Eight

Archetypes and the
tarot court

So what exactly is an archetype and why give the tarot court archetypal dignitaries in the first place? An archetype is essentially seen as a “typical example” of something or an original that has been copied and imitated over and over but remains, in essence, the same. They are connecting themes, representations, stereotypes, and embodiments that are cross-sectional throughout culture and geographic location.

In Jungian psychology, archetypes are popular and well-known. They are used widely in the metaphysical and New Age community. Jung coined the term “collective unconscious,” which is our humanity’s hive mind. It is the collection of the symbols, mythologies, instincts, and archetypes that we all share. This is why we will find that in many cultures around the world there is always a goddess of love or a god or war. These are perfect examples of cross-sectional archetypes, as love and fighting are common no matter where you come from. Humanity has collective experiences that give us common ground.

Why are they so important and useful in the context of the tarot? The seventy-eight tarot cards themselves can be seen as visual representations of archetypes: common experiences, relationships, figures, and people in your life. This is one of the reasons that the tarot is so popular around the world. We see ourselves and our loved ones in the cards. We recognise our experiences, shared pain and triumphs, and even the people we loathe in a pack of cards.

Each of the tarot court members has their own archetype on top of their title. This is a way to understand the cards and what they mean in a reading. They are also a wonderful way to explore the tarot court as a personal development tool and a way to understand aspects of ourselves. As with all personal explorations, we can then see how these archetypes interact with others and point out the way we are in certain relationship dynamics.

Here are offerings of the tarot court as seen as universal archetypes. We are going to dive deep into these archetypes of the tarot court. Allowing the members of the court to have a recognisable energy removes any confusion around who they are in a reading because of their actions, reactions, and behaviours. These are my offerings to you as archetypes. You may find that you don’t agree with them. That’s OK. Take what works for you and leave the rest. I have used the tarot court cards traditional titles as well as the archetype titles interchangeably in this section for ease.

While exploring the tarot archetypes, remember you can be any of the archetypes presented, no matter the title or the assigned gender that the title or deck you are working with has alloted the court card. It is all about the characteristics and behaviours, not about the sexy bits you may have.

The King of Cups

Keywords:

• Family orientated

• Sexual

• Thoughtful

• Connected

• Transformative

• Charismatic

• Deep

Astrology—Scorpio

The King of Cups is the lord of the eighth house of astrology. This is the house of sex, death, inheritance, power, transformation, and psychology. This house is the most polarising house due to the taboo nature of some of its key themes. People may have extreme reactions to things like death, power, and sex.

Bad Bitches Tarot and Tarot Mucha

Archetype—Hades—Lord of the Subconscious/Underworld

The King of Cups as Hades takes on the role as the Dark Lord but not in a negative way. They are just comfortable with things that make most people very uncomfortable. They are aware of their dark side and have embraced it. A true King of Cups in their power has gone through the dark night of the soul and has incorporated it into their psyche. This completeness in their power can mean that they are very intimidating or too intense for some people, primarily those who are afraid of their own dark sides.

If the King of Cups is in their shadow, they may be an overly emotional person who tends to deal with their emotions in unhealthy ways, whether that is excessive drinking, cheating, or violence. The King of Cups does nothing by halves; they are all in, for better or worse. On the other side of this extreme, the King of Cups can also totally withdraw, shutting down emotionally—brooding for long periods of time until they are good and ready to deal with their stuff. No one is going to force them to come out of their gothic mood.

The King of Cups can often get lost in their own emotions. They will think things through before making decisions and are very careful about who they let influence them. They aren’t into sharing their tactics, preferring to keep their cards close to their chest. Showing weaknesses or opportunities for failure is not something they tend to handle well.

The King of Cups/Hades has a deep sense of loyalty. They live by their own personal code and tend to put family first. They are the kind of leader who wants their children to take the reigns of their legacy and keep it alive. They do not want to write their children’s destiny for them, although in some cases they just might, because they have spent a lot of time and energy building their legacy and they feel that this is the right path for them to take.

In Love and Relationships

The King of Cups is very intense and only wants to be with someone where there is a deep connection, sexually and emotionally. If you are shallow and care more about what is happening on your favourite reality TV show than what is going on in the world, then you may get one hell of a steamy night in the bedroom with this lover, but they ain’t sticking around. They are well known for being quite the lover and people who are with a King of Cups will have fun trying to keep up with them in the bedroom. The King of Cups falls deeply and completely in love. They adore their family and will put their welfare first when making decisions.

People often swarm to Hades intensity, but many can’t handle it. The King of Cups is known to be very honest and may at times be too forthright, bordering on cruel. This is usually not their intention. It is just that small talk and niceties are not always their strong suit, and they would rather cut the crap and get to the heart of the matter. The words that they hear also affect them deeply, don’t let that confident exterior fool you; they care what people think of then, especially if they are into you.

The King of Cups is very generous, compassionate, and cultured. They carefully choose who they spend their time with. If you are one of the chosen ones, count yourself very lucky because they will shower you with their love. Once betrayed, the King of Cups will never have the same relationship with you, even if the betrayal is forgiven. They will not forget and there is very little chance of a romantic relationship working with the King of Cups once there has been infidelity. They will more than likely just cut you out of their lives and never look back. You have been warned.

If acting from their shadow, The King of Cups can manipulate situations without anyone ever knowing it happened. They sense what peoples’ motivations are and can use that to their advantage. They are also not above a little blackmail, or a lot, depending on just how badly they want what you have. In the extreme, the King of Cups can become codependent in a relationship or even abusive if they have not healed from their own past trauma.

At Work and Career

The King of Cups is drawn to any position where they can influence people. They will seek positions like ministers and religious leaders, motivational speakers, and sales people. These roles are natural selections for the King of Cups. They are also drawn to the ocean and bodies of water, so jobs such as sailors, fisherman, surfers, and marine biologists also suit them. Because death, change, and transition are also parts of this archetype, they will be drawn to working in the field of medicine, nursing, psychology, and death rights.

Hades is a passionate leader. If they believe in the work that they are doing, they will do just about anything for their team and the people who help them achieve their goals. As a manager the King of Cups honours loyalty and truth and wants to work with people who are not afraid to shake things up.

If the King of Cups is working in their shadow, they can be a bit of a conman who uses their sexuality to get what they want and doesn’t want to actually work for anything. Why do something when you can sleep your way to the top and get everyone else to work for you?

Indicators that you are a King of Cups/Hades archetype

• You desire a deep emotional connection in your relationships. It is all or nothing.

• Seduction is one of your strengths and people often refer to you as charming.

• You have been through trauma in your life and not only survived but thrived.

• You can naturally sense other peoples’ dark sides and are drawn to peoples’ shadow selves.

• You are highly intuitive.

• Power and sex for you are often connected.

King of Cups Strengths

• Aware of their power and affect on people

• Wise and perceptive

• Cultured

• Fearless

• Excellent in tense and difficult situations

• Creative

King of Cups Shadow Side

• Manipulative

• Dark/moody/broody

• Prone to addictions

• Destructive

• Projects emotions if it gets too intense

• Arrogant

The King of Cups Archetype in a Tarot Reading

Identifying the tarot court as either an aspect of yourself playing out or another person is something that can trip up even the most experienced tarot reader. When the King of Cups comes up in a tarot reading, be on the lookout for these behaviours as identifiers:

• Motivation—A person who is acting out of loyalty and protection of the people that they love and who they consider family.

• Observing highly emotional and intense situations without taking it personally or letting negativity affect you.

• A person who is quieter, highly attractive, and has a dangerous and tempting sexy aura. The person that you know is going to be trouble but you just can’t help yourself.

If the King of Cups comes up in a position that requires an outcome, action, or the next step forward, consider these actions as suggestions to move into the archetype’s power:

• Ask yourself—How can I handle this situation or tackle this obstacle with more emotional maturity and peace?

• Journey into self-exploration, work with understanding your strengths and limits, and develop your surroundings to support those things.

• Consider other peoples’ feelings and motivations in the situation and how it can be affecting the people involved and the situation itself.

• Ask—What would Hades do? Work with the mythology of the archetype to gain in-depth answers and options for moving forward. As with many myths, they can be intense, especially when it comes to Hades, so don’t take things too literally.

The Queen of Cups

Keywords

• Sensitive

• Open

• Intuitive

• Loving

• Spiritual

• Psychic

• Mysterious

Everyday Witch Tarot and Steampunk Tarot

Astrology—Cancer

The Queen of Cups holds dominion over the fourth house of astrology, which is the house of home and family. It is the space of parents, children, relations, and the deep needs that we have connected to home and family.

Archetype—The Mystic—The Priestess and the Psychic

The Queen of Cups as the Mystic is deep, emotional, psychic, spiritual, and naturally healing. They know things innately and are very connected to their intuition and emotions. They know that there is deep power in them and will honor their gifts and use them to help others. The Mystic is gifted at opening others to their natural intuitive and psychic abilities and is often drawn to spiritual paths that support their skills from a very early age.

This is the archetype that will know what someone is going to say before they do and can feel the vibe in a room just by entering it. They often dream vividly and seem to be a little aloof compared to more down to earth archetypes, because they always have one foot (or even half of their bodies) in the spiritual and energetic realm. They will be drawn to crystals, earth spirits (like faeries), and magical items of all kinds and will take to tools such as the tarot with grace and ease.

The Queen of Cups is also nurturing, sensitive, and caring. They are the type of person who loves, cares, and emotionally supports all children, whether they are biologically linked or not. They know that children are important and need care from us to change the world, and sees the future potential in many of the people that they cares for, they see the potential in all people. This is an extension of their psychic abilities, and in this way, they are being of service to spirit by supporting those around them.

The Mystic can be overprotective and overwhelming if they have not done any spiritual work themselves or if they let their emotions rule them when it comes to their expression in the world. They are not afraid to use tears to get what they want and they are the masters of emotional manipulation and guilting people. You won’t even realise that you are being triggered to respond the way they want you to.

If the Mystic acts out of their shadow, they will be ruthless and cold and won’t bat an eyelid when it comes to using what they know about people against them. They can also attract extremely ugly energies to their side, and if they lack a conscience, they will be very good at scamming people out of their hard earned cash.

In Love and Relationships

The Queen of Cups is a devoted and warm partner. They live for their partner and family. They love being around the people they adore and who adore them and are deeply romantic. Being a natural caretaker, they can assume that role in a relationship and can be attracted to people who need healing or taking care of. They also tend to know the people that they are in relationships with better than they know themselves. This can backfire on the Mystic as they seem to fall in love with the untapped potential of their partner and not the reality. Because they can see what could be and not always what is, they stick around for longer than they should.

They can slip into codependency very easily, especially if they have had issues with worthiness or have had partners belittle their intuitive gifts. If their need to be loved outweighs their need to be who they truly are, they will gravitate toward and choose a partner who will deny their intuitive gifts and oppress their true nature, forcing their gifts and talents away for the sake of acceptance.

The Queen of Cups can also tend to disappear into the background of a relationship. They do not overly enjoy the limelight or making life-changing decisions, so can often feel unheard. They can also put themselves last as they are too busy taking care of everyone else’s needs. If you are in a relationship with a Queen of Cups, make sure they get some love and time to recharge before they burn out or breakdown.

At Work and Career

You will find the Queen of Cups in any arena of emotional and intuitive healing. This is an archetype who is great at working in a team on their own as long as they feel as though they are using their talents for the greater good. Any realm of personal development, spiritual counselling and support, healing, and working with children will be areas that the Queen of Cups will feel perfectly at home in.

