King of Swords tarot card from a personalized sample deck
King of Swords, from one of our personalized sample decks

Minor Arcana · Swords

King of Swords Tarot Card Meaning

  • authority
  • truth
  • intellectual power
  • clear judgment

King of Swords upright

The King of Swords is the mind at its most principled — logic, law, and language wielded in service of truth. Judgement here is sharp and fair. Lead with the honest word.

King of Swords reversed

Reversed, the King of Swords marks logic divorced from warmth, or authority wielded coldly. The throne is steadier when the king remembers he is also a person.

How to read King of Swords

King of Swords belongs to the suit of Swords. The suit of air: thoughts, truth, decisions and conflict.

Kings have mastered the suit's energy and lead with it.

Upright, let its keywords guide the reading: authority, truth, intellectual power, and clear judgment.

Reversed, the same themes are usually blocked, delayed or turned inward. Read the reversed meaning above with that in mind.

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