Swords · tarot

King of Swords

Decides on the merits and holds to it. Law, ethics, and the argument that survives scrutiny.

Air of AirUpright & reversedFree
KingKing of Swords. A crowned king sits square on his throne holding an upright sword slightly tilted, two butterflies carved behind him.King of SwordsAir of Air
SuitSwords · Air
RankKing
Book T calls itAir of Air
ElementAir
What the card shows

A crowned king sits square on his throne holding an upright sword slightly tilted, two butterflies carved behind him.

Upright
judgementprincipleauthority

Decides on the merits and holds to it. Law, ethics, and the argument that survives scrutiny.

Reversed
colddogmaticabuse of power

Rules applied without judgement, or intellect used to win rather than to see.

In love

Someone fair and not very warm about it.

In work

Take advice from someone qualified. Then follow it.

Where this card comes from

The Golden Dawn gave every card a planet, a sign or an element, and the Rider–Waite–Smith deck was drawn to that system. That zodiac is tropical. This site’s astrology is sidereal, roughly 24° away, so King of Swords being Air of Air describes the card and not your chart.

Draw this deck on your own question