Working in a team, the Queen of Cups will be the one looking out for everyone else’s welfare and will often hold the emotional temperature of the team, so pay close attention to the Queen of Cups if you are a team leader or manager. They will tell you early on with their body language and words if things aren’t as good as you think they are. They understand the importance of safe space and will only work in positions and for companies that foster this for their employees.

The Mystic at work can often be overlooked because they are the ones doing the work, not seeking the approval. They are often highly emotionally invested in their workplace and the people in it and big changes in the workplace can rattle them a lot. They do not like drama at work, and if there is any instance of bullying or issues with co-workers that can lead them to want to quit and find something new rather than stay and try to work things out.

Indicators that you are a Queen of Cups/Mystic archetype

• You make your decisions via your intuition

• Naturally empathic and have developed your skills throughout your life

• Has the ability to help others navigate their own psychic gifts

• Highly tuned in to the needs of others

• Very drawn to spiritual teachings and mystery traditions

• Speaks from the heart and third eye chakras

• Understands people on an energetic level

• Understands when to use their gifts and when not to get involved

Queen of Cups Strengths

• Wise

• Can communicate without needing words

• Connects well with others

• Natural humanitarian

• Responsible with their gifts

• Compassionate

• Lives to be of service to spirit

• Heals relationships and hearts

Queen of Cups Shadow Side

• Flaky

• Fearful of maltreatment from others

• Elitist

• Ungrounded

• Emotionally guarded

• Disconnected from reality

• Emotionally manipulative

• Martyr

The Queen of Cups Archetype in a Tarot Reading

Identifying the tarot court as either an aspect of yourself playing out or another person is something that can trip up even the most experienced tarot reader. When the Queen of Cups comes up in a tarot reading, be on the lookout for these behaviours as identifiers:

• A highly intuitive individual who always seems to know what is going to happen before it does or who has other intuitive/psychic gifts that they are owning and using.

• Motivation—A person acting from a space of self-care and nurturing through acts of self-love.

• Someone who is emotionally manipulating people to get what they want, especially through guilt or emotional abuse.

If the Queen of Cups comes up in a position that requires an outcome, action, or the next step forward, consider these actions as suggestions to move into the archetype’s power:

• Ask yourself—Am I listening to my intuition in this situation or am I just going to ignore it and do what I want anyway? (Note that you will likely repeat the same cycle until you learn to listen to your intuition.)

• Learn to embrace your emotions as gifts and learn how to protect and control them through intuitive and psychic development.

• Dive deeper than what has been offered on the surface. There is more to be considered here before you move forward.

• Ask—What would the Oracle of Delphi do? Work with the mythology of the archetype to gain in-depth answers and options for moving forward.

The Knight of Cups

Keywords

• Romantic

• Intoxicating

• Passionate

• Focused

• Artistic

• Expressive

• Daring

• Charming

Everyday Witch Tarot and Bad Bitches Tarot

Astrology—Pisces

The Knight of Cups holds dominion over the twelfth house of astrology, which is the house of mysticism and hidden secrets. This astrological house is connected to all of the magic and divine secrets of the universe. Knight of Cups people are often called to work with a higher power. This is sort of the perfect card for all diviners, as they are really attracted to the secrets of life. It is also the house of self-reflection and self-sabotage, which are the two sides to the same coin.

Archetype—The Romantic—The Lover and Casanova

The Knight of Cups as the Romantic is a sensitive idealist. Though they are literally the sexiest thing walking, they can also be rather forgetful and elusive. They are hopeless romantics that believe that love conquers all. Their personal holy grail is the perfect love. The Romantic is the type of person who gets completely swept up in love—reality be damned. Who cares about the real world when they are having such an exquisite time romancing a new partner? They are the types who will do anything for the person they are with and take great pride in being able to live up to their well-earned reputation. They often hold love and their lovers up on a pedestal and look at past relationships through rose-coloured glasses.

The Romantic archetype are also dreamers and artists, which is a perfect expression for all of the love that they feel. They find beauty all around them. People are really drawn to this person because they will look at you with such passion in their eyes, you will want to come along and dream with them. They tend to do everything in life with creative and expressive flare.

If their creative energy and need for connection is not channelled into something positive, they can become addicted to whatever they feel is going to fill the hole. They are always chasing something that is out of their grasp, but in truth, they are in love with the yearning, the chase, and the freshness of the unexplored.

In Love and Relationships

The Knight of Cups/Romantic is always seeking the perfect relationship, the one, their other half, their soul mate, twin flame, and someone who is of course of equal hotness to themselves. Finding that person is their quest and purpose in life. Heavens knows what they are going to do when they actually find that person though, because sticking around is not really their MO. When they think they have found the one, they suddenly realise that it was in fact an illusion and off they go seeking again.

They are also the emotional rescuer, someone who wants to feel needed. They want to be the hero and will find people that will validate their romantic gestures and efforts. They tend to be introspective and feel deeply, and can be wounded by the people they are in love with very easily.

All knights are linked to the element of fire. When the Knight of Cups taps into their fire, they can be harsh with their words and know just what to use to cripple the other person emotionally. Along with this fire comes the drama that is often attached to the Knight of Cups in their relationships. They want to feel all of the things with every fibre of their being, even if it is not bringing out the best in themselves or their partner.

The Romantic will often go back to ex-loves and have rose-coloured glasses when it comes to their past lovers. They even hold the person that they are with up against their elevated images, which has no base in reality but gives them an excuse to disregard someone and move on with little guilt.

At Work and Career

Knight of Cups people tend to have more than one creative passion and have an impressive toolkit of skills. They know how to use many aspects of creativity, from design suits to computer programs, visual storytelling, and the use of words. These knights often succeed when they are part of a creative team or when they work for themselves. If they are creative entrepreneurs, they will need someone to help them stay motivated or will have to outsource the work they don’t want to do, such as accounting and sales. They want to do what they love and what they are good at and that is about it.

The Romantic can be really fickle and hard to get to commit to a project or job long term. They are not ones to do anything that needs a lot of analysing and attention to detail, so if you are working with a Knight of Cups, balance out your team with some practical personnel to help get things done. The Knight of Cups does not like rules and red tape and can be frustrated when things are not flowing. They are also not the easiest to manage and coach if they are having a bad day.

They can tend to stir up drama at work and will enjoy gossiping and can even be the type to start the drama. If they have a falling out with a leader or management at work, there is no way they will return to that work place. They won’t resolve things with the people they feel have wronged them.

There is NO place that the Romantic feels is off limits when it comes to pursuing a lover, so this archetype has no problem getting busy with co-workers, bosses, and employees. Even better if it is breaking some company rules—it makes it all the hotter.

Indicators that you are a Knight of Cups/Romantic archetype

• You are a huge romantic and love to be in love

• No one is right for you, finding fault in your relationships

• The chase is sweeter than the capture

• You move around a lot in love, work, and life and it is always linked to how you are feeling

• Loyal to the love of your life, even if that is yourself or a project you are working on

• Experiences intense desires and dreams, but can find it hard to manifest them into reality

• Feels misunderstood by authority figures.

Knight of Cups Strengths

• Romantic

• Expressive with their love

• They push people outside of their comfort zone

• Uninterested in the status quo

• Trail blazers in the arts

• They don’t settle

Knight of Cups Shadow Side

• Loves to play the game and treats love like a competitive sport

• Detached from the heart of love

• Gets involved in dramatic situations in all areas of life

• Swings from fantastic to doomed with little middle ground

• Matures later due to lack of stability

The Knight of Cups Archetype in a Tarot Reading

Identifying the tarot court as either an aspect of yourself playing out or another person is something that can trip up even the most experienced tarot reader. When the Knight of Cups comes up in a tarot reading, be on the lookout for these behaviours as identifiers:

• A smooth talking, romantic person that stares into your soul.

• A person who has a reputation for leaving a trail of broken hearts.

• A temperamental being who does not like their fantasy spoiled or for people to rain on their parade.

• A person who is constantly chasing a fantasy in love and not something sustainable. This person often sees all aspects of life through rose-coloured glasses, not just relationships.

If the Knight of Cups comes up in a position that requires an outcome, action, or the next step forward, consider these actions as suggestions to move into the archetype’s power:

• Ask yourself—Am I looking for something real or a fantasy that I am holding onto? Am I running away from emotional commitment?

• Learn to express your heart, your desires, your needs. This can be done through the written word, art, music, dance. Find your romantic voice and allow it some air time.

• Follow your heart and finally take action when it comes to the things you love.

• Ask—What would Casanova/Romeo/Juliet do? Work with the characters of the archetype or pop culture representations to gain in-depth answers and options for moving forward.

The Page of Cups

Keywords

• Family orientated

• Emotionally open

• Imaginative

• Connected

• Transformative

• Charismatic

• Sensitive

Triple Goddess Tarot and Mucha Tarot

Astrology:

No fixed astrological assignment. The Empath/Page of Cups can be any aligned to any of the water zodiac signs: Cancer, Scorpio, or Pisces. They embody all of them.

Archetype—The Empath

The Page of Cups is extremely sensitive, which can be a gift if they are in an environment where it is embraced and supported. They wear their heart and the entirety of their emotional gamut on their sleeves. They are easily hurt and take words to heart. It can take a long time for them to heal from an emotional wound. Most importantly, people who have friends, children, lovers and family members who are the Empath will do well to encourage them to develop their skills and learn to manage their amazing energy so that they are not overwhelmed by the world but feel more self-empowered.

The Empath wants to learn everything that is connected to energy, love, emotion, and beauty as this is the language that they natively understand. They are a student of the arts, poetry, and painting. They love bodies of water and are children of the ocean. The Page of Cups will need a body of water to recharge and cleanse their energy regularly above regular hygienic bathing.

This archetype can easily get depressed or have nightmares if they are taking on too much energy that does not belong to them or if they do not know how to control their natural empathic gifts. Empaths need to have some grounding practices to help balance out their levels so that they don’t take on everything around them and take everything personally.

The Empath is the kind of person that finds being around people, crowds, strange places, and loud noises the hardest. This is because Empaths are energetic and emotional sponges. They can’t help but take in what is going on around them. It is as natural as breathing. To remedy this, Empaths benefit from good energetic hygiene and a lot of recharge time.

While Empaths can carry their gifts to adulthood, many find that they were forced to shut their gifts down for survival. It is easier to identify an Empath as a child than in an adult. Throughout their lives, Empaths will learn the skills of the other court cards through the knights (action), queens (nurturing), and kings (leading). They are like the raw element of their suit and therefore carry the most elemental power, which in the page’s case is water/emotional.

In Love and Relationships

The Page of Cups can find codependent relationships very attractive because they need the security of another person to keep them safe. They are total balls of love though and give 100 percent of themselves to their relationships. They are such sweet beings when they give love and will naturally know what their partner needs without being told at any given moment.

They can be emotionally reliant on others as well and will seek out approval and constant reassurance that they are loved. They are a relationship chameleon and will go with the flow and be easily lead, by the other person. Being an emotional powerhouse, they can often be a little needy and will have a million triggers, so nearly anything can tip them off, especially if they are feeling overwhelmed.

If they have done little work on their gifts, they are going to be a handful for most people as they can be intense. Because of all of the energy they absorb, they can find it hard to communicate what their needs are, as they are not entirely sure if what they are feeling actually belongs to them or not at times. One of their secret weapons to get their way is to throw an Oscar award–winning tantrum.

