The Court cards of the Tarot Deck consist of the King, Queen, Knight, and Page. There are other names the court cards go by such as Master or Visionary for King. The Queen in some decks goes by Lady or Mother. The Knight can be seen as the Seeker or the Artist in other decks. The Page can be seen as the Student or Child.
The Court cards can be referred to the face cards, people, or human cards. There are tarot deck creators who give different names to the Court cards to give a non-binary and non-royal hierarchy feel to the Tarot face cards. Some card creators don't like the word "Court" and will refer to these cards as human, face, or personality cards. Some alternate names for Court cards include:
Mentor, Teacher, Advisor, Guide - instead of King
Mother, Crone, Nurturer, Shadow - Inside of Queen
Messenger, Artist, Traveler, Risk-taker- Instead of Knight
Student, Child, Beast, Apprentice - Instead of Page or Valet
As a professional Tarot Reader, I appreciate all of these names and the creativity behind them. Over the past couple of decades, I have learned that sometimes the traditional court names of Queen, King, Knight, and Page can be offputting to clients so I make sure to explain how I read these cards. Like the pip cards (number cards) the energy is important. The Queen's energy is not necessarily an actual female person, however, it can be. Not only is your intuition and knowledge of the cards important in reading for others, but the conversation between you and your client is important. When reading the court cards in a spread, I read the energy of the card and I ask my clients how they feel about the card. For instance, I ask, "What or who does this card remind you of?"
The Court cards can bring up the following in a reading:
a person
an action, lack of action
an attitude, a way of thinking, a change in a way of thinking
Emotions
Court cards can be very helpful to the client in recognizing their emotions or feelings regarding a situation. I find the court cards are very helpful in helping a client with self-reflection and using the cards to give "permission" to feel what you feeling. Where the pip/numbered cards let us recognize the day-to-day events in our lives, the Court cards help us recognize:
how we feel about the day-to-day
how we are feeling about what's going on
what actions we are taking to deal with the day-to-day
how we are showing up for others and ourselves
who is showing up for us, i.e. who can help or advise us
Reading the Court Cards:
When reading the court cards in tarot, here is an overview:
The Page/Valet
Rank: Initial or Start of a phase, process, or beginning
Energy: Hesitation, uncertain and humble
Element: Earth
The Page in Tarot is represented by a young person. In many cards, we are not sure if this is a male or female. There are many sweet and tender qualities of this figure such as flowing hair, wide eyes, and a sweet smile. Looking at the posture of the figure we get a sense that there is hesitation and uncertainty. The figure looks "innocent' and needs advice or guidance and maybe a little help. The Page figure is someone who doesn't own a lot, is dressed very modestly, and is still dependent.
There is also a bit of awkwardness to these figures:
The cup is heavy and the figure seems to struggle with holding the Cup and looking into it.
The club or wand is often very big in comparison to the Page figure and they cannot hold it.
The sword is also big for the Page figure and it is held very awkwardly against the shoulder.
The coins or pentacles - the Page figure seems to be able to handle one of the two.
