King of Swords Tarot Card Meaning and Art Waite Smith Tarot Deck
Designation
About the Deck
Waite Smith Tarot Deck
Pivotal and canonical, this deck defined a new pattern that would be followed up to the present. I made a digitally retouched and painted version of this deck, which I call the "Vivid Waite Smith Tarot Deck". The cards from that deck, as well as a modern English translation of the romantic English descriptions by Arthur Edward Waite (as appear on the Waite Smith Tarot deck) appear in a cross-referenced format in my book, "A Concise Guide to the Tarot: In Vivid Color"
Provenance
Designed by A.E. Waite and Illustrated by Pamela Colman Smith. England, 1911.
Tags
swords-14, king-of-swords, king, swords
Description
He sits in judgment, holding the unsheathed sign of his suit. He recalls, of course, the conventional Symbol of justice in the Trumps Major, and he may represent this virtue, but he is rather the power of life and death, in virtue of his office.Meaning of King of Swords from the Waite Smith Tarot Deck
Upright
Whatsoever arises out of the idea of judgment and all its connexions-power, command, authority, militant intelligence, law, offices of the crown, and so forth.
Reversed
Cruelty, perversity, barbarity, perfidy, evil intention.
According to Many Schools of Thought
Papus's Divinatory Meanings
Dark bad man. A soldier, an enemy, or one to be mistrusted.
A. E. Waite's Secondary Meanings
Upright
A lawyer, senator, doctor.
Reversed
A bad man; also a caution to put an end to a ruinous lawsuit.
Mme. Le Normand's Divinatory Meanings
Great happiness. A journey. A voyage on business. A happy life.
S. L. MacGregor Mathers's Divinatory Meanings
Upright
A Lawyer, a Man of Law, Power, Command, Superiority, Authority
Reversed
A Wicked Man, Chagrin, Worry, Grief, Fear, Disturbance.
P.R.S. Foli's Divinatory Meanings
Upright
A widower, an unscrupulous lawyer, impossible as a friend and dangerous as an enemy
Reversed
the desire to work evil without the power.
Mme. Le Marchand's Divinatory Meanings
you will be drawn into difficulty on account of politics; but you will be so fortunate as to save the life of a person high in station, who will advance you, and you will become prosperous and renowned.