Parents, family members, and partners of an Empath will do extremely well to get to understand their Empath’s gift. Each Empath will experience their gift in a different way, so talking to them as though it is the most natural thing in the world and that you are on their side will yield positive results for everyone involved. Once there is understanding and open communication, parents can assist with the protection and development of their Empath and partners and family members can encourage that they lean into their strengths and develop their talents.

At Work and Career

The Empath needs to feel good about the work that they are doing and will need to be praised for their work often. They also need to feel safe. They tend to drift off and start a lot of creative projects but not finish them. They are natural artists and the type of people who had their first set of drums or guitar at a very young age and can play multiple instruments. If this is nurtured in them, they carry this gift throughout their lives, but they can also pick up their craft after years of not using it and it was like they never stopped.

This archetype will find the hustle and bustle of working in a big city or for a large corporation overwhelming if they are not able to control their abilities. It will simply be too much for them. They would rather have a small business working from home or be surrounded by people who are creative and who understand them than have a steady paycheck.

Indicators that you are a Page of Cups/Empath archetype

• Strong empathic gifts since childhood

• Have had or are in a codependent relationship (note that this relationship can be any relationship: a sibling, parent, or friend, not just a lover)

• Believe that love is all or nothing

• Constantly working on boundaries around energy and emotions

• Find it hard to take responsibility for failures in life

Page of Cups Strengths

• Can get a read on things that no one else can

• Extremely imaginative and has unlimited resources for creativity

• Loves with their whole being

• Cares deeply about the well-being of their community, family, and nature

• Will take care of you without you even needing to ask

• Upfront with how they are feeling

Page of Cups Shadow Side

• Will sulk when they don’t get what they want

• Unsure of their identity outside of a relationship

• Unsure of how to cope with the world

• Wants to escape often

• Blames others for faults

The Page of Cups Archetype in a Tarot Reading

Identifying the tarot court as either an aspect of yourself playing out or another person is something that can trip up even the most experienced tarot reader. When the Page of Cups comes up in a tarot reading, be on the lookout for these behaviours as identifiers:

• A person who expresses their emotions openly without any filter, which can be a good thing, but some may find it confronting.

• A person who is very intuitive and feels energy from people and places naturally. This can also come up as someone who is highly empathic but finds it hard to put all of the emotions into words. Sometimes it comes up as anxiety or sadness. If those people can learn to connect their empathic energies to their throat chakra with safe people, there can also be an opportunity to heal, as many of these people were told as children that what they are feeling is wrong.

• An emotionally immature person or someone who lacks a lot of self-understanding.

If the Page of Cups/Empath comes up in a position that requires an outcome, action, or the next step forward, consider these actions as suggestions to move into the archetype’s power:

• Ask yourself—Am I the emotional barometer of the room that I am in? For example, if I am in a bad mood, does everyone else feel it, suffer and then come down to my level too?

• Learn to care about the feelings of other people. For those people where this does not come naturally, it will open many doors of understanding for you.

• Meet the obstacle or action with love and compassion first, foremost, and with as much enthusiasm as you possibly can. There is never too much love out there in the world.

• Ask—What would my heart do? Work with the embodiment of our emotions in this physical world. Sit with your heart and connect with your inner Empath.

The King of Wands

Keywords

• Hotheaded

• Daring

• Driven

• Visionary

• Challenging

• Committed

• Tenacious

• Disruptive

Triple Goddess Tarot and Everyday Witch Tarot

Astrology—Leo

The King of Wands is the ruler of the fifth house of astrology, which is the house of recreation, fun, romance, procreation, creativity, and children.

Archetype—The Entrepreneur

The Entrepreneur is going to create the life that they want and will have little time for anyone who is not on the same page or cannot get behind their vision. If you openly doubt them, they don’t really care, they will just focus and succeed anyway. They have dared to try more times than most and even though there may be failed businesses in their past, they cannot conform to a job just because they need one. Life is not about having the same job or routine until the day they die; life is about doing things their way.

People love being around this archetype as they hold an infectious aura and a lifestyle many idolise. They have big energy which people can sense a mile off and they raise other peoples’ vibrations just be being close to them. The King of Wands is engaging and inspiring. People feel better, warmer, and ready to take on the world when they are around them because they simply shine, all the time.

The King of Wands has an intuitive pulse on what people and the market need and are usually seen as untraditional by those who are happy doing things the way they have always been done. Want to insult this archetype? Call them ordinary. (Go on, I dare you.) They will happily be responsible for their failures in a business as long as they can reap the rewards of their successes too. Most risks are well and truly worth it and they love walking the fine line between brilliance and madness.

In Love and Relationships

The King of Wands/Entrepreneur needs to be with someone who is playful and that they see as just as attractive as they perceive themselves to be. They are going to be concerned with the way their physical body looks to the outside world, so you better be too if you are in a relationship with a King of Wands. They want to be “that” couple that people look at with jealousy in their eyes, even if things are not so crash hot behind closed doors.

The King of Wands is a constant flirt. It is their natural way of being and communicating with people. They demand attention. Whether good or bad, they don’t really care so long as they are getting it. They are very aware of any reflective surface around them to check themselves out, and they know which angles of their faces are their best. The King of Wands can tend to have out of control egos if they are not balanced in any way. They live to be around people and will always be the one commanding and leading the conversation.

This tarot archetype wants a relationship that is going to support their success and may often leave their partners and family when the phone rings with a business call or miss out on birthdays and holidays. They often justify this with the notion that they are providing for their family and creating a lifestyle that they all deserve, even if their partner has a different idea of what is a desirable lifestyle. If you are in a relationship with this archetype, knowing what you are agreeing to is vital. You may get to go to wonderful locations all over the world in finery, but you may also not be the most important thing to your partner and may be left to do many things on your own.

The King of Wands is naturally drawn to children and will want children of their own (if for no other reason than to pass on their incredibly good looks … I kid, mostly). The hard part for the King of Wands in this is that they also want their independence. Balancing that scale is a constant battle for them. They are very family oriented but must have a good, healthy outlet for their need for recreation and creativity to make it work. Controlling or tying down this archetype in something too routine and mundane is just going to make them bolt.

At Work and Career

The Entrepreneur doesn’t want to be the boss—they need to be the boss. If they are not in a leadership role, they soon will be. If they do not like the rules or think that they know better, there is going to be clashing of heads and fireworks going off in the office. They need to have creative freedom and want to make big changes. They are all about the big picture. If they are in a leadership role, get behind them or get out of their way.

The King of Wands as a child would have sold the most fundraising cookies every year or set up a car washing business on the weekends. More often than not this archetype will have had more than one business while growing up and loved nothing more than being the boss.

This archetype knows how to make the best out of any market situation and will quickly move to the next hottest trend and always seems to know where the next cash cow is going to be. They are also built for work starting many new companies and then selling them off for large sums of money, just to repeat the same thing in a different niche.

Indicators that you are a King of Wands/The Entrepreneur archetype

• You challenge ineffective authority figures without a second guess

• Had businesses and lemonade stands as a child

• Works to their full potential when in charge

• Not overly concerned with how others view you

• Takes risks for potentially large gains

• Ahead of trends and commercial markets

• Worked or works in start up businesses or owns own business

King of Wands Strengths

• Does what needs to be done

• Has great work ethic

• Thinks of the bigger picture

• Embraces change

• Inspirational

• Is a people person and often a philanthropist

King of Wands Shadow Side

• Ego may get out of control

• Can stretch themselves and relationships thin

• Changes too often and for no real good reason

• Ruthless in the name of business

• Uses people or sees them only for their usefulness

• Money and material things take priority

The King of Wands Archetype in a Tarot Reading

Identifying the tarot court as either an aspect of yourself playing out or another person is something that can trip up even the most experienced tarot reader. When the King of Wands comes up in a tarot reading, be on the lookout for these behaviours as identifiers:

• A person who is a naturally inspiring energy to be around. Someone who helps others ignite their own fires and gets them engaged in their own lives and world views.

• A person being an entrepreneur in an area of your life and not being afraid to go it alone. This can be anyone who is being a trailblazer in their own way.

• Observing actions that reflect caring for communities and the world, and working on humanitarian projects.

If the King of Wands comes up in a position that requires an outcome, action, or the next step forward, consider these actions as suggestions to move into the archetype’s power:

• Ask yourself—Can I think and act bigger and do better? This is related to this king’s ability to bring people together to make big changes.

• Be a leader that people want to follow, whether that is by cooling down the situation and bringing a level head or not being afraid to share your knowledge with others to empower them. This king is a natural at uniting people under a belief system (religious or not).

• Stand up for what you believe in and do not be afraid to be who you are.

• Ask—What would King Arthur do? Work with the character of the archetype and pop culture representations of that character to gain in-depth answers and options for moving forward.

The Queen of Wands

Keywords

• Magnetic

• Powerful

• Influential

• Graceful

• Sensual

• Protective

• Fiery

• Entitled

Bad Bitches Tarot and Steampunk Tarot

Astrology—Aries

The Queen of Wands is the lady of the first house of astrology, which is the house of self-identity, the physical body, self-expression, personality, and self-discovery.

Archetype—The Performer

The Performer will feel like they are on stage at all times and they are the star. They are the actors, actresses, musicians, and artists. They are the life of the party and are naturally charismatic. Heads turn when the Queen of Wands walk into ANY room. They are likely to be the most popular person anywhere they go and will often be seen in the socialite papers drinking and dining with everyone who has connections. They know who they are and are very comfortable with themselves. There is an air of star quality about them. The Performer is concerned with social status, appearances, and social etiquette. They have a reputation to uphold and will make decisions across their entire life to keep up with their brand, even if it is not good for their health or happiness long term.

Being a natural chameleon, it can be difficult at first to know who this person really is as they are adept at putting on a show and hiding behind a mask. This can be used as a form of protection or as manipulation. The Performer is more likely than other court card archetypes to need validation from their peers and the public. They crave adoration from people they don’t know and their loved ones alike.

The Queen of Wands/Performer is a creative and expressive person who experiences their journey to self-awareness and wholeness through embodying other people and playing out a variety of situations. If you are looking to get this archetype on the same page as you, know that they need to feel personally involved to be impacted or moved enough to take action on behalf of someone else.

The Queen of Wands is a competitive soul who is willing to take on any challenge that is presented to them. When there is difficulty in life, they are the one who rolls up their sleeves and says, “Bring it.” If you ever try to tell this queen that they can’t do something, they will give you the middle finger and say watch me! Part of this is bravado and the other part is that they have had to work hard for their position in life so are not afraid to go after something they deem worthy of their energy.

In Love and Relationships

The Queen of Wands can seem unattainable and will most likely have a large line of suitors just waiting in the wings to try to win their heart. They are a seductive soul who knows that they are a desired lover. People want to be them or be with them. They ooze sensuality, which is incredibly self-empowering and can often use their powers of seduction to get what they want. This can lead to the Queen of Wands attracting all of the wrong people in relationships, as they are attracted to their public face and not the real person underneath.

The Performer can hold a grudge for a very long time and will remember everything that was ever said or done in a relationship. Winning arguments with them can be too exhausting to even try. They do like their own time away from the relationship and will need their other half to give them some room to be an individual and be seen outside of their partnership. If you are in a relationship with a Queen of Wands and they want a weekend away with their best friends, it is advised you say yes. If denied they will find that release somewhere less constructive. You should feel privileged that they even considered asking you in the first place.

Authenticity is a challenge in relationships for this court card, this archetype as they can be more concerned about what their relationship looks like from the outside than what is going on underneath. They keep up appearances. For long-term relationships to be healthy and sustainable, this queen will have to be willing to do some committed personal work. Trying to change the Performer in a relationship is not going to work. They will have their priorities, which are usually their name in lights and award ceremonies, and will show what they are through their actions. If you are unable to accept that this is who and how they are, don’t court them.

