Court Cards Tarot Meanings

The Three Parts of Life Represented by Tarot Cards

The three parts as expressed in life processes are represented by 78 Tarot cards, each depicting a different life situation. The 22 Major Arcana cards represent the spiritual realm, where ideas and desires are born. The 40 Minor Arcana cards, numbered from 1 to 10, represent the realization or non-realization of these ideas in the material world. They indicate whether the ideas in the spirit are being realized in the material world or what is hindering their realization.

The 16 Court Cards of the Minor Arcana are divided into 12 cards of Prince, Queen, and King of Wands, Pentacles, Cups, and Swords, each represented by one of the zodiac signs. These cards represent the opportunities that arise in the querent's life. The 4 Knight cards symbolize stages of maturity.

The proverb, "When one door closes, another opens, but often we look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us," attributed to Alexander Graham Bell, represents the Court Cards in Tarot. They signal that there is an opportunity to be aware of and not miss what the universe is offering.

Often, we look back at past events and say, "If only…" Opportunities are clear in hindsight. Ann Landers said, "The problem with opportunities is that they are usually disguised as hard work, so most people don't recognize them." Therefore, when Court Cards appear in a reading, they are warning the querent that there is an opportunity and they need to recognize it. The four Knights represent a stage in life where one matures.

There are two main approaches to reading Tarot cards and life in general. The first is the fatalistic approach, which argues that everything is predetermined. If this is the case, what is an opportunity? The universe already knows the outcome. Humans are given the freedom to choose from a place of not knowing the future. The second is the existentialist approach, which asserts that everything depends on the individual, and a person's future depends on how they build their present. The opportunity is the way for a person to build their present.

Page: Wands: Sagittarius, Pentacles: Virgo, Cups: Pisces, Swords: Gemini

The princes represent beginnings and new insights. Like all beginnings, they are filled with excitement and a desire to act. At this stage, there is often a tendency to overlook existing problems and how to address them. The young prince in the royal court is therefore lacking in experience, knowledge, or wisdom on how to deal with the challenge he represents. As Haruki Murakami wrote in his book Norwegian Wood, "When you start from scratch, you have a lot to learn," which precisely captures the essence of the princes. They are at the start of their journey and have much to learn about the matter in question.

Queen: Wands: Leo, Pentacles: Taurus, Cups: Scorpio, Swords: Aquarius

An English proverb says, "Where there's a will, there's a way." The Queens represent active feminine energy. They symbolize action, execution, and the desire to find a way. Feminine energy embodies continuity, stability, and maintaining what exists. Unlike the inexperienced Prince, here it can be understood that the opportunity can reach the execution stage. As Margaret Thatcher said, "If you want something done, ask a woman."

King: Wands: Aries, Pentacles: Capricorn, Cups: Cancer, Swords: Libra

"People usually change out of necessity, not by choice," said Uriel Simon. Similarly, the kings represent the masculine, passive energy. The lion king is passive while the lionesses hunt and care for the cubs. The lion king acts to protect the family when a threat arises. Therefore, when a king card appears in a reading, the reader will understand that the querent is passive and will only act if something happens.

The knights represent maturation; they bring change to the querent's life. In situations of challenge and tension, the knight cards will appear in a reading. They are the ones who come to awaken the querent. As part of the court cards in the Tarot, they represent opportunities that have yet to occur. Realizing these opportunities will bring new insights to the querent and lead to maturation, after which the ace cards will appear in their life.

The Knight of Wands, who tends to boredom, should remember that, as Napoleon said, "Your great opportunity may be where you are now." To mature, he must focus his efforts on the here and now and not rush and become bored with the situation, quickly moving on to the next one.

The Knight of Pentacles, who is rooted in place and seeks approval from the environment, should remember that "Seeing how quickly time passes, I regret perhaps not having done better; yesterday, or a year ago—because opportunities do not return, but I comfort myself with the thought that the chance to do better next time is still ahead." — Edward Chipman Gill. The knight must move and not remain stationary; time moves quickly, and to mature, he must act rather than wait for approval from others.

The Knight of Cups tends to wait for the illusion to come true. It is important to remember that "A person tries to create a small world of their own, so they can enjoy the illusion that they have complete control over their entire existence, even though they are fully aware that they do not have such control." — Bradley Trevor Greive

The Knight of Swords is spoiled and expects others to make the necessary moves for him regarding the question. To mature and allow the Aces to enter his life, he needs to start taking action on his own and advance the course of his life.

In Chinese, the word for crisis is composed of two characters: one symbolizes tragedy and the other symbolizes opportunity. The tragedy represents the challenge, while the opportunity is represented by the Court Cards in the Tarot.