When we look at the suit symbol of the card the symbols look big and difficult to handle. We can interpret this to mean that The Page is at a learning stage. They are learning to handle money, a project, a skill, or becoming aware of their feelings. There is also an appearance of a lack of control and a need for guidance. For instance:
The Page of the Cup stumbles
The Page of Wand is not able to carry their club
The Page of Swords is trying to put the sword in its sheath
The Page of Coins cannot handle so many - they can only carry one
On another note, the Pages can represent a stage/process:
working in a new field or skill
apprenticeship
a fresh new start
help from others
forgiveness of past mistakes
childish attitude/lack of maturity
not responsible or lack responsibility
The Page of Cups (Earth & Water): The suit of cups has indications of the water element (emotions, intuition, feelings, relationships, love); the Page has indications of the earth element (need for grounding, growth, and maturity as well as mentorship)
Awareness of feelings after a brief encounter
beginnings of a new romance
hesitation to show feelings
sincerity
good intentions
discovering one's desires
playfulness, light-heartedness
artisticness
dreams, intuition
On the other hand:
immaturity and not taking care of relationships
shyness
overwhelming feelings
need to learn one's responsibility in a relationship
need to control one's impulses
frustration
pessimistic
seeking attention
fantasizing
preoccupation with partying or FOMO (fear of missing out)
Page of Swords (Earth & Air): The suit of Swords has indications of the air element (communication, education, institutions,
learning, conflicts, intellect, and legal issues); the Page has indications of the earth element (need for grounding, growth, and maturity as well as mentorship)
preparation
challenge
learning to use both logic and desire to make decisions
learning one's power
finding one's voice
managing fight or flight reactions
making use of information
careful observation of others' actions and conversations
On the other hand:
speaking without thinking
fear to speak up
confusion
negative thought forms
self-sabotage
feeling threatened
using manipulation tactics
unreliable information
gossip
Page of Wands (Earth & Fire): The suit of wands has indications of the fire elements (ambition, career, creativity, sexuality, competition, rivalry); the Page has indications of the earth element (need for grounding, growth, and maturity as well as mentorship)
new projects, new situations, creative potential
busy with mundane tasks but the overall path looks promising
learning how to manage the demands of others
manage reaction requires cooling of temper
learning to analyze details of projects before diving right into them
actor, sales, performer, and hard worker
on the other hand:
learning to deal with delays
hot-tempered, urges and desires need to be controlled
morose
stubbornness and inability to be an effective team worker
trouble finishing projects
takes little ownership of mistakes
Page of Coins/Pentacles (Earth & Earth): suit of coins/pentacles has indications of the earth element (grounding, skills, resources, home, physical health, mental health, healing, finances, family, social status); the Page has indications of the earth element (need for grounding, growth, and maturity as well as mentorship)
endeavor
potentials yet to be discovered
possibilities of success
grounding
on the other hand:
hesitant to move forward
needs to define the purpose
not open to opportunities "missing the boat"
The Knight
Rank: Moving towards the goal, Committed to service -older than pages; teenage, younger adult
Energy: Advancement, commitment, action. movement
Element: Fire
Knights in the tarot are mounted on horses that are usually in movement symbolising advancement towards a goal or achieving results. Knights are dedicated to a vision or service. They are honourable, and brave, and can be viewed as risk-takers. The motion that is depicted in most Knights' cards is fast with the knight appearing to control their horse and may indicate travel. They can be seen as messengers who take risks to make sure the truth is heard. The horse is the card that can be seen as a representation of people, and family that a person uses to achieve a goal. How fast the horse appears to be going is how fast and fierce the person is willing to work to achieve their goals. Knights can be seen as romantic and an individual that can sweep you off your feet.
The cup is presented as if there were a proposal or romantic gesture of devotion
The club or wand is held in the Knight's gaze to indicate a fixation on desires
The sword is held in such a way as to force energy in a desired direction.
The coins or pentacles - the coin appears in front of the knight to indicate the awareness of one's goal
The Knight of Cups (Fire & Water): Cups is the suit of the
water element (emotions, intuition, feelings, relationships, love); the Knight represents the fire element (relationships, love, partnership, devotion, romance, emotions)
devotion to a cause
openness
honourable service to others
authentic
give oneself to love
on the other hand:
self-delusional or someone who lives in a fantasy world
motives to romantic gestures or devotion
idealist to the point of radical
shallowness
The Knight of Swords (Fire & Air): The suit of swords is of
the air element (communication, education, institutions, learning, conflicts, intellect, and legal issues); the Knight represents the fire element (relationships, love, partnership, devotion, romance, emotions)
lots of drive and energy
moving left in some cards perhaps a warning of going in the wrong direction
mask on the left shoulder suggests doubts
control over the impulses even though the required resources are in hand
the need to double-check the direction of the path or double-check to see if there are "blind spots"
having found the right direction or hesitating to find the right moment
need to look out for red flags or warning signs
on the other hand:
motivation is met by doubts and fear
resistance from other blockages to forge ahead
insisting on the wrong choice
stubbornness
enforcing one's views
losing groundedness
Knight of Wands (Fire & Fire): The Wands is the suit that has
indications of the fire element (ambition, career, creativity, sexuality, competition, rivalry); the Knight represents the fire element (relationships, love, partnership, devotion, romance, emotions)