At Work and Career

The Queen of Wands is drawn to working with people who are going to give them the status and attention that they need. They want influence, accolades, and money. Depending on their set of values, they will use their ability to build considerable influence for the greater good or for purely selfish reasons. They are very savvy business people who leads their teams or business to success through unity and passion.

In a team of people, the Queen of Wands is more worried about cultural fit and the social life of everyone in the workplace than the actual work. They just want to like the people that they are working with and know that the company has a good social calendar and perks for their employees. This court card archetype usually leads team building activities and fundraisers in the workplace.

Because they are the Performer, they will need to be seen and heard, so any work where they get to stand in front of crowds of people and demand their undivided attention is going to be very appealing for them. That is if they are not working in the arts or building their own personal empire.

Indicators that you are a Queen of Wands/Performer archetype

• Been popular without effort for as long as you can remember

• You need the microphone wrestled from you at karaoke night

• Comfortable speaking to people from all walks of life

• You love attention and need to be working with people

• Concerned with the way the world views or judges you

• Your life tends to be extremely busy, dramatic, and full of people

Queen of Wands Strengths

• Radiates warmth

• Can instigate change with their huge influence

• Brings people together

• Inspiring for others to be around

• Connects and communicates with people well

• Wonderful storyteller

Queen of Wands Shadow Side

• Completely self-involved

• Obsessive

• Highly dramatic

• Can suffer from anxiety and other types of body stress

• Guarded

The Queen of Wands Archetype in a Tarot Reading

Identifying the tarot court as either an aspect of yourself playing out or another person is something that can trip up even the most experienced tarot reader. When the Queen of Wands comes up in a tarot reading, be on the lookout for these behaviours as identifiers:

• A person who uses their influence to do something about the causes they believe in.

• Motivation—Acting from a place of authenticity and allowing their light to shine.

• Someone who is not afraid of attention. This can be both healthy and unhealthy. A person who is not afraid of attention but is holding it in a positive way does not put down others or seek to steal someone else’s glow. If someone is acting out to gain attention, there may be a need that is not being met.

• Someone who is hiding in a relationship or who is compartmentalising aspects of themselves and their lives. This person would rather escape into someone else’s world than deal with their own reality.

If the Queen of Wands comes up in a position that requires an outcome, action, or the next step forward, consider these actions as suggestions to move into the archetype’s power:

• Ask yourself—Can I find a better way of expressing who I am and what I need? Be flexible and able to adapt to many ways of doing things. Being rigid is not the way forward here.

• Sometimes you just have to put on a mask and smile through it, whether this is to stand up for yourself when asking for a promotion, or in front of a law or policy maker. It may be scary or uncomfortable but channel your inner performer, don’t let them see you sweat.

• Give yourself a stage name and allow yourself to freely express what you need. Even Beyoncé and Lady Gaga have alter egos. There is a reason that masked parties and Halloween are times we give ourselves permission to let our inhibitions out.

• Ask—What would Margo Channing or Ally (A Star is Born) do? Work with the character of the archetype and pop culture representations of that character to gain in-depth answers and options for moving forward.

The Knight of Wands

Keywords

• Change

• Adventure

• Travel

• Spiritual pilgrimage

• Courage

• Faith

• Religious and or spiritual activities

• Initiative

Tarot Mucha and Everyday Witch Tarot

Astrology—Sagittarius

The Knight of Wands is the cavalier of the ninth house of astrology, which is the house of travel, ethics, law, philosophy, morality, and higher education.

Archetype—The Adventurer

The Adventurer is always on the move and planning their next exotic location to work and play in. They are not the kind of people to sit at a resort and lounge about—oh no, that is way too boring and a lost opportunity to discover some hidden gem of a restaurant that only the locals know about. Their mission is to experience life to the fullest, to surround themselves with as many different people and places they can in the most authentic way they can. They love to be active and feel like they are on their lifelong quest of knowing who they really are, which in my experience with the Knight of Wands people, has been by having a lot of sex, travelling, and running at the first sign of commitment.

These people cannot sit still and will often live in many places throughout their lives. The Knight of Wands wants to move out of home as soon as they can and will most likely move to another country, never to return to their hometown permanently again. The Adventurer doesn’t own a lot of physical things while they are travelling extensively; memories mean more anyway. If they can’t carry it, they won’t buy it. But you can be sure their Instagram feed is a jealousy-inducing sight to behold.

The Adventurer will often be drawn to be part of many spiritual or religious paths. They are seeking the ultimate connection and this is one of the ways they can go about experiencing this. Joining churches, covens, groups, and spiritual communities feeds their need for something new or someone new all the time.

The Knight of Wands thinks that they are invincible. They are carefree and flexible and change doesn’t phase them in the least. All of these things, along with their tales of exotic travel and crazy adventures, makes them very alluring. People are naturally drawn them. They are up for anything, once or twice, and are very adaptable, ever the social chameleon. They seem to have a million friends, but few very close friends. All of the moving about doesn’t help with building lasting relationships.

In Love and Relationships

The Knight of Wands burns very brightly but not for very long. They are fireworks and summer love or that romantic hookup you had on vacation. They will seek people who want adventure and who want to come along for the ride. However they are the ones who are in charge of the party train, so their partner has to be okay with going with the flow and having things change at the drop of a hat.

Being the Adventurer, they view relationships and romantic love as just that, another adventure. They will look at how they can conquer their latest lover’s desires and find their secrets just as though they were looking at climbing a mountain. Once they have climbed that mountain, however, they aren’t likely to want to stay for long as they know there is another conquest to win just over the horizon.

The Knight of Wands is a yes person and will usually overcommit their energy, which, at times, can leave very little for their partner. They can be laying right next to you but a million miles away. If they have not done any real self-development, they are in for rocky relationships. They usually leave a trail of broken hearts and unrequited love behind them while they charge ahead, unaware of the devastation they leave in their wake.

At Work and Career

The Knight of Wands will not be the type of person who will go to college for years and then sit behind a desk for the rest of their life. They would rather be sleeping on their friend’s couch and work for themselves than do that. The Knight of Wands will want a job where they have freedom and flexibility. If they feel as though they are getting told what to do too much, they are out. They hate playing by other peoples’ rules and are not into doing the same thing every day, which is why any position that requires travel and constant change is perfect for them.

Working in a team with this archetype can be tricky. When they are on a roll, they are incredibly effective at getting things done, and their ability to adapt and change quickly make them assets in many professions, but they constantly need a challenge. They won’t settle for good enough. Once they have mastered one role, they will be looking at something new or they will be on vacation all of the time.

Any role that has an element of competition will be highly attractive to the Adventurer as they love nothing but to throw themselves into competition. If they can make unlimited amounts of money, they are more than likely going to stick around too, because their goals will always be moving.

Indicators that you are a Knight of Wands/Adventurer archetype

• Interested in religion, philosophy, and spiritual paths from a young age

• Change rarely has a negative effect on you

• Problem-solving is a highly developed skill

• You have a lot of stamps in your passport

• You left home early and moved from your hometown

• Telling stories about your amazing adventures is second nature

• Relationships are thought of fondly, but you aren’t ready yet to lay down roots

Knight of Wands Strengths

• Incredibly adaptable

• Highly motivational

• Is a bridge between people

• Open minded and inclusive

• Physically capable

Knight of Wands Shadow Side

• Doesn’t clean up their emotional mess well

• Selfish

• Careless

• Immature

• Restless and unfulfilled

The Knight of Wands Archetype in a Tarot Reading

Identifying the tarot court as either an aspect of yourself playing out or another person is something that can trip up even the most experienced tarot reader. When the Knight of Wands comes up in a tarot reading, be on the lookout for these behaviours as identifiers:

• A person who is travelling a lot for work, travel and work abroad, or are constantly on the road.

• Observing someone who has experienced and been part of different spiritual paths and religions throughout their lives. Someone who is always seeking something bigger, something inside themselves and/or to understand the intelligent universe.

• A natural storyteller who is able to connect with people in an intimate way to better understand themselves. They are often the catalyst for people starting their own spiritual journeys as well.

If the Knight of Wands comes up in a position that requires an outcome, action, or the next step forward, consider these actions as suggestions to move into the archetype’s power:

• Ask yourself—Am I really passionate about what I am doing with my life? This is a good way to check in to see if you are allowing yourself the time and energy to do what makes your heart and soul happy outside your worldly responsibilities.

• Take action now! Do the thing. Be in the moment and embrace it. This is especially true when the next step includes a plane ticket or moving geographical location.

• Ask—What would Indiana Jones do? Work with the character of the archetype and pop culture representations of that character to gain in-depth answers and options for moving forward.

The Page of Wands

Keywords

• Fun

• Joyful

• Inquisitive

• Impulsive

• Irrational

• Cheeky

• Playful

Bad Bitches Tarot and Mucha Tarot

Astrology

No fixed astrological assignment. The Page of Wands can be any of the fire zodiac signs: Leo, Aries, or Sagittarius. They embody all of them.

Archetype—Peter Pan

Peter Pan is a hard one to pin down, literally. This ball of energy is always on the go and very rarely sits still. They have an off and on button—it is one or the other, all of the time. They are excitable people who have many, many things on the go all at once. They are drawn to creative and spiritual ventures and are extremely enthusiastic when it comes to spiritual progress and self-knowledge but don’t really want to implement any of it because that means they will have to change and grow up.

They are always looking for something. Because they are at the beginning of their spiritual journey, being Peter Pan, this page often looks outside of themselves instead of inside. They are confident and self-assured, but they lack experience or knowledge to back their confidence up. Think of a disciple of any spiritual path at the beginning of their journey. They are into everything and want to buy all of the tools, read all of the books, and start all of the arguments and discussions but have little knowledge to really help them get past one or two points.

The Page of Wands is full of joy and laughter. You can’t keep this enthusiastic person down; they bounce right back up again and keep on going. They can be theatrical, cruel, and superficial as well. Drama is their middle name, so this can be either expressed in a healthy way or be rather toxic. They crave attention like a flame needs oxygen and will get very destructive if they aren’t being seen and validated.

As soon as something becomes too serious or is no longer any fun, they are out. If they are not having a good time, they don’t see the point. People tend to grow tired of this after a time, and the Peter Pan archetype may find it hard to have deep connections because they are easily distracted and don’t like taking responsibility for their lives or actions. They always have a reason why something is the way it is and an excuse or scapegoat or seven that they are ready to rattle off in case they need to get out of something.

In Love and Relationships

Parents of a Peter Pan archetype will be constantly on the go or cleaning up after their cheeky monkey. Getting this child to burn off their energy with plenty of varied physical activity will aid them in finding some peace and quiet later on. With healthy imaginations, these children will thrive in dance, theatre, and sport. It is a good idea to watch your Peter Pan child as they can easily become the ring leader child in their group with their incredible charm and if they are not nurtured to understand other children, they may become bullies or leaders of cliques.

The Page of Wands archetype as an adult is a very passionate lover and partner. They are outspoken and like to argue. If there aren’t fireworks, shouting, and passionate make up sex, then there isn’t love in their opinion. They are likely to burn through a few relationships before they are ready to leave the need for drama behind. They are quick to fall in love or lust with someone and just as quick to fall out. They often have very healthy tempers.

At Work and Career

Peter Pan will find being an apprentice in anything that leads to knowledge or accolades very tempting but the actual work gruelling. The Page of Wands tends to have a lot of passion projects on the go, but the chances of them completing any of them are slim. The idea of the thing is always so much better than the reality. They are however, very good at getting others to do their work for them.

