Llewellyn's Complete Book of the Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot
Page 33
In You
Spaces of gratitude activate Queen of Cups qualities. When you care for others, you activate the Queen of Cups. Feeling compassion for other beings, animals, nature, and humanity is a Queen of Cups trait. When you are deep, open, and emotional, you activate the Queen of Cups. She occupies the space of the active dreamer; when you see something you have imagined come to fruition, you are standing at her height.
In Others
The Queen of Cups is a woman you can always depend on for sympathy and compassion, like a nurse or a therapist. She is there to nurture you, hold you, and let you know everything will be all right. She understands the sands of change and reminds you things will be okay. The Queen of Cups is an inspirational figure, a person who makes their dreams come true by making the world a better place.
Symbolic
The Queen of Cups’ beaches mark the convergence of elementals and threshold space. The white cliffs of Dover behind the Queen of Cups is a specific English landmark, marking Pamela and Waite’s adopted country. The cliffs are one of England’s most recognizable features. The cliffs face the narrowest part of the English Channel, and it is said one can see the French coast from them when weather permits. The cliffs are white because they are made of millions of years of compacted skeletal remains of plankton. These chalky cliffs are soft and malleable, like the emotional state of the Queen of Cups. The cliffs have faced invasions from intruders such as Julius Caesar. They contain hidden tunnels created by the prisoners of Dover Castle and were later converted for the military during World War II. The Queen of Cups placed before this iconic landscape suggests the Strength-like quality of peace and imagination in the face of aggression.
Cherub mermaids decorate her throne and the engraved clamshell behind her head. A clamshell is the clasp on her cape. The mermaid at the base holds a fish in her hand. Each clamshell is the symbol of her zodiacal assignment, Cancer. Mermaids are water creatures containing the power and potency of the sea. The shell is a feminine symbol of beauty and eroticism. Oysters are aphrodisiacs, hiding treasures of the palate deep within their folds. The queen’s dress merges into the water, colored blue and green, like the waters that surround her. It is as if she is an apparition dreamed of the ocean itself, a ghostly vision who welcomes all who approach the English empire.
Waite is explicit in his description of the water queen. He states in “The Tarot: A Wheel of Fortune” that “The Queen of Cups signifies love and devotion, the image of which she sees like visions in her vessel.” Again Waite is expressing the dreamlike quality of the suit of cups, first with the page, then the knight, and now the queen. All three gaze intently to their cup as if it were a crystal ball. Waite says she is “a perfect spouse” and a “good mother.” The cross on her cup reflects the divine act of love intersecting with the material world.
Waite mentions an important quality of this queen: “she sees, but she also acts, and her activity feeds her dream.” This indicates a woman who is not content to fantasize or languish in the visions of her mind. She takes action upon her visions. The queen’s activity feeds her dreams, propelling them forward into spaces of shimmering possibility. Were she complacent, the dream would repeat in endless cycles. It is the queen’s action moving her dream forward. In this sense she becomes the master of the lucid dream, her days spent in activity and her nights spent in creative play space.
Waite’s Divinatory Meanings: Good, fair woman; honest, devoted woman, who will do service to the Querent; loving intelligence, and hence the gift of vision; success, happiness, pleasure; also wisdom, virtue; a perfect spouse and a good mother.
Reversed: The accounts vary; good woman; otherwise, distinguished woman but one not to be trusted; perverse woman; vice, dishonour, depravity.
King of Cups
Book T Title: The Prince of the Chariot of the Waters
Elemental Counterchange: Air (King) of Water (Cups), Prince and Emperor of Nymphs or Undines
Astrological: Scorpio (Fixed Water)
Far across the melancholy seas,
The silent keepers of the mysteries;
Met in their crowds upon that haunted ground—
And we, the King’s Sons, waiting to be crown’d.
Arthur Waite, Collected Poems
General
The King of Cups is the commander of water, the lord of the ocean, master of the waves. He is the mature masculine energy of emotion. Look to the water and waves undulating around the King of Cups to understand him. The king navigates the ocean’s depths and dangers by remaining fluid. He does not seek to control the ocean but maintains a strong center regardless of the placidity or movement of the ocean’s tides. The King of Cups understands when to put a limit on emotions. He is free to act regardless of the deep feelings within him. This makes him incredibly effective in all situations. Versed in the mythology of the sea, hidden realms, and aquatic depths, he can be lighthearted and mysterious. As master of tidal waters, his charisma is hypnotizing.
In You
The King of Cups ignites in you when you bring your creative project to fruition, no matter the obstacle, barrier, or cost. He is activated inside of you when you allow compassion and caring to manifest action. The vision of the King of Cups lies in his ability to look dangers in the face and navigate past them. He marks inner strength and perseverance to pass through frightening emotional territory that previously held you hostage. He navigates your true course.