preoccupation with desires
impulse
hesitation to move forward for a moment to reflect on goals
taste for the finer things in life
self-expression
creative energy
ability to self-reflect and correct mistakes
on the other hand:
lack of direction
obsessiveness with romance, falling in love quickly and deeply
compulsiveness
lack of direction - no plan
lack of self-awareness and a tendency to hurt others (narcissism)
Knight of Coins/Pentacles (Fire & Earth): The suit of coins/pentacles has indications of the earth element (grounding, skills, resources, home, physical health, mental health, healing, finances, family, social status); the Knight represents the fire element (relationships, love, partnership, devotion, romance, emotions)
devotion to one's plans
material goals
using creativity to achieve success
managing self-expression
short term gains
On the other hand:
view may be too short-sighted to plan for the long term
desire for wealth leads to impulsive actions that are not well thought out
one feels that one can never have enough material wealth and so one is never satisfied
instability
The Queen
Rank: Achievement and protector and has nurtured projects to realise product/goal
Energy: maintaining status, nurturing, defensive, cautious, suspicious, serious, stable, conscious, bearing fruit, achievement, preservation, conservative, maternal instinct
Element: Water
The Queen in each suit is seated on a throne with her crown. In one hand she holds the symbol of the suit she is representing and in the other, a scepter is held against her upper body, or a hand is placed on her belly, or a hand is placed firmly on the armrest as she sits on her throne. The suit symbol (coin, wand, sword, or cup) is held in one hand indicating that the Queen intends to hold onto her status and achievements. If she is holding a scepter, she means to remind you of her status. If a hand is on her belly intends to remind us of her nurturing ways and on the other hand, her life suffacating ways. She is someone to be reckoned with whether she represents a person in our life or represents an aspect of our personality. The Queen is often kind and polite, but that doesn't you can mess with her!
The cup is covered in many decks to suggest that the Queen keeps her feelings to herself and is guarded
The club or wand is quite large and appears to be made just for her. The bottom tip is held at the pelvis to indicate she knows how to use her sexual appeal. She is also protective of what is hers.
The sword is held in such a way that she will use it at a moment's notice and this indicates her sharpness and wit
The coins or pentacles - the coin appears is held in front of her to remind us that she is a woman of accomplishments
The Queen of Cups (Water & Water): The Suit of Cups is of the water element (emotions, intuitions, feelings, relationships, love); the Queen indicates the water element (relationships, love, partnership, devotion, romance, emotions)
desire for control of emotions and relations (closed cup indicates she controls her emotions and the heavy crown on her head represents keen awareness
self-control
intellectual
generous
nurturing
emotionally content
present
On the other hand:
blocked emotionally - may indicate past traumas
the past affects the present - one can not forgive and move on
defensive and suspicious
difficulty with trust and opening up
The Queen of Swords (Water & Air): The suit of swords is of the air element (communication, education, institutions, learning, conflicts, intellect, and legal issues); the Queen has indications of the water element (relationships, love, partnership, devotion, romance, emotions)
justice
thinker
respects confidentiality
protective
worried about past
maintaining status or position
suspicious
caution
On the other hand:
avoids risks that can block progress
may use psychological control on others by using brainwashing techniques, and manipulation to maintain status and respect
uncompromising
The Queen of Wands (Fire & Air): the Wands is the suit that has indications of the fire element (ambition, career, creativity, sexuality, competition, rivalry); the Queen has indications of the water element (relationships, love, partnership, devotion, romance, emotions)
power and ambition - a very strong personality
sensuality, passion
fertility and growth
creativity and sexuality
confidence
intuitive
beauty, friendliness, generosity
kind and warm-hearted
On the other hand:
hurtful
uses beauty and sexuality to gain power
territorial
The Queen of Coins/Pentacles (Water & Earth): The suit of coins/pentacles has indications of the earth element (grounding, skills, resources, home, physical health, mental health, healing, finances, family, social status); the Queen has indications of the water element (relationships, love, partnership, devotion, romance, emotions)
Past achievements
Knows what and how much resources to work with
Knows potential, opportunistic
stability and groundedness
very practical - maintains current material status (conservative)
financially intuitive
husbandry - harvester of goods, nurturer (in matters that deal with farming, earth, animals)
content with a home and family
On the other hand:
resistance to changing ways
resistance to progress
materialistic
hoarding in extreme cases
everything is analysed from a cost/benefit analysis and may miss out on the spiritual, intellectual, and emotional value
The King
Rank: the wisdom and experience. The advisor in work, family or a project. A time for a change in direction when the "old ways" no longer work
Energy: leadership, advisor, controller, wise, sternness order authority
Element: Air
The King in each suit sits on a throne. He wears a crown or a wide-brimmed hat that shows his status. In one hand he holds the symbol that he represents and the other hand rests firmly on the armrest of the throne or held firmly on his waist. His eyes are focused, and his face is calm, but his body shows that he is ready to get off his chair. His pose is dynamic and his upper body gives the energy of calm and ready to listen to whatever the situation is at hand, but the lower portion of the King's body seems like he will leap into action if someone gets out of line. The King gives advice and shares his experience, but he can also be domineering, controlling, and brutal when his dark side shows.