They are reactive and when something does not go their way at work, they are not going to be at all happy about it. Believe me, you will know just how unhappy they are. They don’t keep their opinions to themselves. However, if they have managed to harness their power, they can be great problem-solvers. They can also suffer from foot in mouth disease and may not be able to stop themselves from saying something in anger that will get them in trouble.

Peter Pan is going to jump from job to job and be very likely to find get rich quick schemes very tempting. They will very easily ask for investment money from the people in their lives and will find someone to drain dry of resources for their next big idea.

Indicators that you are a Page of Wands/Peter Pan archetype

• Extroverted and comfortable with people from a young age

• People have always been drawn to you

• The class or workplace clown

• Many relationships with younger people, will often sire children with multiple mothers or fathers

• Money and stability are issues because you never stick to anything for very long

• Like to gossip and be in the thick of the drama

• Attention seeker

Page of Wands Strengths

• Optimistic in all areas of life

• Keeps up with technological and cultural changes

• Naturally aligned with cheering people up when they are down

• Sees the magic and joy in life

• Is always on an adventure or telling you about one

Page of Wands Shadow Side

• Unwilling to take responsibility for their life

• Slow to admit when they are wrong

• Rash when making decisions

• Can fire up people for the wrong reasons

• Runs away from anything challenging or hard

The Page of Wands Archetype in a Tarot Reading

Identifying the tarot court as either an aspect of yourself playing out or another person is something that can trip up even the most experienced tarot reader. When the Page of Wands comes up in a tarot reading, be on the lookout for these behaviours as identifiers:

• A person who just doesn’t want to grow up.

• Temper tantrums, arguments, and people starting fights just for the heck of it.

• Observation of free expression. This comes in all forms but is done with a lot of gusto and energy no matter what the method.

If the Page of Wands comes up in a position that requires an outcome, action, or the next step forward, consider these actions as suggestions to move into the archetype’s power:

• Ask yourself—Am I thinking outside the box? Am I making things more dramatic than they need to be? While this archetype has immature tendencies, they are also excellent at lateral thinking. Putting the energy needed to keep the drama at bay and putting it to more creative endeavours is highly suggested.

• See things from the space of the magic and joy of your inner child, when believing things was more important than knowing the truth, when you were able to use your imagination to transport yourself to anywhere and be anything.

• Ask—What would Peter Pan do? Work with the character of the archetype and pop culture representations of that character to gain in-depth answers and options for moving forward.

The King of Pentacles

Keywords

• Powerful

• Rich

• Practical

• Generous

• Materialistic

• Disciplined

• Reliable

Bad Bitches Tarot and Steampunk Tarot

Astrology—Taurus

The King of Pentacles is the patriarch of the second house of astrology, which is the house of values, ethics, self-worth, and personal belongings.

Archetype—The Manager

The Manager is a confident archetype that demands respect. This is usually because they hold power or money (or both) and this need for people to respect them can be misplaced or unjustified. They assume everyone values the same things that they do and do not even try to convince people of their perceived entitlement. They walk into the room like they own it, and with this archetype, they very well may own the entire building.

The King of Pentacles knows where to invest their time, money, and energy. They have an uncanny instinct with people and situations, and their advice is often sought as they are rarely wrong, especially if there is monetary gain or loss on the line. They know how to get just about anything to achieve their goals and are natural networkers because people want to know this person. They are born doers, but rather than being idealistic about their roles, they want to see results.

If there is an archetype in the tarot court that hates time wasters, it is the King of Pentacles. Time is money. When you come to them, you want to get straight to the point and hold the flattery, as it is not going to get you anywhere. The King of Pentacles also uses their words wisely. They know that listening and silence hold more power than most realise.

While the Manager can be as subtle as a sledgehammer, they have a warm side and are very protective of those who they choose to be in their tribe. The King of Pentacles has a dry sense of humour and will be laughing when no one else is. When they feel as though the people around them have shown their worth they will be very giving with their riches and want to help the people around them succeed.

In Love and Relationships

The King of Pentacles is the provider. If their loved ones need something, or even if they just want something, they will make it happen for them. They are not afraid to go after what they want. The Manager can tend to spoil the person that they are with. The way that this archetype shows love is usually through the material world. Gifts, trips, pampering, all of the things the human experience can want to experience will be given freely to the people they love.

The Manager can seem emotionless and insensitive, especially to outsiders, and will rarely share how they are feeling. They will find relationships that are sensible and feasible and like down-to-earth people. They are practical communicators who don’t sugar coat things. This can come across as harsh or blunt, but they rarely mean it to. They are just to the point. It can take a lot to provoke this bull but when they get triggered you would do best to get out of the way, as they are a force to be reckoned with. They are more likely to avoid confrontation and change in a relationship if everything is working well enough and they are comfortable.

The King of Pentacles can also signify someone who has married for money, political reasons, or even an arranged marriage. There has to be a benefit somewhere to getting married, right?

At Work and Career

The King of Pentacles is the money person. They are the one with their name in the business and the Manager on their business card. They have access to the company’s private jet, the designer wardrobe, and the “I could build a house with that” expensive watch. They differ from the Entrepreneur as the Manager is happy to work for someone else in a well established business. They will follow the rules, take the paths that have proven successful before, and plan their success with detail.

The King of Pentacles will consider the bottom line in all decisions around their career and business. They track and watch what is happening at work and are likely to surpass expectations when it comes to their key performance indicators and goals. They will want to have a clear career path and want to be promoted, praised, and rewarded in their work. They will often have an endgame in mind with their career, which usually sees them sitting in charge of large amounts of money, people, or both.

In business and in life this archetype will want to dominate. They play to win and are not the kind of person who can be swayed from their goals. This is also the card of real life kings and royalty.

Indicators that you are a King of Pentacles/Manager archetype

• Naturally able to save money

• Resourceful and know how to get what you need

• Like the finer things in life

• Good with large projects and a lot of moving parts

• Want quality over quantity

• Fantastic in management positions

• Holds self and others to high expectations

• Once you have decided, the course is set in stone

King of Pentacles Strengths

• Provides more than enough

• Shows love and appreciation

• Manages resources and money expertly

• Makes informed and smart decisions

• Good at the long game

• Listens well and consults others

• Organised

King of Pentacles Shadow Side

• Greedy

• Critical of others and self

• Impatient with people they deem unworthy

• Unable to change easily

• Withholding of emotions and love

• Feels there is never enough

The King of Pentacles Archetype in a Tarot Reading

Identifying the tarot court as either an aspect of yourself playing out or another person is something that can trip up even the most experienced tarot reader. When the King of Pentacles comes up in a tarot reading, be on the lookout for these behaviours as identifiers:

• Someone who is being cautious and who wants to get a solid grasp on the situation before jumping in and making a decision.

• A money-honey or a person who is not afraid to be generous with their riches. The positive money-honey is a generous person who shares what they have and realises that people and relationships are worth more than cash. However, they can also risk financial ruin to keep up appearances or be someone who is using another just for their cash.

• Someone who is dedicated to working on their business or dreams. This person is highly dedicated, successful, and usually a bit of a workaholic.

If the King of Pentacles comes up in a position that requires an outcome, action, or the next step forward, consider these actions as suggestions to move into the archetype’s power:

• Ask yourself—Am I taking responsibility for my life and situation? If there was ever a tarot archetype that was not afraid of responsibility, it is this one.

• Do the numbers, check your risks and blind spots, and only do what is practically sound. Simply doing something right is worth your investment.

• Ask—What would Gordon Gekko from Wall Street do? Work with the character of the archetype and pop culture representations of that character to gain in-depth answers and options for moving forward.

The Queen of Pentacles

Keywords

• Nurturing

• Soft

• Compassionate

• Connected

• Open

• Abundant

• Loving

• Refined

Steampunk Tarot and Everyday Witch Tarot

Astrology—Capricorn

The Queen of Pentacles is the monarch of the tenth house of astrology, which is the house of social status and career.

Archetype—The Healer

The Healer is the most nurturing of the archetypes of the tarot court. They love nothing more than to care for people and help those who are in need. The Healer makes things better just by being themselves. They radiate an energy that puts other people at ease and at peace. They know all the right, sincere words to say and what needs to be done to fix everything from a broken heart to setting a broken bone.

This tarot archetype loves to provide comfort and warmth to people, which by extension often means that their homes are always open and they will feed their entire neighbourhood if needed. Their fridge is always full, the kettle is always ready to go on and the Healer loves it when they are sought out for comfort.

Their connection with the community that they are part of also means that this queen knows everyone’s business and can often be very concerned with their social status. They know what is happening in all of their friends and families lives and will want to keep up with the comings and goings of their tribe. If they are not aligned or are in their shadow, they will happily use peoples’ weaknesses against them, or when they are in need of help, exploit that opportunity. If they are working as a Healer for the social status, they can start to get big headed about their abilities.

In Love and Relationships

The Queen of Pentacles can be a little bit of a traditionalist. They like family, routine, and traditions that have been passed down from previous generations—especially the ones that they have fond memories of. They are natural caretakers and children will be drawn to them. Family is extremely important to this archetype and there is little they wouldn’t do for people they consider their own.

People who have a Queen of Pentacles in their lives will know that they will open their heart and arms to just about anyone and this can be hard if you are chasing undivided attention from this tarot personality. As they are connected to many people, they will be well respected and often sought out by others with little time and energy for the people closest to them. The Queen of Pentacles needs to ensure that they care for their intimate and family relationships as well as taking care of those who need their gifts.

The Queen of Pentacles can be overprotective, smothering, and even downright jealous if they haven’t done any real personal development work. They are sensual, sexy, and—being in tune with their own body—have a healthy sexual appetite. They know that there is much magic that can be done with sexual healing work.

At Work and Career

The Healer will use their resources, mind, and body to make the world a better place, whether directly as a doctor or nurse or by raising funds for a charity. They need to help others and it comes so naturally people are often blown away by the depth of their energetic reservoir. They simply will work until they cannot stand. The Healers hands are their greatest tool and they are not afraid to get them dirty. They don’t want to lead from afar. They want to be right where the action is, making a real, lasting difference.

This queen works well with people and loves to connect with them, but when the pressure is on and it is time to work, social interactions become less important and they are all business. This is because many Healers are in a line of work where the choices they makes can have life altering repercussions. Nothing is more important than taking care of a person in need.

Indicators that you are a Queen of Pentacles/Healer archetype

• Always cared for people in their family and social circle

• Loves comfort and warmth

• Role played healing professionals and roles as a child such as doctor

• Wants to make people feel better

• Felt as if there was no other vocation or path in life but to be a healer

• Has had to do substantial healing in their lives or watched someone close be a survivor

• Wants to give to others what they didn’t have themselves

Queen of Pentacles Strengths

• Never turns away someone in need

• Has a huge heart

• Has energetic endurance

• Adaptable to their environment

• Excellent in times of crisis

• Is often the heart of their community

• Knows what is really going on

• Humble

Queen of Pentacles Shadow Side

• Can develop a god complex

• Smothering

• Manipulating

• Arrogant about their abilities

• Unwilling to admit when they are at fault

• Often have a blind spot when it comes to their own need to heal

• Needs to be needed

The Queen of Pentacles Archetype in a Tarot Reading

Identifying the tarot court as either an aspect of yourself playing out or another person is something that can trip up even the most experienced tarot reader. When the Queen of Pentacles comes up in a tarot reading, be on the lookout for these behaviours as identifiers:

• A person who takes their friends and loved ones soup when they are sick or brews a calming tea for a friend.