In Others
Consider the role of the great sea gods Roman Neptune and Greek Poseidon. If you lived in ancient times and were dependent on the ocean for your livelihood, travel, or food, you would make many appeals to the ocean gods. In this context, the King of Cups appears in your life as a
figure who will grant you sustenance and may appear as a boss, parental figure, or investor. The person with the capacity to green light a project or trip. The King of Cups is guided by instincts and emotion yet is not controlled nor manipulated by them. It is best to approach such figures honestly and openly. He is often found working in the spotlight for the public good.
Symbolic
The fish pendant around the king’s neck, as well as the ocean and sea creatures, connect to the element of water. He wears scaly fish footwear. The tall ship is a symbol of adventure, stories, and risk. The fish monster on the left side is an ancient symbol of myth, danger, and unconscious fear.
Waite reflects in his memoir Shadows of Life and Thought a personal sentiment aptly describing the King of Cups:
Do I remember on my own part looking, when less than two years old, upon an open, tossing sea, through a porthole of a passenger ship? And I so slight and small that well I might have slipped through it and finished for ever—or perchance for the time being—my tale of earthy life. The sea has authentic secrets, some that it gives away, some that it keeps for a few: did I make unbeknown a beginning of learning the code of its ciphers—as it were—then and there?
The King of Cups is he who would decipher the secrets of the sea. He reflects the emotions of the sea for all to understand and interpret.
Waite’s Divinatory Meanings: Fair man, man of business, law, or divinity; responsible, disposed to oblige the Querent; also equity, art and science, including those who profess science, law and art; creative intelligence.
Reversed: Dishonest, double-dealing man; roguery, exaction, injustice, vice, scandal, pillage, considerable loss.
Page of Swords
Book T Title: The Princess of the Rushing Winds, Lotus of the Palace of Air
Elemental Counterchange: Earth (Page) of Air (Swords), Empress of the Sylphs, Throne of the Ace of Swords
Astrological: Season of Spring
The splendid clouds about her burn and glow,
Through liquid gold she glides,
On purple crests floats bouyant, or below
Sinks deep in lilac tides.
Arthur Waite, Collected Poems
General
The Page of Swords, the youth of air, is a curious spirit. Air is the element of the mind, and she is gifted with a wild intelligence. She carries a supreme willingness to experiment and play. She is dedicated to finding the truth lying at the heart of any situation. No tool is off-limits as she pursues her goal. The Page of Swords displays logic above all other qualities and relies only on her own cunning and instincts. She never takes others at their word until she can uncover the truth for herself. The Page of Swords is a gifted writer who records experiences and keeps concise records. She is meticulous in all areas. The ultimate sleuth, she allows new ideas to take hold, and she will follow them through to the rightful conclusion. Her intense curiosity regarding life and human nature keeps her passionately engaged in solving puzzles and figuring out one mystery after another.
In You
The Page of Swords is the Nancy Drew archetype of the deck. She shows up when you find yourself reading between the lines. She is the deep, searching part of your psyche who longs to figure things out and put details together in order to see the big picture. Have you ever internet sleuthed? That was the Page of Swords at work. She is the youthful part of your psyche containing an innocence and true sense of curiosity. This is the place where you are open to all ideas. She strikes as you become truly perplexed and intrigued by a situation or event. She also reflects your thrill of the hunt as felt during a game of after-dark hide and seek and watching or reading a delicious mystery.
In Others
The Page of Swords is the smart girl. She’s the typical straight-A student who holds herself to high standards. She takes responsibilities seriously and reads books as if each one will unravel the mystery of life. She sees patterns and codes that others miss. The Page of Swords sees the subtext others overlook. She finds the right words and articulates truth clearly and succinctly. The Page of Swords knows you and can tell if you are lying. She is the friend who will call you out when you are being dishonest to yourself or others. She is often found in libraries, on a computer database, or solving a local neighborhood mystery.
Symbolic
Pamela crafts a ragged high mountain landscape to reflect the quality of air. A flock of birds, symbolic of the connection between humanity and the Divine, fly past. The ground almost looks like water beneath her feet, and blooming clouds tower behind her. Her hair blows in the wind and birds pass at high altitude, marking her connection to the higher self. Waite describes her as “swift walking.” Just as we can interpret energy by looking at the gait of a knight’s horse, the reader can determine the speed by her fast-footed action. The Page’s movement suggests if swift action is taken, results will appear. The mystery will be solved.
Waite’s Divinatory Meanings: Authority, overseeing, secret service, vigilance, spying, examination, and the qualities thereto belonging.
Reversed: More evil side of these qualities; what is unforeseen, unprepared state; sickness is also intimated.
Knight of Swords
Book T Title: Lord of the Winds and the Breezes, the King of the Spirits of Air
Elemental Counterchange: Fire (Knight) of Air (Swords), King of the Sylphs and Sylphides
Astrological: Gemini (Mutable Air)
My soul is set upon an endless quest
To span the bounds of being.
Arthur Waite, Collected Poems
General
The Knight of Swords carries the fiery, expansive quality of air. He’s fast, he’s smart, he’s dangerous. The Knight of Swords is so carried away with his own thoughts and ideas, he is often an unstoppable force. Cunning and decisive, this intense character is often overtaking you before you realize what is happening. His temper flares quickly, and he’ll cut straight through to the heart of the matter at hand. He appears and people scatter. He is the energy and presence others make room for and whom everyone sits up and takes notice of.
