When I was first learning to read tarot, I struggled so hard with all of the tarot card meanings, but especially the tarot court cards.
I had a break through in my tarot learning journey, though, when I met a man I was certain was the Knight of Wands – he was a passionate learner, quite handsome, charming, and he introduced me to the patterns and logic behind the cards. I’ll forever be grateful to him, because he helped to spark a love for tarot that ultimately led me here, to The Simple Tarot and being able to create these fun helpful video lessons for you.
So this short video is dedicated to that Knight of Wands, and will cover the four Knights of the tarot court cards, individually and together, and show you how they are different from the Pages, Queens, and Kings.
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The number one struggle I hear from my clients and students when trying to read tarot cards has to do with learning the card meanings – and the court cards seem to be the most difficult cards to remember and read. If that’s you and you’re struggling with the court cards right now, you’re in the right place. You’re not alone. The court cards are challenging, but I’m here to make them simple.
The Knight Court Cards
The Knights are the most active and energetic of the tarot court cards. Think back to when you were a teenager or in your twenties – how much energy, enthusiasm, and eager hope you had.
I’m not saying that being in your 30s, 40s, 50s, or older means you turn sluggish and slow, but your energy does change.
Being a Knight is about charging ahead, boldly going into battle, ready to conquer the world. Unlike the Pages, who are more about study, book learning, and self-reflection, the Knights NEED to put what they’ve learned into action.
They have a lot of lessons to learn before they master their realm and become a King or Queen of their own life. And these lessons will mostly be learned through making mistakes, failing a bunch of times, getting their butt kicked, and most importantly – getting back up on that horse, again and again. Knights never give up.
Each failure is just a lesson to learn. Each mistake tells them what not to do next time. And each time they fall (or are pushed) off their horse – it makes them more committed, stronger, and dedicated to their goal. It’s not easy being a Knight – this is where you GROW.
The Knights are about change, challenge, and transformation. Each Knight is in the middle of their quest, adventuring on a Hero’s Journey containing obstacles and tests designed specifically for their own personal growth and self-transformation.
Their energy is active and energetic, but may be hard to control.
If the Knight is someone in your life, it will be a woman or a man who is striving with single-minded focus. It may appear that they are going after the Holy Grail of adventure, love, or success, but what they are really searching for is self-knowledge, discovery, and personal power.
Knights need you to give them direction and a goal. They offer passion and action toward wherever they (or you) direct their energy. They are inspiring – if you can keep up with them.
When thinking about the Knights , the energy is “striving for…“
Knight + Cups = striving for the perfect romance
Knight + Pentacles = striving for financial or career success
Knight + Swords = striving for quick actions and change
Knight + Wands = striving for creative adventures
When you are feeling stuck in your own life, start channeling the energy of one of these Knights. You don’t need to take perfect action – you just need to take the first bold step.
The Knights are about taking action before they are ready. Instead of being like Ready-Aim-Fire cards, they are Ready-Fire-Aim, then Fire, then Aim, then Fire. They get better through action and practice.
But now let’s talk about each of the Knight cards in more detail.
Detailed Tarot Card Meanings for the Knight Court Cards
For more detailed information about each of the Knight tarot cards, click on the card image below.
The Knight Court Cards in Your Life
Now that you understand the Knights a bit better, you can start matching them to the people in your life, using the Court Card Map.
Remember that the Knights can be anyone of any age and of any sex. Also, you may have multiple people in your life who match to a single Knight. This is okay. During a tarot reading, you’ll just be able to choose which person seems to make the most sense for the situation and question that was asked.
You may have one or more Knight tarot cards where nobody in your life matches. This is okay, too. If you come across one of these cards during a tarot reading, you’ll know the card doesn’t match a person in your life, so you can then read the card as a role you need to play, advice you need to take, or as a message you are ready to hear.
And, of course, some people in your life will seem to fit multiple cards. They may be a Knight in one area, like their love life, and a King in a different area, like their career. Nothing is static and none of this is set in stone. People change and they may match different court cards at different stages of their life, or of your relationship to them.
There’s no right or wrong answer! Just do the best you can to match your people to the cards if they seem to be Knights.
Need more help remembering the tarot card meanings?
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