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Welcome to part 6 of my 16 part series Meet the Court Cards – each week we will hang out with ONE court card and dive deeply into the symbols, personality traits, talents and dark side. This is similar to my Major Arcana Meanings Deep Dive series, but we’ll also explore how each court card acts in the context of love, work and money.
I’ll give you specific ways to embody this card as well as some journalling questions to help you connect with this card on a more personal level ?
Today we’re diving into the Knight of Swords– the most intense and driven of all the Knights, this guy is all balls-to-the-wall and then some!
Sit back, relax and discover the dirty secrets, beautiful wisdom and unique talents of this Knight…
Element = Air (mind, intellect, thoughts, beliefs, communication)
Keywords/Personality traits:
Focused, driven, intense, one track mind, determined, charging forward, highly motivated
Symbols:
Windy – going into wind, not afraid of a challenge
Fast movement – speed, determination
Butterflys & birds – taking flight, birds eye view
Sword – cuts through things, pointy and focused
Clouds – confusion, distraction (which he cuts through)
Red cape – passion and intensity
Red plume (looks like wings) – taking flight, flying through the air
Body language (arm raised/mouth open) – battle cry! Ready to fight!
Talents:
The Knight of Swords can focus like no other! He tunes out distraction and can get things done with speed and efficiency. Once he puts his mind to it, there’s no stopping him!
He has impressive energy and intensity about him and he isn’t afraid of a fight – in fact, he thrives in a brutal environment and is more likely to go after something if it feels hard-core.
At a party…
You’ll find the Knight of Swords in the back, snorting lines of coke, slamming shots of Fireball and calling up escorts. He has a real work hard, play hard mentality and he’s always looking to blow off steam and balance out all the hard work that fills most of his days.
He brings a certain brand of intensity to a party, so you might think twice before inviting him. Once he’s all coked up he likes to pick fights and aggressively hit on the youngest and hottest guests. He’s known for doing things like cannon balling into a pool when the cover was on, throwing a party guest through a plate glass window and projectile vomiting all over his host’s brand new white leather sofa.
In love…
The Knight of Swords loves the thrill of the chase! He gets so caught up in the pursuit but quickly loses interest once he’s captured someone’s heart. He can seem very impressive at first because initially he is very hyper-focused on his love interest, making them feel so very, very special, but then he shifts that hyper focus onto his work and ignores his partner.
He can be passionate and intense for bursts and then disappear without warning, often becoming absent, distracted and obsessed with work. Since he tends to see relationships as a distraction, he’s more into hook ups, brief flings and sex workers than a serious relationship.
In work…
This is where this Knight excels, even if all other areas of his life are falling apart. He can be a real workaholic, channelling all his grief, rage and frustration into his work and getting a rush off being hyper focused and driven. He derives his sense of self from his job so if he loses it, he can spiral into a full blown identity crises.
He does well in finance, as a Wall Street guy or a daytrader but would also do well in any job that allows him to talk non-stop since he loves the sound of his own voice. Being a podcaster or stand up comedian, celebrity, or even a writer who churns out book after book would all be suitable professions for this intense Knight.
In money….
The Knight of Swords makes money quickly and knows how to spend it just as fast! Impulsivity and risk taking are this Knight’s forte, so he doesn’t shy away from risky and high stakes investments. And when he spends money, he does it intensely and goes all in.
He’s not really materialistic, but he’s always looking for a rush so while he might blow tons of money on a fancy car it isn’t really about the car, or even the illusion of status, it’s about the momentary thrill of making the purchase.
This Knight thrives on…
Having a goal, project, challenge or problem to solve! He needs something to focus his attention on – without this he self destructs. He’s like a rambunctious little kid with tons of energy who needs an activity or he’ll start causing problems and destroying things.
One of his favourite things is….WAR! Wartime is where the Knight of Swords really shines as he’s a true warrior, through and through – the high stress, constant drama and black and white thinking so prevalent in wartime really bring out his best instincts, allowing him to do what he’s been always longing to do – fight!
He’s also a good candidate for big city life as he loves all the hustle and bustle and crowds of people. His gifts blossom in a high stress, fast paced environment – as long as there’s lots of work and things to do, he’ll be alright.
He can’t stand…
Having nothing to do, tasks that aren’t challenging enough and being stuck in one place. This dude has energy to burn and places to go – so don’t try to tie him down!
The small town life doesn’t suit him and he’ll shatter under the quiet weight of those quaint country vibes. He also flounders in a peaceful, laid back environment – it makes him antsy and uncomfortable. While he doesn’t create drama or conflict (like the Page of Swords), he most certainly looks for it.
His main challenge is to make sure the things he’s focused on and going after are actually important and that he isn’t falling into the trap of chasing busy-ness and action and thrills.
Dark side of the Knight of Swords
This Knight can be impulsive and thirsty for action, seeking out drama and looking for a good fight.
While he’s gifted with the ability to really hone in on his goal, all that intense focus isn’t sustainable and he tends to burn out eventually.
All his efforts can be for nothing (or even destructive) if he isn’t clear on his why. If his actions aren’t connected to a deeper mission or meaning in his life, he can succumb to just keeping busy.
Practices to embody this card:
– Set a goal and focus on one thing at a time and block out all distractions
– Drink lots of coffee 😉
– Practice “batch days” – focusing on ONE thing for the whole day to maximize productivity (like cooking all your meals for the week on a Sunday and freezing some of them or writing three blog posts in one day)
Journalling Questions:
♥ Where in your life can you benefit from these traits?
♥ Where would you like to be less like this knight?
♥ How can you bring in more balance and avoid burnout?
♥ What helps you focus and avoid distractions?
Tell me your thoughts!
Did you enjoy this deep dive? What aspect of the Knight of Swords do you most relate to? Let me know in the comments below…
♥ Join me next time as I dive into the Knight of Cups – the most romantic, poetry-loving sap you’ve ever met! Hop on my mailing list so you won’t miss out!
***Grab your FREE Court Card Cheatsheet right HERE!***
You may also enjoy…
Court Card Tarot Meanings
Tarot Meanings Deep Dive series (Major Arcana)