Readings" and see what comments follow.
You have not really given enough information here for people to make a useful comment :).
Moongold
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| calligirl |
27 Apr 2005 |
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Moongold,
I do agree that thinking of the Court cards as people can be restricting. What other meanings can the Knight cards represent? Changes? Impulsive behavior? As in 'teenage' behavior or even a 'teenage' phase perhaps?
I will go ahead and put the whole spread on the Readings board but I was hoping for some discussion about Court cards and Knight cards in particular for those of us newbies that have trouble seeing alternate meanings.
I think that's where my difficulties are when it comes to Court cards, not seeing other possibilities.
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| Fullmoonsinger |
27 Apr 2005 |
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Calligirl,
One way of interpreting the Knights is as "Fire" of their element. Fire is drive, action, ambition.
So you would have ambitious actions (KN of Wands), intellectual actions (KN of Swords), emotional actions (KN of cups), and practical actions (KN of Pentacles).
MoonSinger
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| DarkAngel_Claudia |
28 Apr 2005 |
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Court Cards have the ability to represent either people in your life ( they might be read as the signs of the Zodiac),
an athmosphere or a side of a person.
It really depends on their position and on your question.
You need to have a look and understand if they tell you a story with lots of characters or just describing different situations in your life - and that is the hard bit
But once you've mastered that its a piece of cake! :)
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| psychic sue |
28 Apr 2005 |
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Just want to add that four knights in a spread can mean lots of activity and surprises ahead for the querant.
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| Moongold |
28 Apr 2005 |
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Dear calligirl ~
I have been at work all day and was not able to answer your second post.
This is a big topic with a quite broad and diverse aspects so ultimately you will have a lot of choice about the Knights. Their possible meanings can differ from deck to deck as well.
There are some interesting links to information about Court Cards on the Llewellyn internet site that might be worth looking at.
In the Marseille deck the Knights are often messengers I think this is the case in the Rider Waite Smith decks as well. They are the only Court Cards on horseback and, with the exception of XIII Death and VI Wands, might in fact be the only Tarot cards on horseback (Oops – forgot XIX Sun) and this helps reinforce the idea of action, whether physical. psychological or metaphoric.
In terms of elements, they represent air which supports the notion of action oriented “airy” characteristics of their particular suit. The Knight of Pentacles for example would be concerned perhaps with progress planned thought, systematic growth – He would make those things happen. Because Knights are health and action oriented the Knight of Pentacles would be a pretty sensuous, earthy type. I think of Franco Nero in the first version of Camelot but others might not agree :) All the Pentacle Courts, in my view, are pretty sexy.
On a more psychological level, the Knight of Pentacles corresponds to the extroverted, sensing, feeling personality type in the MBTI, based on Jungian perspectives. So that is another angle.
Now, these are general thoughts but what they would actually mean depends on your approach and the surrounding cards. Knights can represent other people but they can also, as commented previously, be aspects of the self and one’s own actions.
Many blessings ~
Moongold
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| calligirl |
28 Apr 2005 |
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That's a lot to think about.
With the recent death of my father, my first thoughts are that this spread is dealing with the fallout and consequences of that. If the Knights represent different aspects of myself that are changing, that would make sense. What scares me is that the Knights are side by side except for the Knight of Pentacles which came first in the spread which would mean change in financial terms (I'm the one handling the expenses, etc.).
No doubt that I still have adjusting to do on all levels but all at once? Is that what I'm being told?
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| mike gorth |
28 Apr 2005 |
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Just popped in to say that I find the court cards hardest to remember. I mean I'm getting pretty good at it but it's just so confusing. Thanks to all that posted here because it really benefitted me and I'm sure calligirl as well.
Mike Gorth
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| Moongold |
28 Apr 2005 |
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Dear Calligirl ~
I'm sorry about your father.
The appearance of the cards could mean what you suggest. It is difficult to say without seeing the throw. If you are involved in sorting things out for him, then it sounds really feasible
Or they could mean something else I just had a thought - possibly they could even be aspects of your father - your memories and your consciousness of him. Perhaps they are "messengers" from him? Hard to say without seeing all the cards.
Many blessings ~
Moongold
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| psychic sue |
29 Apr 2005 |
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So sorry for your loss.
You could take each court card and use it as a significator in another spread, to find out exactly what each one is referring to - just a thought.
Sue x
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| contradiction |
29 Apr 2005 |
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I have to agree with Moongold, the knights have a tendancy to refer to messengers. But, also movement. I have never paid much attention to symbolism, (which way a card faces, colors, air, fire, etc...), but the fact that all knights are on horseback, I did notice. The knights are one set of cards, where you can look at the action taking place. For instance the Knight of Pentacles, (which btw, does not have to refer to money), is standing still, and holding a precious object, and staring at it intently. To me this means, contemplation. Making an informed decision before racing into something head on. The knight of wands, is riding into a "village (?)", in a celebration, I usually take this to mean good news is on the way, the end of a bad situation, or whatever the rest of the throw is discussing.
As for the rest of the court cards, they can also give insight into their meaning, if you look at the person on the card, for instance the King of Swords, (rws speaking), has a serious look on his face, and is holding a large sword. But I remember that he is supposed to be a fair person. Therefore I look at this card, and see someone who is fair, but does not put up with any nonesense.
If you follow this train of thought it makes the court cards, a little easier to remember. I found the court cards the easiest to remember, because of this. The pips (to me), have to much symbology, and not enough "action".
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The Confused on the Court Cards thread was originally posted on 27 Apr 2005 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.
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