• Someone connected to the elements of earth. They love to garden, will likely have their own vegetable and herb garden and knows their way around a kitchen. Not because they need to know how to cook and heal with food, they love doing it.

• Anyone who is in a mother role or is acting as such in your life or in the situation at hand.

If the Queen of Pentacles comes up in a position that requires an outcome, action, or the next step forward, consider these actions as suggestions to move into the archetype’s power:

• Ask yourself—What needs healing/nurturing in this situation?

• Look to your community and network for the next step forward. Are you unwilling to ask for assistance? Receive as well as you are able to give.

• Ask—What would Florence Nightingale here do? Work with the character of the archetype and pop culture representations of that character to gain in-depth answers and options for moving forward.

The Knight of Pentacles

Keywords

• Loyal

• Enduring

• Responsible

• Dependable

• Protective

• Disciplined

• Trained

Bad Bitches Tarot and Triple Goddess Tarot

Astrology—Virgo

The Knight of Pentacles is the cavalier of the sixth house of astrology, which is the house of work, colleagues, health, and service to others.

Archetype—The Soldier

If you ever need someone to protect you, this is the tarot archetype you want to show up. The Soldier life is about service to a higher good and to their fellow people. There is nothing more worthwhile in their hearts and they will lay down their lives in that service. They are loyal and will be there long after everyone else has given up.

The Soldier will actively seek out groups of people with strong leaders to follow. If the cause is aligned to their natural desire to protect the people that they love it’s even better. They believe in their duty to others through protective service and crave acceptance by their brotherhood.

The Knight of Pentacles is a long distance endurance Knight. They are in it for the long haul and lengthy hard work campaigns are where they shine. The Knight of Pentacles is cool, calm, and collected most of the time, but they still have the energy of the Knight (which is action)—they are just a little more hesitant to charge into battle than the other knights in the tarot court. This keeps the Soldier out of trouble more than the others and will also see them persisting long after everyone else has had to tap out.

The Knight of Pentacles is a patient, analytical being who loves nothing more than to stumble across something that needs fixing and be there until the issue is resolved. They love to get their hands dirty as they feel paralyzed and useless if they are not doing something to help.

In Love and Relationships

The Knight of Pentacles is not one to give up on a relationship when they have finally committed to one. When they give their heart to someone and can see a future with them they are rarely deterred from making that a reality. The Soldier may find that they are attracted to people that they can romantically rescue. They also have no hesitations in telling others about how they should fix their life and problems even if they have not asked for any help.

If you are making an effort and showing that you value their efforts, this tarot archetype will be in the relationship for the long haul. The Knight of Pentacles is conscious about their health and wants their partner to be as well.

The Knight of Pentacles can be a real perfectionist and this can manifest either inwardly or outwardly. They are usually very hard on themselves and feel like they can always do better or they project it onto their partner. If you are in a relationship with a Knight of Pentacles, you’d better hope that they didn’t have dominating parents who were unusually hard on them, because that conditioning on top of their already well-developed natural critic can make for a very hard taskmaster in a relationship.

At Work and Career

This archetype is also a career person. The Knight of Pentacles wants to make a difference and to feel like they belong. They want to be depended on and have a dependable workplace in return. They are likely to feel very loyal towards their employers and team, even if they could be earning more money elsewhere. People matter more than money.

The Knight of Pentacles is going to take their time to complete their work but it is going to be perfection so it is worth the wait. They love to fix things, so remember that these people are great in problem-solving arenas and project planning. They love work with routine and structure. They are much more productive in a steady environment where they know what is expected of them and the people around them. Everything else could be going to hell in a handbasket, but as long as they know what they need to do and what they need to rally the team to get done, they will do it.

The Soldier is not afraid of tackling large projects and things that can seem insurmountable to most people. They know that all they need to do is to focus on the next step that they need to take, knowing that completing one step at a time leads to strong foundations and excellent work outcomes. This knight works exceptionally well in team environments where they are surrounded by people working towards the same goal. They can be idealistic about their work as it is a large part of their personal identity. This is seen in Knight of Pentacle people who work in any armed forces or that are activists for humanitarian causes.

Indicators that you are a Knight of Pentacles/Soldier archetype

• You will stand up to bullies without a second thought

• Believes people deserve protection and peace

• Once you are committed to something, you are all in

• Enjoys the feeling of belonging in a group or organisation

• Does well with routine and structure in life

• Wants to be part of something larger than themselves

Knight of Pentacles Strengths

• Does the work

• Strong-willed

• Takes pride in their role in society

• Will protect those they love

• Will be there after everyone else has left

• Doesn’t give up

• Focuses on what they are doing

Knight of Pentacles Shadow Side

• Unable to see fault in people in power

• Rigid

• Perfectionist

• Has strong views bordering on extremism

• Will follow leaders without question

• Indoctrinated

• Unable to find their identity outside their work/archetype

The Knight of Pentacles Archetype in a Tarot Reading

Identifying the tarot court as either an aspect of yourself playing out or another person is something that can trip up even the most experienced tarot reader. When the Knight of Pentacles comes up in a tarot reading, be on the lookout for these behaviours as identifiers:

• The loyalist person you know, the friend who has always stuck by you, defended you and been there through everything. This person can also be a sibling, guardian, or lover. Loyalty will be one of their top defining character traits.

• Someone who has a planner (or ten) and sticks to their schedule. They have a day in the week for everything, plan their meals, workout regularly, and usually have a budget.

• A person who takes their time deliberately to make choices or to go outside what is required to be done. They will often go with the pack and make sure no one is left behind.

If the Knight of Pentacles comes up in a position that requires an outcome, action, or the next step forward, consider these actions as suggestions to move into the archetype’s power:

• Ask yourself—Am I preparing to succeed or fail here? Look at your structure, routine and foundations of belief. Where are they leading you if you continue down the current path?

• What is the next step forward? Stop thinking about everything that needs to get done. Just focus on the very next thing on your list and do that. Once that is complete, focus on the next step and keep going.

• Ask—What would Captain John H. Miller do? (Saving Private Ryan) Work with the character of the archetype and pop culture representations of that character to gain in-depth answers and options for moving forward.

The Page of Pentacles

Keywords

• Quiet

• Kind

• Meticulous

• Slow-moving

• Gentle

• Instinctive

Everyday Witch Tarot and Bad Bitches Tarot

Astrology—No fixed astrological assignment.

The Page of Pentacles can be any of the earth zodiac signs: Capricorn, Virgo, or Taurus. They embody all of them. The Page of Pentacles has unlimited potential like all children.

Archetype—The Naturalist

The Naturalist is a beautiful soul who would much rather be in the company of animals than people and adores being out in nature. They have likely brought home many stray or injured animals throughout their lives and pets have always been part of their lives. They often have an empathic connection with animals and will suffer as the animal suffers if one is injured or sick.

This tarot archetype understands so much that is being said without the need for words and, with their alignment to healing, knows when someone or something needs care. Naturalists are the people who mourn when a tree is cut down or an animal is injured or sick, even if it is in a movie.

The Page of Pentacles is quiet and predictable. They are slow moving in all aspects of their lives, always late and cannot be rushed out the door or indeed into or out of anything. They run on their own timetable and will take whatever time they need. They believe that anything worth doing takes time and rushing leads to mistakes. They will remind us, if we stop and allow them to, that life is meant to be experienced and that we should all take time to slow down.

Naturalists understand nature. They are perfectly okay with things that require a slow and steady approach. They are excellent with anything that involves a long term commitment.

The Page of Pentacles are very kinaesthetic. They love to get their hands dirty and learn by doing. They will often be up in a tree, getting muddy or playing with their favourite animal. They are into simplicity, simple minded but not stupid, and will offer simple solutions. They offer the next step in a process, not the big picture, because as they see it, the next step is all you need to know.

In Love and Relationships

This archetype wants safety and security. These people do not take risks. Why should they? They know what they have and what is going to happen, so why bother? They take a long time to make decisions and need their space to do so. Pushing or crowding them to make a choice will only set them back further.

They are going to have “fur babies” and they treat any of their animal kin as family. These relationships are just as serious as any other human chosen significant other, family member or friend—if they choose to have a significant other at all.

The Page of Pentacles is a natural worrier, which is why they don’t take risks. You know what you get and what to expect with a Page of Pentacles. They are extremely loyal partners but can tend to be a bit lazy and let things get stagnant in a relationship. They can tend to turn into a bit of a couch potato and can slip into bad routines easily.

In Work and Career

The Page of Pentacles wants to be working with their hands and are not ones for being kept indoors all day. They are also not overly interested in a lot of social or personal contact at work, so you won’t find them gossiping at lunch time.

The Naturalist will want to fix, heal, and nurture their work. They will need to be able to take their time and have a hands-on approach to getting the job done. While they may not complete the task as quickly as everyone else, they will do an amazing job and will be the one to bring a project back to life or an animal back from the brink of death. They will commit their time to what they believe in.

Indicators that you are a Page of Pentacles/Naturalist archetype

• You love being barefoot and probably hated wearing shoes as a child

• Naturally attuned to/empathic connection with animals since you were a child

• You have a small group of friends and prefer one on one time vs large crowds

• Comfortable with silence

• Like to work with your hands, especially with animals and nature

• Enjoy being outdoors

• Prefer pets/animals to most people

Page of Pentacles Strengths

• Extremely caring

• Grounded

• Open

• Gentle

• Wonderful with nonverbal communication

• Excellent with animals

Page of Pentacles Shadow Side

• May have difficulties with personal boundaries and standing up for themselves

• Disappears within themselves

• Can tend toward isolation from their community

• Finds it hard to communicate

• Human friendships can be hard to make and maintain

• Feels pain acutely for fauna and flora

The Page of Pentacles Archetype in a Tarot Reading

Identifying the tarot court as either an aspect of yourself playing out or another person is something that can trip up even the most experienced tarot reader. When the Page of Pentacles comes up in a tarot reading, be on the lookout for these behaviours as identifiers:

• When everyone else is sitting around debating and talking about solving a problem, this person is already doing something about it.

• When there are tense situations, this is someone who will actively seek out pets and animals as a way to help balance and calm their energy and the people around them.

• A person who likes comfortable, practical clothing and footwear or doesn’t like to wear shoes at all.

If the Page of Pentacles comes up in a position that requires an outcome, action, or the next step forward, consider these actions as suggestions to move into the archetype’s power:

• Ask yourself—Am I being honest with myself and others? This tarot archetype doesn’t even think of lying, beyond being wrong. They don’t like to complicate things with lies.

• Reflect on whether or not you are making things more complicated than they need to be. Look for the simple solution or next move. Often it is just what is needed.

• Ask—What would Queen Tara do? (Epic) Work with the character of the archetype and pop culture representations of that character to gain in-depth answers and options for moving forward.

The King of Swords

Keywords

• Brilliant

• Intelligent

• Precise

• Focused

• Expert

• Macrocosmic

• Genius

• Logical

Steampunk Tarot and Everyday Witch Tarot

Astrology—Aquarius

The King of Swords is the King of the eleventh house of astrology, which is the house of causes, communities, friends, groups, and unorthodox thinking.

Archetype—The Scientist/The Specialist

The archetype of the Scientist is a forward thinking individual who wants to make the world a better place and has big ideas of how to make that happen. They are ahead of their time and it is these people that change the world, push humanity forward, and develop new technology. They know that knowledge is power. They are incredibly logical in their approach and find it hard to deal with irrational people. This is the person you go to when you need a very specialised type of information or help. They are likely to be at the top of their field and highly educated and/or gifted.