In You
The moment you rush to a person, place, or thing’s defense, you feel the Knight of Swords operating inside of you. Moments of aggression are marked by his appearance, as well as temporary insensitivity toward other’s feelings. He contains your need to control or navigate a situation. He marks tremendous courage and an ability to risk regardless of consequence. He appears in moments of irony meant to assert control over another or to express domination over a situation that you actually have zero control over.
In Others
The Knight of Swords is a flash in the pan. He leaves as quickly as he appears, often leaving people in confusion. His qualities can be shocking when found in others, in the form of quick talking and aggressive behavior. Romantically, he is the ultimate bad boy, James Dean–style. He’s smooth talking, fast riding, a fun-loving guy who knows exactly the right thing to say in order to get what he wants. He could be the great protector, appearing just when you need him. He could be a flash-in-your-hot-pan romance or the aggressor who hurls insults.
Symbolic
Waite says in “The Tarot: Wheel of Fortune” that “The Knight of Swords is even as Galahad on the Quest, dispersing the enemies thereof,” meaning he represents a legendary knight of King Arthur’s Round Table. Knights always reflect offerings and important messages, and their appearance reflects the fluid energy of any situation. The Knight of Sword’s horse moves at a breakneck pace, reflecting hasty results. Waite describes his as “riding full course, as if scattering his enemies.”
Waite says “he is really a prototypical hero of romantic chivalry,” suggesting this knight is the ultimate archetype of the romancing suitor who would fight for his lady’s virtue. His armor, a symbol of protection, is covered with butterfly, seagull, and hooded falcons, linking the Knight of Swords to the element of air.
Waite’s Divinatory Meanings: Skill, bravery, capacity, defence, address, enmity, wrath, war, destruction, opposition, resistance, ruin. There is therefore a sense in which the card signifies death, but it carries this meaning only in its proximity to other cards of fatality.
Reversed: Imprudence, incapacity, extravagance.
Queen of Swords
Book T Title: Queen of the Thrones of Air
Elemental Counterchange: Water (Queen) of Air (Swords), Queen of the Sylphs and Sylphides
Astrological: Libra (Cardinal Air)
Wrap me, ye Winds,
away to some wild place.
Arthur Waite, Collected Poems
General
The Queen of Swords is the goddess of air, queen of the clouds, and mistress of the winds. She expresses a mature intelligence. Her analysis is rarely off the mark. She speaks the truth as she sees it. She reaches her hand out to those who approach. She is the honest and articulate queen whose words, deeds, and actions speak to the heart of any situation. Embodying the feminine nature of intelligence, she is wise and to the point. She tosses all unimportant information and distractions aside. She keeps a full schedule and checks off her to-do list with satisfaction.
In You
The Queen of Swords appears inside you when you address any situation with clarity and poise. She reflects personal power and speaking the mind. The Queen of Swords is activated when a clear strategy is required, when action is needed and plans are to be laid. She reflects you being your own best advocate. The Queen of Swords is inside you when you take personal responsibility for your life, your actions, and attitudes. This queen understands we hold power when we control our inner thoughts. As the keen observer of inner thoughts, she writes the story of her life like a brilliant novelist, and so should you.
In Others
The Queen of Swords shows up as a force to be reckoned with in your life. You may feel equally intimidated and inspired by her presence. She takes herself and her work so seriously it may come as a surprise that she also carries a soft, sensitive side. Her dedication to quality and truth help her stand out from a c
rowd of mediocrity. She’s often the topic of discussion. Her professions include writer, editor, teacher, doctor, psychologist, and the unbeatable lawyer.
Symbolic
Waite’s definition of widowhood has long haunted this card. It is a reminder of the gender stereotypes plaguing the time when this deck was created. It is almost as if the queen’s profile, as sharp as her sword, is somewhat responsible for her aloneness. Waite suggests the Queen of Swords carries “familiarity with sorrow.” Who doesn’t? He calls her “scarcely a symbol of power” and includes the description of “sterility,” which he does not offer to her male counterpart.
The Queen of Sword’s crown and throne are decorated with butterflies, a symbol of air. A single bird, the symbol of human and cosmic spirit, soars above her crown, matching her lofty thought. Her cloak is dotted with clouds, matching her background. A cherub’s head appears on her throne above the waxing and waning moon, suggesting change is afoot. Her posture emulates the Justice card. Her head is literally above the clouds, demonstrating clear and concise thoughts and actions.
Waite’s Divinatory Meanings: Widowhood, female sadness and embarrassment, absence, sterility, mourning, privation, separation.
Reversed: Malice, bigotry, artifice, prudery, bale, deceit.
King of Swords
Book T Title: Prince of the Chariot of the Winds
Elemental Counterchange: Air (King) of Air (Swords), Prince and Emperor of the Sylphs and Sylphides
Astrological: Aquarius (Fixed Air)
The one true place for a King’s repose,
And, long though he travel the outward track,