MINOR ARCANA

King of Swords Tarot Meanings

The King of Swords is the patriarch of the Swords suit, he is the authority over the realm of air, meaning that he is the ideas man, the one that makes the final decisions and he does so with expert intellect. However, he can also be unfeeling at times and take advantage of the kindness of others.

The King of Swords is very objective energy, able to see all the facts and figures without allowing impulses or passions to clouding judgement. When the King of Swords appears, it’s crunch time, no more faffing about, it’s time to choose a path to tread.

King of Swords Tarot Meanings Communicate

King of Swords Upright Meanings

The King of Swords in the upright position is all about well thought out strategy and communication. This is an energy that channels an incredibly smart and structured way of thinking.

When the King of Swords upright appears in a reading, it’s a symbol for a clear and precise truth. To use all the facts and cut through make believe or wishful thinking.

Strategy
Precise truths
Sharp wit
Careful planning
Good negotiator

King of Swords Reversed Meanings

The King of Swords in the reversed position represents the more problematic personality traits of the card. It is the flip side of the positive aspects we see in the upright position.

When the King of Swords is in the reversed position, it’s a good sign to be more wary of these negative traits, either in your own actions or those of others.

Manipulation
Inconsiderate
Selfishness
Superiority complex
Scheming

Reading King of Swords in a Tarot Spread

The King of Swords can either be a nice level-headed presence or a controlling and unfeeling dictator. Which one the card embodies in a reading depends largely on its position and the other cards that are surrounding it.

If you can see that the King is being challenged by opposing energy, such as the Queen of Swords, then it may be that a very cold approach is being adopted to a situation and more emotional intelligence needs to be embraced to find a solution. However, if the King of Swords appears in the subconscious positions it may be that there is a glaring solution that your conscious mind is blocking out of fear, self-doubt or cultural conditioning.

King of Swords as An Invitation

As an invitation, the King of Swords can offer us the chance to really see things as they are, to find the absolute truth and fully embrace it in order to find peace and clarity.

For King of Swords, this invitation could be the following:

An invitation to look at all the facts and data in order to make a well-informed and logical decision
An invitation to see if you are trying to hold onto control too tightly in the areas of communication or thought
An invitation to take a more non-judgemental approach to a situation
An invitation to take a step back and see the bigger picture

King of Swords as Sage Advice

The King of Swords has a knack for helping us see when we are not being as objective as we should be. As an advice card, he can show up when we are too emotionally charged and need to rise above in order to gain complete clarity.

Some advice King of Swords may offer is:

To see both sides of an argument before making a final judgement
To create a solid structure on which to build and flesh out new ideas and plans
When you feel like you’re overthinking a situation, take some time away to calm the mind and come back with a more level head

King of Swords as a Lesson

The King of Swords can teach us a lot about ourselves and hold us accountable when we get to lost in our own heads. A lot of the time he shows up to make us mindful of how we are approaching something and how to find objectivity when we are fully immersed in our own problems.

Some lessons that King of Swords may offer you are:

A lesson in objectivity
A lesson in having authority but not abusing that power
A lesson in making solid and logical decisions
A lesson in knowing when to speak the unfiltered truth, and when a bit more tact and compassion is needed

King of Swords as a Redirection

When the King of Swords shows up to give us a redirection, it can often indicate that we haven’t been quite as truthful with ourselves as we could have been. It can be a fairly practical card, asking us to make those final decisions and to stop second-guessing what we know to be true.

As a redirection, King of Swords could symbolise a need to:

Take responsibility for the decisions you make
Create strategies to help you move forward that are well-thought-out and have contingency plans in place
Take a less judgemental approach to the situation
Pay attention to how your words affect others, even if you feel you are in the right, a more emotive approach may be best

Swords

The Swords are all about truth in all its forms. The truth in the guise of communication, thought or even authentic ideas. When it comes to the King of Swords, we have a figure who knows exactly how to wield the energy of the Swords to his advantage.

Although the King of Swords is focused on truth in its purest form, it does also mean he can be a very unfeeling character to deal with. He can be dismissive of the ideas of others and have a superiority complex, valuing his own intelligence over that of others.

King of Swords Tarot Meanings - Elemental

Air + Air

The Swords are the suit ruled by the element of air. This is the primary element of the King of Swords, however he also has the element of his station as a King, which is also air. This means we get a double dose of air energy when dealing with this card.

What this offers us is complete clarity. There is no outside emotion, action or opinion that can cloud it. Although this can be a great thing, it can also cause a lot of isolation, cutting you off from the different colours of the world and smaller nuances.

Kings

The Kings in the Tarot are the rulers of their suit. This means that are the ones that make the decisions. They are the ones that create the strategies and plans that the rest of the Tarot must work to support and bring into fruition.

With the King of Swords, we have a ruler that rules from a place of authentic truth. He will speak his mind with little regard for the wellbeing of others. He does not take outside opinions lightly and often feels he knows what’s best for everyone involved.