Others may dismiss this archetype as a nutty professor, especially those who are not anywhere near their wavelength or level of intelligence. The King of Swords is used to being misunderstood and the odd one out but they are so unconcerned about that aspect of life they rarely notice. They can be seen as a bit radical by others, especially those who do not like change.

The Scientist is the idealistic leader who has a motto, vision, and model that they live and rule by. They will hold ALL up to this standard, which can make them impossible to please. They have no problem with being assertive and speaking out, especially when there is what they deem to be injustice happening. They will defend their ideals without a second thought and believe in order and peace.

The Scientist isn’t just a big picture person, they are the biggest picture person. They build and re-envision institutions and cultural ways of thinking. Think of someone like Galileo, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Bill Nye, Marie Curie, Emmeline Pankhurst, or Elon Musk.

In Love and Relationships

If you can pry the King of Swords away from whatever world problem they are solving, their mind is probably still ticking away. They can be rather aloof and their lack of presence can be irritating. If you are in a relationship with a King of Swords, you may not see them for days on end while they lock themselves away to do their life’s great work or work on something new. Partners of this archetype will need to be okay sharing the love that the Scientist has for their work and for the people in their lives. They believe that the greatest way they can show their love is by making the world better for those they care for, through service.

The King of Swords is very ambitious and needs to have a partner who is happy to follow them in their direction and vision in life. They find intelligence very attractive. They are fair partners, as long as you are being logical, and by logical I mean their logic. They can be very hard on their partner and have very high expectations of them. This is a reflection of the high expectations they have on themselves but it is not always easy to live with. They love a good debate and would rather spend the rest of their lives with their best friend than anyone else.

At Work and Career

The King of Swords is going to be attracted to anything that helps the world become a better place. They will also need to have influence in their positions at work and will climb up the leadership ladder quickly. They often have very specific specialisations within their chosen profession and have knowledge that sees them sought out for.

They are unwavering in their work and will often forget to eat, sleep, or bathe when they are on a roll. This king will happily devote their lives to their vision and work and if they are working in a grounded and aware consciousness, will share their knowledge and teach others with the idea that more brilliant minds can do more good. If they are not self-aware, they will tend to become hermitted away and everything else in their lives but work will fall apart.

If you want to change the world, this is the tarot archetype you want to hire, consult, work with, and learn from.

Indicators that you are a King of Swords/Scientist archetype

• You were excited to open science kits at birthdays

• School was something you looked forward to

• Have always been interested in intricate details of how the universe works

• Consider the big picture in all things

• When working on a project, everything else disappears

• Educated in your field and respected by peers

• Wants to change the world

• Been curious about the why and how since childhood

King of Swords Strengths

• Believes in their abilities, themselves and their work

• A visionary

• Open to change, challenges, and new ways of doing things

• Helps others open their minds

• Moves society and technology forward

• Able to make real changes in the world

• Inspires others to create change

King of Swords Shadow Side

• Ungrounded and aloof

• Avoids practical life things like laundry

• Can be unrealistic with people and their vision

• Cold

• Arrogant

• Too rational, may need practices to reconnect to their heart

• Cynical

• Extreme

The King of Swords Archetype in a Tarot Reading

Identifying the tarot court as either an aspect of yourself playing out or another person is something that can trip up even the most experienced tarot reader. When the King of Swords comes up in a tarot reading, be on the lookout for these behaviours as identifiers:

• A person who is actively sought out for expert advice, whether that is looking to gain guidance from an expert or being the expert in the situation.

• An extremely well intelligent individual who is not afraid to upset the status quo or throw a spanner in the works. They care about getting things right over being popular.

• A person who is very focused on one thing, maybe a little too much.

If the King of Swords comes up in a position that requires an outcome, action, or the next step forward, consider these actions as suggestions to move into the archetype’s power:

• Ask yourself—What details have I possibly missed? Go over things with a clear mind and really check the little things.

• Leave your emotions and biases on the shelf and look at things logically.

• Ask—What would Spock do? (Star Trek) Work with the character of the archetype and pop culture representations of that character to gain in-depth answers and options for moving forward.

The Queen of Swords

Keywords

• Fair

• Impartial

• Honest

• Direct

• Clear

• Articulate

• Benevolent/malevolent

Bad Bitches Tarot and Tarot Mucha

Astrology—Libra

The Queen of Swords is the queen of the seventh house of astrology, which is the house of partners, marriage, relationships, and connections with the public.

Archetype—The Judge

Honest, fair, and sharp as a tack, the Judge archetype is emotional intelligence personified. The Judge partners the intelligence that is the sword element (air) with nurturing and leading through the heart (the station of the queen). They are very aware of their emotions, their thoughts, and their words. They know that the mind and heart when connected can be an unstoppable power for change. On the flip side, if the Judge has a blocked heart, this archetype can be cold and extremely cruel, verbally mowing down people and manipulating to their own selfish ends.

Socially, the Judge can be identified as the person who everyone in your social circle has on speed dial for emergencies, counsel, and solving problems. They are natural born mediators who can help bring people together who have trouble communicating in a clear, direct way.

The Queen of Swords does not take any shit and can see through it from a mile away. One look into your eyes and you will feel stripped. While this gives this archetype the best tools to be able to rule fairly, it can also give them the reputation of being harsh, cruel, and uncaring—mostly from the people who are being called out.

They understand that words have power, that they can harm or heal. This is not the archetype that you go to if you want to be coddled. This is the person you go to for the truth and honesty.

They are adaptable and open, being able to see an issue or problem from many angles. They will try to find a solution that is going to benefit all parties. This archetype has the communication on lock down and they have an extremely quick wit and usually a broad vocabulary.

In Love and Relationships

The Queen of Swords has a talent for using their quick wit and mind to enable them to fire rapid, hard hitting shots in an argument, but it also can make them quite the life of the party if they have someone to banter with. The Queen of Swords wants a partner who is loyal, fair, and intelligent. Lying to anyone is never a good idea, but lying to this archetype if you are in a relationship with them—that is a really bad idea. You will get caught.

The Queen of Swords will shower their lover with compliments that are true poetry to appreciate when their partner goes above and beyond for them. They are extremely affectionate and gracious. If they come across as cold, it is just that you do not know them well. The Queen of Swords also likes the finer things in life, including their relationships. It has to be the best. Relationships are their sanctuary where they can be real and express who they really are without judgement.

While this archetype can seem like they have solid armour they take words spoken to them, and about them, to heart. This is one of the reasons they are so linguistic. It is also their weakness in interpersonal relationships, as their ability to be emotionally intelligent about situations that hit close to home becomes harder to navigate.

At Work and Career

The Queen of Swords will often gravitate towards work where they are in a leadership position, but also one that connects with other people, especially those that network with a lot of people or puts them in a place of public influence.

When working with this archetype it is highly recommended to communicate clearly and often and not to sugar coat things during rough patches. They can be excellent managers as they are able to motivate and mediate teams well while still being able to do the work required.

As people seek out the Queen of Swords for advice and most importantly their ruling in areas of their lives, there are professions that this archetype is going to gravitate towards.

Indicators that you are a Queen of Swords/Judge archetype

• You are on speed dial for your friends when they have an issue

• Natural born peacekeeper and referee

• Good at debating

• Enjoy the written and spoken word

• Well read in a number of subjects

• Critical thinking is easy and natural

• Quick witted and verbose

Queen of Swords Strengths

• Wants what is fair for all

• Fantastic communicator

• Lateral thinker

• Trustworthy

• Values people

• Understands people and their underlying motivations

• Keeps secrets well

• Fantastic negotiator

Queen of Swords Shadow Side

• Cruel and cutting

• Judgemental

• Can be heartless and cold

• Intimidating

• Manipulative

• Disconnected from feelings

The Queen of Swords Archetype in a Tarot Reading

Identifying the tarot court as either an aspect of yourself playing out or another person is something that can trip up even the most experienced tarot reader. When the Queen of Swords comes up in a tarot reading, be on the lookout for these behaviours as identifiers:

• A person who keeps their cards close to their chest or who is not going to add their opinions in gossip. While they remain silent, they are absolutely paying very close attention to what people are saying.

• The walking, talking BS detector in your life. This person is very hard to successfully lie to and has a way of seeing directly into your true soul.

• A quick witted, silver tongued person who can talk their way out of or into just about anything and has a come back for everything.

If the Queen of Swords comes up in a position that requires an outcome, action, or the next step forward, consider these actions as suggestions to move into the archetype’s power:

• Ask yourself—What is the outcome that is the most balanced and fair for all? While it is true that you cannot please everyone all of the time, you can try to bring some balance in.

• Be open to not taking a side. Look at staying open to different perspectives and points of view.

• Ask—What would Judge Judy do? While you could argue she is a real person and not a character to explore, television is always just a little made-up and she is really a perfect, well known example of this archetype.

The Knight of Swords

Keywords

• Defender

• Action oriented

• Sacrifice

• Powerful

• Primal

• Empowered

• Swiftness

Triple Goddess Tarot and Bad Bitches Tarot

Astrology—Gemini

The Knight of Swords is the knight of the third house of astrology, which is the house of communication, logic, communities, writing, teaching, and siblings.

Archetype—The Warrior

The Warrior is a true knight, ready to charge into any battle and start swinging their giant sword around. They are not afraid of a fight or to put their life on the line and rarely back down from a challenge. They believe in their bones that they are here to defend those who cannot defend themselves. They are not happy to sit by and do nothing when they see something wrong happening. The Warrior usually has their own code which is not tied to a government; they will not take orders from just anybody. These codes are their way of life and are usually spiritual in nature.

They act first and think later or make decisions so quickly that they have not taken everything into consideration. They are prone to making mistakes and will more often than not have a mess to clean up and apologise for when they finally think about their actions. Some Warriors never do. They just keep constantly moving, hoping the past (and conscience) doesn’t catch up with them.

Because they can assume too much at times as a result of being too quick to act or talk, they can find people around them frustrated or downright pissed off. It is a challenge for the Warrior to slow down, slow their bodies, minds, and mouths. If this archetype is spiritual, they will seek out mentorship to bring their mind, body, and spirit into alignment. Warriors like to be active with their bodies and enjoy being outside.

They can, like their Soldier brethren, be used in political games of power as pawns. The Warrior, however, will have to believe in what they are fighting for, whereas the Soldier will follow orders without question.

In Love and Relationships

The Knight of Swords needs to feel like they are on the same path as their significant other. They will seek out a partner who has similar beliefs and values. Out of all of the knights, they are the most likely to choose to be single. This is because they never stop moving and are always on a mission. They can be impossible to keep up with.

They like to be intellectually stimulated or it is over before it begins. They cannot stand shallow, stupid, or bigoted people. If your mind isn’t open, you are not worth their time. They love the idea of being in a relationship, just not the work. People are often attracted to this archetype as it is heavily romanticized in myth and culture, but they are rarely the kind of people who will stick it out with one person.

The Knight of Swords loves to be around people and are very social. They can tend to hop from social circle to social circle or have many groups of friends. They crave the new and exciting. The Knight of Swords is into fantasies and role playing in the bedroom. They like to keep things fresh in a relationship.

At Work and Career

Want something done? This is the tarot archetype who will get it done. Fast. It just may not be done with the most finesse. They welcome challenge in their work and if there is competition they are keen to win and be the best they can be.

The Knight of Swords needs to believe deeply in what they are achieving or helping get done or it is a no-go for them. They will simply find a better cause. They will research the company and the people that they are going to be working with before committing their energy to something.

