King, Suit of SwordsKing of Swords tarot card meaning
Upright and reversedKing of Swords in shortIn short
The King of Swords is judgement and clear authority. A king faces you from a tall carved throne, drawn sword upright at his side, gaze level and steady. He rules by reason and law. His word decides.
- Authority
- Judgement
- Reason
Piece oneThe clouds
A few round cream clouds float in a calm sky beside him, more low near the ground. Waite doesn't mention them. Here they mark Air, the suit of the mind, quiet and under control.
Why it is hereThe clouds mark his calm. A few round ones float beside him and more sit low near the ground, still and orderly. Air is the Swords element, the mind, and here it's settled. The clouds frame the throne without crowding it, so nothing distracts from his straight look and drawn sword.
Piece twoThe carved throne
Behind him rises the tall grey stone back of his throne, carved with curling shapes. Waite's short entry skips it. In ours it stands like a pillar, firm and upright like the king.
Why it is hereThe throne gives the king his office. Its tall stone back rises behind him like a pillar, so he sits against something older and harder than himself. Waite says his power comes from his office, and the throne is that office made solid. It stands upright, like him and like his sword.
Piece threeThe king
He faces you straight on: gold crown, red hood, purple cloak over a pale blue robe. Waite says he recalls Justice, and holds more: the power of life and death that comes with his office. He judges, and he can act on it.
"...he is rather the power of life and death, in virtue of his office."Waite, 1911
Why it is hereThe king is the card's judge. He faces you full on, so you stand in front of him like someone in court. Crown, red hood and purple cloak give him rank; the pale blue robe beneath is the cool mind of the suit. Waite says he holds the power of life and death, and the drawn sword beside him shows it.
Piece fourThe drawn sword
His right hand grips a long drawn sword, the blade rising beside his head. Waite says he sits in judgement holding the unsheathed sign of his suit. A drawn sword is a decision ready to fall.
"He sits in judgment, holding the unsheathed sign of his suit."Waite, 1911
Why it is hereThe drawn sword is his judgment, ready to act. It's out of its sheath and held upright beside his head, close to his face, so thought and blade sit together. His other hand rests on his knee. One hand decides, the other waits. The throne behind and the crown above make the decision lawful.
Colour, and where else it appearsEchoes
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The clouds
Soft cream on pale blue: a still sky, the calmest in the Swords court. The Queen of Swords has round clouds too, piled low under clear blue. The Page of Swords walks through a crowd of them. Over the Knight of Swords they're torn by wind. The King has the fewest clouds, and they don't move.
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The carved throne
Warm grey stone with pale raised carving: old, heavy, fixed, the weight of law and office. The Queen of Swords sits on a throne of the same grey stone, carved with a calm face. The Emperor sits on grey stone as well, with rams' heads on the arms. All three rule from stone that won't shift.
Also in -
The king
Red, purple and gold over pale sky blue: royal colours around the cool blue of the mind. The Emperor also faces you straight on, crowned, on a stone throne, holding a sceptre and an orb. Justice faces you too, with a sword and scales. Waite says this king recalls Justice. He keeps her sword and drops the scales.
Also in -
The drawn sword
Pale steel blue over a red sleeve: a cool blade in a warm hand. Justice raises her sword the same way, straight up, but holds scales in her other hand. The Queen of Swords holds hers up and lifts an open palm. The King's free hand stays on his knee: he has already weighed it.
Also in
Colour notes are ours, read from the picture; Waite does not explain the colours.
King of SwordsUpright
Authority grounded in reason. Waite's meanings grow from judgement and all its connections: power, command, authority, militant intelligence, law, offices of the crown.
He's the judge, the lawyer, the expert whose word carries weight. Decide with your head, weigh the facts fairly, and stand by your judgement.
King of SwordsReversed
Waite's words: cruelty, perversity, barbarity, perfidy, evil intention. Power and intelligence turn to harm, or someone bends the law for gain.
Watch for someone using cold logic or rank to control others. Check you aren't doing it yourself.
Yes or noYes, if it's fair.
Yes, if it's fair and well thought through. The card backs decisions made with a clear head and good reasons.
King of Swords in your lifeIn your life
Love
An honest, fair partner who may seem distant. Talk it through. Reason helps more than drama.
Work
Leadership, expertise, sound decisions. Legal and official matters go well with clear facts.
Money
Get expert advice and decide on the facts. Contracts and formal agreements are favoured.
Health
Trust qualified advice and clear information. A card can't diagnose you; if something's wrong, see a doctor.
Spirituality
Truth through reason. Test your beliefs and keep what holds up.
Advice
Decide fairly, with a clear head, and own the decision.
As a person
Authoritative and intelligent, often a judge, lawyer or doctor. Fair, firm.
Past, present, future
Past: a decision or ruling that shaped things. Present: a need for clear judgement. Future: authority and a fair result.
Written by us, from Waite's meanings and the picture.
Symbols and correspondencesAt a glance
- Suit
- Swords
- Element
- Air
- Golden Dawn
- Air of Air
- Court
- King
- Upright
- Judgment
- Reversed
- Cruelty
QuestionsCommon questions
Yes: fair judgement, clear authority. Reversed, the same power can turn cruel.
An honest, rational partner, or a need to talk calmly. Make more room for warmth.
Yes, if it's fair and well reasoned.
Waite says he recalls Justice from the Major Arcana and may stand for that virtue. He adds that the king holds more: the power of life and death that comes with his office.
Someone of authority and intellect: a judge, lawyer, officer or expert. Fair, firm, sometimes cold.
Waite shows a king sitting in judgement with his drawn sword. He recalls Justice, and holds the power of life and death that his office gives.
The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, 1911Card meanings and quotes: A. E. Waite, The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, 1911. Element, decan and sephira: the Golden Dawn's Book T. Colours, life situations, yes or no and questions: written by us, from Waite's meanings and the picture.
All 14 Swords