Knight of Swords

Knight of Swords is one of the 56 minor arcana of the tarot, in the suit of Swords; in the Golden Dawn tradition it corresponds to fire of air.

The Knight of Swords charges forward beneath a wind-swept sky. He acts on his ideas at full speed, with courage and sometimes without looking.

Symbols on the card

The charging horse

Thought turned into immediate action.

The raised sword

Determination and directness.

The wind-swept sky

Fast-changing circumstances.

Number and suit

Knights are pursuit and action: the suit's energy on the move, sometimes to excess. Swords are air: thought, truth, communication and the conflicts of the mind.

Upright meaning

Act decisively on what you know, and stay aware of who is in your path.

Love　Directness in love; say it clearly.

Work　Pushing a project forward fast.

Inner life　Courage and care can ride together.

Reversed meaning

Speed without direction. Slow down and think it through.

Love　Harsh words said in haste.

Work　Rushing and making mistakes.

Inner life　Ask whether you are fighting the right battle.

In a three-card spread

Situation

Fast, decisive action.

Challenge

Recklessness or harshness.

Advice

Act boldly, but think first.

Tarot and astrology

In the Golden Dawn system the court cards are elements within elements; this one is fire of air.

Questions to sit with

• Where do I need to act decisively?
• Who might be hurt by my speed?

Through the suit

Tarot here is a mirror for reflection, not a prediction. The meanings follow the Waite-Smith tradition and the Golden Dawn attributions, in our own words.