THE KING OF SWORDS

Esoteric Title: Prince of the Chariot of Winds
Elemental Attributions: Fire (hot, dry) of Air (hot, moist)

   Your ally sits literally in the clouds, holding up a sword, the symbol of the element of Air. The King resembles the figure of Justice in Trump XI, but his sword is slightly tilted to one side, and only his headdress is red. Unlike the balance suggested by the sword and scales in Justice, the tilted sword suggests that your ally recognizes the need to choose for the highest good in the realm of intellect, red being the color of Fire as well as a symbol of action. The Kings of each suit, in other words, represent the element of Fire, and the suit of Swords represents Air, so your ally as the King of Swords reveals a sharp intellect altered by a passionate spiritual will. Like the figure of Justice, your ally gazes straight out at the world. His unblinking demeanor reveals openness and wisdom, yet your ally is also in the clouds, detached, which can make him overly objective, sometimes even cold and unsympathetic. Unlike the figure of Justice, your ally does not hold scales in his left hand, suggesting that, although he may be knowledgeable, his judgments may not always be perfectly balanced. Without sympathy, he might seem harsh and domineering even as he strives for the highest good. Birds, also a symbol of Air, fly high above the earth behind the throne. Birds in the sky can see a great distance and suggest the wisdom of viewing from the perspective of eternity. Thought can take flight, but the intellect often feels the tension of choice, hinted at by the number of birds. Two of anything for the intellect can lead to comparison and judgment, and instead of maintaining balance, the intellect often must judge one thing superior, or, as the case may be, inferior to another. On the other hand, the sword tilted to the right suggests a conscious choice of the right-hand path, on which one strives for the highest possible good, which sometimes means sacrificing perfect balance. The crown is yellow, representing mental energy, and its curves seem to morph into the cloud-like butterflies decorating the tapestry behind the throne. Butterflies, symbols of transformation, suggest that to attain the wisdom of the Higher Self, the use of the intellect, though occasionally imperfectly balanced in the real world, is necessary. The heights of the psyche cannot be attained without it.

Reversed: overly intellectual, manipulative, unsympathetic, nefarious, cruel