Page, Knight, Queen and King: is it a person or a personality trait?
Court cards confuse almost everyone. The King of Cups comes up and the first question is: which man is this? My father? My ex? Or is it about me? The sixteen tarot court cards read differently from the numbered cards, and once you get the principle, they become the easiest cards in the deck.
Every suit has four court cards. The rank shows how maturely someone handles their suit's element.
From here, it's the same formula as the previous lessons: add the rank to the suit.
Page of Cups is a beginner in feelings. A shy crush, or someone who dreams more than they act.
Knight of Pentacles is motion in the material world, meaning slow, steady work. The most reliable and least hurried knight in the deck.
Queen of Swords is maturity in thought and speech. Someone who tells the truth, even an uncomfortable one, and thinks clearly.
King of Cups is maturity in feelings. Someone who's in charge of their emotions and helps others not drown in theirs.
This is the question beginners trip over. A court card can mean a specific person or a quality that you, or the situation, need.
How do you choose? Look at the question. If you're asking about someone else or about a relationship, the court card most often describes them. If you're asking about yourself and what to do, it's more likely advice: "be like the Queen of Swords right now, say it straight."
One important detail: the gender and age on the card aren't literal. A Queen can come up for a man, and a Page can describe a grown adult who's simply new to this particular matter.
Pick someone you know and decide which court card fits them best. Then do the same for yourself, in two different roles: at work and at home. The cards will probably be different, and that's fine. All 16 court cards with their meanings are in our tarot card meanings section.
That's the theory of the deck done. In lesson 6 we move to practice: how to do a tarot reading: getting ready and asking the right question.