The cup is held in one hand but the King is often not looking at the cup. In some cards the opening of the cup is narrow. These are indications of King's control over his emotions and his measured approach to advancing his goals
The club or wand is quite large and has a point that is rather sharp and looks as though the King should be careful that he doesn't stab himself. In other King of Wands cards, the bottom of the wand or club is held close to one foot. This indicates a reminder for him not to be too hasty in his decisions.
The sword is held in one hand and upright. It doesn't threaten but reminds others of the King's authority
The coins or pentacles - the coin is held in one hand and appears as though the King is offering his generosity to others.
The King of Cups (Air & Water): The Suit of Cups is of the water element (emotions, intuitions,
feelings, relationships, love); the King has indications of the air element (communication, journalling, wisdom, conflict, discord, institution, academics)
Charisma
Intuitive
Wise
Art
Sociable
Kind advise
Open to new ideas
maturity
On the other hand
Control
Domineering
Emothionally abusive
Aggression comes from past hurts and trauma
uncommunicative
addiction issues
The King of Swords (Air & Air): The suit of swords is of the air element (communication, education, institutions, learning, conflicts, intellect, and legal issues); the King has indications of the air element (communication, journalling, wisdom, conflict, discord, institution, academics)
Teacher, Professor, writer, leader of institutions
open to possibilities
decisive
measured - control over emotions
wisdom
willpower and perseverance
on the other hand:
vain or too proud for one's good
argumentative
forceful
destructive when it comes to institutions
oppressive
severe punishment
The King of Wands (Fire & Air): the Wands is the suit that has indications of the fire element (ambition, career, creativity, sexuality, competition, rivalry); the King has indications of the air
element (communication, journalling, wisdom, conflict, discord, institution, academics)
creativity energy that is measured; prudence; self-discipline
foresight
look for ways to improve and progress
optimistic
make use of contacts for advancement
maturity
self-reflective
investor
on the other hand:
impulsive
making moves too fast; making changes without much thought
restrictive
pushes too hard on others
bully, selfish, stubborn, physically harsh
make situation complicated
The King of Coins/Pentacles (Air & Earth): The suit of coins/pentacles has indications of the earth element (grounding, skills, resources, home, physical health, mental health, healing, finances, family, social status); King has indications of the air element (communication, journalling, wisdom, conflict, discord, institution, academics)
visionary
foresight
optimistic yet practical
contentment
discipline in financial matters
reliable
balance
thoroughly examines the situation before acting
On the other hand:
never having enough; greed
unable to move forward from losses
pessimistic
untrustworthy
corruption
gambler
fraud
Whether I am reading the tarot using cards of the Rider Waite system or the Marseille system (my favourite), I use the elements to describe the energy of the card and then the overall energy of the spread. Some tarot readers who use the Marseille tarot may argue that the Marseille system wasn't designed to use the earth, water, fire, and air elements, and therefore, assigning these elements to the cards in a reading is incorrect. However, using the four elements in the reading resonates with me and gives another "layer" of information to my clients.
Things to keep in mind when reading Court Cards:
Look at the gaze; what direction is the figure looking
What are the cards surrounding the court card
The expression on the figure's face
Does the figure in the court card remind you of a particular person, type of person or an aspect of the querent (person seeking a reading)
What personalities do you see in the court cards?
The posture of the figure in the card
Jean Dodal, Tarot de Marseille -restoration by Jean-Claude Flornoy
Rider Waite Tarot Deck - Designed by Pamela Colman Smith under the direction of Arthur E.Waite