The Meaning Of The Knights In The Tarot

In a recent light bulb moment I've decided to portray the knights in my tarot deck as birds.

In the Golden Dawn tradition, the tarot knights are linked to the element air, so I thought birds would represent the mutable court card members well.

Knights in the Tarot suggest movement, change and travel.

Following the Pages, they are the juveniles / young adults of the court card family - volatile, unpredictable at times, searching, on a mission, energetic, ready for battle.

Knights can represent people, events or the energy surrounding a situation.

The Knight of Wands is a peacock.

The male peacock is a flamboyant bird; his feathery frock is a mix of dazzling blues, greens, specks of yellow/gold, black and greys.

He impresses the ladies with his extravagant eye-spotted tail.

If the peacock was a human, he would be an ambitious fashion designer or expressionist artist 😄

Esoteric Title: Lord of the Flame and Lightning.

Personality traits and characteristics:

Sagittarius - adventurous, confident, active, optimistic, sociable, creative, enthusiastic, insensitive, cocky, risk-taking, hot-tempered

The quote I've chosen for the Knight of Wands reflects his confidence, determination, enthusiasm and willingness to take risks and overcome any fears.

The Knight of Cups is represented by a swan.

Swans are elegant birds with white plumage and often found on lakes. They are a symbol of peace and tranquillity.

Swans tend to be monogamous birds; swans bond with their mates for life. How romantic!

If the swan was a human, he would work in the medical profession, as a doctor, nurse or carer.

Esoteric Title: Lord of the Waves and Waters

Personality traits and characteristics:

Pisces - romantic, idealistic, affectionate, imaginative, tender, loving, needy, evasive, impractical, over-sensitive, obsessive

The quote I've chosen for the Knight of Cups expresses his tendency to be emotionally dramatic.

He can easily fall in love with his head in a spin, and when love isn't reciprocated, he can then fall into depression and self-pity.

In those dark moments, the Knight of Cups can write the best poems.

The Knight of Swords is a crow. 

These carrion birds are considered to be very intelligent.

They use tools to hunt and access food.

Crows also have excellent memory where they have stored their food.

A flock of crows is sometimes also called a “murder” of crows; this is telling us a lot about the crow’s reputation and mythology.

Crows and ravens are associated with death and the “otherworld”.

In medieval times, they were regarded as bad omens, and even today, a flock of them can look foreboding and their calls sound menacing.

If crows were human, they would work in occupations that tend to bear bad news but also require analytical intelligence such as police force and lawyers.

His mathematical aptitude would also allow the Knight of Swords to work in the banking profession. Now that offers us a new perspective on the bankers, doesn’t it 😄

Esoteric Title: Lord of the Winds and Breezes

Personality traits and characteristics:

Gemini – versatile, curious, cunning, chatty, sociable, lively, inventive, fickle, emotionally detached, cold, restless

The quote I’ve chosen for the Knight of Swords reflects his tendency to act quickly and decisively without deep thought or consideration.

His intentions and actions are clear-cut, sharp and to the point.

The Knight of Swords is unconcerned about anybody in his path getting hurt along the way; he’d simply call it “collateral damage”.

The Knight of Pentacles is a pigeon.

These birds are down-to-earth, eat any grub they can get and don't mind getting mucky.

Pigeons are adaptable; they also mate for life and tend to live in colonies of up to 500 birds.

They symbolise home, security and perseverance.

If pigeons were humans, they would work in outdoor jobs, farming, gardening, cleaning and waste disposal.

Esoteric Title: The Lord of the Wild and Fertile Land

Personality traits and characteristics:

Virgo - prudent, shrewd, practical, meticulous, efficient, dependable, over-critical, pedantic, narrow-minded

The quote chosen for the Knight of Pentacles reflects his willingness to invest continuous effort, self-control and determination to achieve his goals.

The Cosmic Faery Tarot is available as a digital copy as part of the Cosmic Faery Tarot Guidebook.

Warmest wishes,

Christiane

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