Now that the quickie tour of the four worlds is out of the way (see last post), let's talk about the Court cards. As I said previously, there are 16 of them, four for each suit. The titles usually given these cards are the King, Queen, Knight, and Page. Other variations exist, such as Prince and Princess for Knight and Page, but - call me old-fashioned - I'm going to stick with the most common names.
Often, Tarot interpretation books see the court cards as describing other people, with physical characteristics such as a red-haired, mature male, or personality characteristics like bold and aggressive. All of these could be used to describe the King of Wands, for example. [In fact, I blogged about the King of Wands here] On the other hand, a court card could be describing aspects of the person asking for the reading (We call that person the querant, in the biz).
Perhaps the most basic use of the court cards, though, is that of using one of them to signify the querant. Many readings start by placing the card that signifies the querant (that card is called, obviously enough, the Significator) in the starting position - where the first card of the actual reading is to be placed. For instance, a mature woman whose features match those typical of the Queen of Swords would have that card symbolize her in the reading.
In the system I use (from B.O.T.A.), querants are symbolized by the card that matches the element of their astrological sign, with age being a determiner between, say, a King (mature) and a Knight (say below the age of 30, and childless). So, a 25-year old male who was born under the Sun sign of Cancer would be symbolized by the Knight of Cups.
In a reading, an even more refined way of looking at the court cards, one that adds depth to the usual interpretation, is the correspondence with the four worlds view. In this sense, Kings are associated with Atziluth, Queens with Briah, Knights with Yetzirah, and Pages with Assiah. When this level of sophistication is applied, more depth can be gleaned from the card, adding to the information that the reader can give to the querant.
It's even more complicated than it sounds, as the interpretation of court cards (or any other card, for that matter) depends on the spread used, the card's position in that spread, and what other cards are around it or relate to it.
This is the art of reading the Tarot, and it can't be taught in a book. It takes experience and a touch of the ol' intuition. Stock interpretations are useful guides, but they are no substitute for a reader who is in tune with the querant, the cards, and, most importantly, the Universe.
Respectfully submitted,
The King of Pentacles
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