They like to work somewhere where there is opportunity to advance. They are not going to stick around in any position if they feel unable to make change or make decisions. Stimulating and captivating projects or positions where they can consult with a number of different businesses are good for them.

The Knight of Swords may have a number of jobs or geographical locations in their lifetime, and if there is an opportunity to travel with work, it is even more appealing.

With the connection that this archetype has to their primal source and the discipline to train their body, many Warrior people will find they are natural athletes. This is a perfect outlet for their need to have camaraderie but also to oppose something, even if it is just their personal best.

Indicators that you are a Knight of Swords/Warrior archetype

• Role played the warrior as a child

• Drawn to/participated in martial arts in all forms

• Have tried to solve issues with fists before

• Quick to anger

• Have an underlying need to do something most of the time

• Enjoy being active

• Likes solo travel and adventure travel

• Seeks out spiritual mentorship when becoming the aware warrior

Knight of Swords Strengths

• Defends those who need it

• No hesitation when something needs doing

• First in the door

• Can inspire others to take action

• Daring

• Disciplined in what they value

Knight of Swords Shadow Side

• Bloodthirsty and aggressive

• Irrational

• Acts without thinking about the consequences

• Completely reactive

• Punishes without cause

• A pawn in someone else’s game

• Vengeful

The Knight of Swords Archetype in a Tarot Reading

Identifying the tarot court as either an aspect of yourself playing out or another person is something that can trip up even the most experienced tarot reader. When the Knight of Swords comes up in a tarot reading, be on the lookout for these behaviours as identifiers:

• A person who is always looking or ready for a fight. They check to see where the exits are when they walk into a room and never seem to fully let their guard down.

• The person who always seems to suffer from foot in mouth disease because they are notorious for speaking before they think and acting blindly.

• A person who is drawn to or actively participates in martial arts training. They may also like Kung-Fu Movies and collect decorative weapons and even may hunt as sport or to feed their family. Also the person in your life who likes paintball.

If the Knight of Swords comes up in a position that requires an outcome, action, or the next step forward, consider these actions as suggestions to move into the archetype’s power:

• Ask yourself—Am I afraid to act? Making a choice and then acting on it can be really difficult if you are being blocked by fear. Working on the root cause of the fear can free yourself from indecision and stalemate.

• Take decisive action now; this is the time to act. No more sitting on the side lines.

• Ask—What would Wonder Woman do? Work with the character of the archetype and pop culture representations of that character to gain in-depth answers and options for moving forward.

The Page of Swords

Keywords

• Imagination

• Discovery

• Ideas

• Impulse

• Calculating

• Thinking

• Inquisitive

• Communication

• Questioning

Everyday Witch Tarot and Tarot Mucha

Astrology—No fixed astrological assignment.

The Page of Swords can be any of the air zodiac signs: Gemini, Aquarius, or Libra. They embody all of them. The Page of Swords has unlimited potential like all children.

Archetype—The Detective

The Detective is very alert and observant and knows when to speak and when to remain quietly in the background. While most things pass other people by, the Detective will notice and take note, making them people that you shouldn’t underestimate. They understand a lot more than most people give them credit for. This is where a lot of their intelligence comes from. They are simply connected, observant, and aware. While they may not be as chatty as some of the other air court members, when they speak there is something of importance that they are trying to deliver/convey. The wise take note when this archetype speaks. They are always asking why, even if it is not verbalised.

They remind us that things do not need to be overly complicated. That is something that many of us do quite well—make things complicated. The Detective cuts right through that nonsense and gives us the simple, pure wisdom that was once lost.

This archetype sees patterns and symbols in places most people do not and is excellent at solving puzzles. They can be infuriating to watch crime movies with as they will gleefully tell you who done it and how they solved it before even the characters in the movie have had a chance. The idea of uncovering and discovering something hidden is intoxicating for this archetype. They never doubt their intuition and instinct and make their mind up about people quickly.

The Detective will be kept up at night trying to figure out a problem and will chase all leads until they can solve the current problem they are solving. Even if it is a crossword puzzle.

In Love and Relationships

The Page of Swords can have lofty ideals about relationships or even childish expectations. These are quickly shattered when experience of relationships happens to the Page of Swords.

Partners of this archetype can feel like they are an unsolved mystery or even being put under interrogation by their lover. It is because the Detective loves to see what makes people tick.

The Page of Swords is not one to commit easily. There is just too much out there to experience first. They are usually more concerned about their career and what is going on around them, than their relationships and putting work into them.

If they are in their shadow aspect, they can be distrustful of people at best and conniving back-stabbers at worst, who are going to find dirt on you and use it to their advantage.

At Work and Career

The Page of Swords is drawn to any profession or project where they get to explore knowledge and intellectual ideals. They want to put their mind to good use. If there isn’t a problem to be solved or something to be found, the Page of Swords is not interested in the least.

They can work well in teams as long as they are allowed time and space to work in their own way. This archetype can become obsessive with hard to solve equations, problems, projects, or cases. This can drive the people around them bonkers as they disappear into the rabbit hole to solve their mystery.

Indicators that you are a Page of Swords/Detective archetype

• Puzzles are addicting

• Is usually the one asking the questions, not answering them

• Excellent at solving problems

• Extremely observant

• Can connect the dots that others don’t see

• Enjoy work with lots of details

• Desire to understand motivations

• Silver tongued—can talk anything out of anyone

Page of Swords Strengths

• Intuitive

• Perceptive

• Can give lots of new perspectives

• A chameleon

• Full of questions

• Unwilling to settle for unfinished business

Page of Swords Shadow Side

• Ignorant

• Immature

• Can disappear in their head

• Blackmailer or back-stabber

• Can’t be trusted and won’t trust others

• Conniving

The Page of Swords Archetype in a Tarot Reading

Identifying the tarot court as either an aspect of yourself playing out or another person is something that can trip up even the most experienced tarot reader. When the Page of Swords comes up in a tarot reading, be on the lookout for these behaviours as identifiers:

• This person’s favourite word is “why.” They want to know what is going on and will likely question every detail in your plan before they get on board.

• This person can find anything, even if you think you were being clever and hid it. They are going to find their presents stashed in the back of your cupboard or those embarrassing photos you thought the internet forgot about.

• They notice ladybugs on leaves, patterns in the clouds, and pennies on the street and will spot the details that most people completely miss.

If the Page of Swords comes up in a position that requires an outcome, action, or the next step forward, consider these actions as suggestions to move into the archetype’s power:

• Ask yourself—What inspires me? When we stimulate our minds with something inspirational it can allow us to relax, get a good dose of happy hormones, and often leads to incredible breakthroughs.

• Question everything, critically think, do your own research, get a second opinion. Now is not the time for blind faith.

• Ask—What would Sherlock Holmes do? Work with the character of the archetype and pop culture representations of that character to gain in-depth answers and options for moving forward.

Exercise: What tarot archetype Am I?

Part 1—Your Archetype Pillars

In this exercise we are going to explore what tarot archetypes you are made up of. What your personal tarot court looks like. You can be any of the court cards at any time, regardless of your age, gender identification, and colour of your hair. You could be the Casanova, Knight of Cups, in your romantic relationships, while at work you are the practical and structured King of Pentacles.

By doing this exercise, it will allow you to integrate your personality archetypes and shadow aspects, work on your strengths, reflect on how you can heal your relationships, become more successful at work, and release habits that no longer serve you. The court cards can also help you understand your development and challenges in your life.

To find out which of the tarot court members you are in the different areas or pillars, as they are called for this exercise, read through each of the indicators for each archetype. If you still find this difficult, work with a trusted friend or fellow tarot student or mentor and do the exercise together to give you some perspective.

For this exercise, you will need a deck of tarot cards and a notebook and pen.

1. Get one of your favourite tarot decks and separate the court cards from the rest of the deck.

2. Put the rest of the tarot deck aside for now.

3. Using the information given about the court card archetypes in the previous section, use the worksheet below to fill in your tarot archetypes.

Pillar One—Romantic Relationships

Your tarot court archetype

_____________________________________________________________

Why did you select this card?

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

Pillar Two—Your Family Relationships

Your tarot court archetype

_____________________________________________________________

Why did you select this card?

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

Pillar Three—Your Friendships

Your tarot court archetype

_____________________________________________________________

Why did you select this card?

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

Pillar Four—Your Work/Career

Your tarot court archetype

_____________________________________________________________

Why did you select this card?

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

Pillar Five—Your Health

Your tarot court archetype

_____________________________________________________________

Why did you select this card?

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

Pillar Six—Your Spiritual Archetype

Your tarot court archetype

_____________________________________________________________

Why did you select this card?

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

Pillar Seven—Your Inner Self

Your tarot court archetype

_____________________________________________________________

Why did you select this card?

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________

Now that you have identified who you are in the pillars of your life, spend some time reflecting on each of the choices.

• Do you like the card?

• Are you surprised?

• Did you think you were going to be a different court card? If so which one?

• Do you like that you are represented as that court card?

This exercise can be a great way to see if there are roadblocks in your way to progressing to the place that you want to be.

If you find you have a lot of knights in all of the areas of your life, you may be experiencing a lot of change or taking too much action and not enough time to make good plans and set solid goals. If you have a lot of pages in your life, it may be time to grow up and take responsibility. Too many kings could indicate that you are fixed and rigid in your ways and could use a little fun and freedom. An abundance of queens could mean that you are nurturing and maybe need to release those well thought out ideas into the world and/or turn your energy inward to take care of yourself.

It can be beneficial to complete this exercise once every twelve months, because your tarot court archetypes will change as you grow, learn, break cycles, and complete relationships.

PART 2—Tarot Archetype Roadmap Readings

We are now going to expand on your archetypes and look at a roadmap for each pillar of your life. Using the seven pillars from part one, you will do a tarot reading for yourself, expanding and exploring the archetype more fully.

Note—Please complete part one of this exercise before you complete part two as the information you discovered in that exercise is used here.

If you find that you are the same tarot court card in more than one pillar of your life (which is completely fine and normal), use multiple tarot decks or place cards with the name of the court card in place of the card.

1. Take your seven court card archetype cards and lay them out in positions 1–7 like the following diagram.

2. Put the remaining court cards back into the deck and shuffle. Focus on the first pillar. When you feel ready, cut the deck and place one card on the left and two to the right of the archetype card.

3. Repeat step 2 for each of the 7 pillars, shuffling the deck while concentrating on each of the pillars.

4. Using some of the tips for interpreting the tarot reading provided, journal about your experience.

• Are there any other court cards in the reading? Are they in the same elemental family?

• Are there any major arcana cards in your reading? How does this impact your archetype? How does your archetype relate or deal with the major arcana energy?

• Do any of the way forward/next step cards seem conflicting or backward? How does this feel?

Pillar One	8 Your strength in love	1 court card love archetype	9 Your challenge in love	10 The way forward Next step
Pillar Two	11 Your strength with family	2 court card family archetype	12 Your challenge with family	15 The way forward Next step
Pillar Three	14 Your strength with friends	3 court card friendship archetype	15 Your challenge with friends	16 The way forward Next step
Pillar Four	17 Your strength in work	4 court card work archetype	18 Your challenge in work	19 The way forward Next step
Pillar Five	20 Your strength in health	5 court card health archetype	21 Your challenge in health	22 The way forward Next step
Pillar Six	23 Your strength in spirituality	6 court card spiritual archetype	24 Your challenge in spirituality	25 The way forward Next step
Pillar Seven	26 Your inner self strength	7 court card inner strength archetype	27 Your inner self challenge	28 The way forward Next step

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