The Kings

The Kings represent the full maturation of the Knights and rule alongside the Queens as equals of their different realms. Where the Queens reign over the inner world, the Kings rule over the outer world. They represent maturity and authority, a strong leader who protects and supports those under his care. The Kings are the epitome of healthy masculinity (again, regardless of gender, as we all have masculine aspects to our nature).

Their dark side would include being overly authoritarian or, like the Swords, so logical that they ignore important wisdom of the imaginative or emotional realms, which is what makes the Queens a good balance force for them (and vice versa). 

In general, however, these court cards more often represent the quiet assurance of someone who had learned their life lessons the hard way: through experience, aging, and making mistakes. As a result, they have the impenetrable confidence of someone who doesn’t need to explain themselves or prove anything—an admirable quality, especially if imposter syndrome is something you struggle with.

The Kings are all about owning your power and learning to use it wisely.

The King of Pentacles

The King of Swords

The King of Wands

The King of Cups

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The Bruja’s Guide to Tarot is the divination sister to the scholarly The Bruja Professor, a witchy take on literature, the occult & pop culture, and Enchantment Learning & Living, an inspirational blog celebrating life’s simple pleasures, everyday mysticism, and delectable recipes that are guaranteed to stir the kitchen witch in you.

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The Queens

The Queens are the rulers of the imaginative realms. They embody empowerment through creativity, the dream world, and honoring your intuition. Although the Queens embody deeply feminine attributes, they can speak to all genders (as can all court cards, regardless of the gender of the figures in the images). 

The Queens are the court cards that are at one with the Universe because they operate from the inside out. They embody the old occult saying, “As Within, So Without.” In other words, they manifest by energetic alignment, nurturing their internal life, and being in harmony with themselves. 

They are the nurturers and the mother figures of the tarot, inviting us to slow down and reconnect with our inner world. They know that abundance and happiness come from being true to our natures. 

Like the Cups, it’s important not to get completely lost in the realm of emotions with the Queens, although they are generally positive cards. On the whole, these are gentle cards celebrating the wisdom that comes with age and experience. 

The Queens offer messages of unity and authority through creativity and receptivity. Their power is one of openness, curiosity, and awareness, proving that softness and gentleness can be just as powerful energetically as the more masculine energy of the Knights or the Kings. 

The Queen of Pentacles

The Queen of Swords

The Queen of Wands

The Queen of Cups

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The Bruja’s Guide to Tarot is the divination sister to the scholarly The Bruja Professor, a witchy take on literature, the occult & pop culture, and Enchantment Learning & Living, an inspirational blog celebrating life’s simple pleasures, everyday mysticism, and delectable recipes that are guaranteed to stir the kitchen witch in you.

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The Knights

If the Pages are the messengers of the court cards, inviting new energy and change, then the Knights are the action-oriented cards telling you to get moving! It’s one thing to heed the call or the message of the Pages and quite another to go head-long into the direction they want you to move in.

The Knights are more mature than the Pages, as they are no longer youths and have more experience under their belts. That said, they can still be rash, and their dark side is rushing into things or pushing too hard to get things done. They are so action-oriented that they sometimes forget to slow down, read the signs, and see stillness as a necessary part of moving forward. They have yet to grow into the wisdom and maturity of the Queens and the Kings.

The Knights know how to get stuff done, and they won’t wait around for life to happen. That’s great energy to have if you’ve been feeling stagnant or stuck. Just temper it with the knowledge that sheer force won’t always win the day. 

The Knights, at their best, are guardians of the open road, encouraging you to get moving, even if you don't have all the answers. You can learn as you go, and ultimately, there’s something to be said for just going for it! How often would we take a risk or try something new if we had all the facts before us? And, knowing what we now know, what wonderful things would we also miss out on if we didn’t do the thing we weren’t quite prepared for?

The Knight of Pentacles

The Knight of Swords

The Knight of Wands

The Knight of Cups

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The Bruja’s Guide to Tarot is the divination sister to the scholarly The Bruja Professor, a witchy take on literature, the occult & pop culture, and Enchantment Learning & Living, an inspirational blog celebrating life’s simple pleasures, everyday mysticism, and delectable recipes that are guaranteed to stir the kitchen witch in you.

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The Pages

The Pages are the young messengers of the court cards. They often come bearing messages of growth, opportunities, and exciting new directions. Of course, like the Aces, the Pages offer only the potential or the knowledge that the energy for growth is there. You still have to act on it to make it happen. 

Like an exuberant youth, this card is full of energy and excitement, so much so that its potential downside is tons of inspiration with no follow-through. The page can be immature or unfocused, but more often than not is seen as representative of your inner child. The best way to get the most out of this card is to take action and utilize the potential of this card without over thinking things.

On the flip side, a more positive reading of the Page is someone who is young at heart and sees the world as a place filled with wonder and opportunity. Every setback is a message from the Universe, redirecting your focus and putting you on the right path with the Pages. Every day welcomes a new adventure that can take you wherever you want to go. In this way, the Pages are much like the Fool. 

Consider the Pages as the messengers, inviting you to put your energy toward conjuring good things. This card is brimming with excitement, so have fun imagining new ways of being for yourself, and then get to work making it happen!

The Page of Pentacles

The Page of Swords

The Page of Wands

The Page of Cups

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The Bruja’s Guide to Tarot is the divination sister to the scholarly The Bruja Professor, a witchy take on literature, the occult & pop culture, and Enchantment Learning & Living, an inspirational blog celebrating life’s simple pleasures, everyday mysticism, and delectable recipes that are guaranteed to stir the kitchen witch in you.

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The Court Cards

The court cards are part of the Minor Arcana represent personalities, people, and ways of being in the world. They can also represent levels of maturity or stages of life, the Pages being the least mature and most youthful, and the Kings representing maturity and the gravitas that comes with experience. 

Although these cards often represent people, they aren’t necessarily gender specific. For example, you might run into someone who has big Knight of Cups energy, but that person could be of any gender. 

That said, sometimes they represent parts of ourselves or times in our lives and show up when we need to invoke the energy of their specific court card medicine. The Pages typically show up when you need to look at the world through the eyes of a novice or innocent, much like The Fool. The Knights show up when you need to be assertive and action-oriented, like a young warrior. The Queens usher in abundance and nurturing energy. The Kings reflect authority, discipline, and strength.

Follow your intuition when you draw the cards as it will tell you if you should read these cards as people in your life, aspects of yourself, or an energy you need to tap into.

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The Bruja’s Guide to Tarot is the divination sister to the scholarly The Bruja Professor, a witchy take on literature, the occult & pop culture, and Enchantment Learning & Living, an inspirational blog celebrating life’s simple pleasures, everyday mysticism, and delectable recipes that are guaranteed to stir the kitchen witch in you.

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