Tarot Card Symbolism FAQs

Waite describes a traveller pausing at a precipice while looking out towards the sky, with a dog bounding beside him. His symbolic explanation presents a spirit seeking experience, rather than simply an unintelligent person. The contrast between the open view and the unexamined ground makes a useful study prompt: what attracts the traveller, and what has not received attention? That reflective question is our suggested exercise, not a command to take a risk or a promise that a dangerous choice will be protected.

Further reading: A. E. Waite: The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, 0: The Fool.

In Waite’s explanation, the four objects represent the elements of ordinary life available for the Magician to use. His raised wand and downward-pointing hand connect what is above with what is below within Waite’s spiritual symbolism. Together, the objects and gesture make the scene about directing available powers, not merely owning impressive tools. For a grounded study exercise, list the resources a real project already has and how they could be used. This is an application of the picture, not evidence that thoughts alone produce results.

Further reading: A. E. Waite: The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, I: The Magician.

Waite identifies the scroll as Tora and explains its partial covering as a distinction between what is expressed and what remains implied. He places it within his own religious and esoteric account of the High Priestess, rather than presenting it as an ordinary unread letter. You can study how the visible lettering, covering mantle and seated figure affect the scene. In a reflective reading, incomplete information is one possible theme; the card does not establish that another person is concealing something from you.

Further reading: A. E. Waite: The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, II: The High Priestess.

Waite’s Empress sits beside ripening crops, water and a shield bearing the sign of Venus. His account stresses the generative richness of the visible world. The Emperor is a crowned ruler with a sceptre, globe and ram-headed throne; Waite associates him with worldly authority and realisation. An optional comparison is nurturing conditions versus directing or organising them. These are symbolic roles, not instructions about how women and men should behave. The Empress’s imagery is not a pregnancy test or a prediction about someone’s fertility.

Further reading: A. E. Waite: The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, III: The Empress; IV: The Emperor.

Waite contrasts the Hierophant’s outward religious institution with the High Priestess’s inward, concealed spiritual domain. The Hierophant has kneeling attendants, crossed keys and an explicit teaching or blessing gesture; the High Priestess holds a partly covered scroll and makes no equivalent gesture. That gives you a concrete comparison between public instruction and knowledge approached indirectly. It does not make one card, religion or learning style universally superior. For study, compare who is present, what is communicated and what remains screened from view.

Further reading: A. E. Waite: The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, II: The High Priestess; V: The Hierophant.

Waite describes the figures through the imagery of Adam and Eve. He identifies the tree behind the man as the Tree of Life, bearing twelve fruits, and the serpent-bearing tree behind the woman as the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. This is part of his particular religious interpretation of the design. Knowing that reference helps explain why the scene contains more than a romantic couple. It does not prove that a relationship is destined, require heterosexual partners or turn the pictured gender roles into rules for real people.

Further reading: A. E. Waite: The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, VI: The Lovers.

Waite explicitly says he adopted Éliphas Lévi’s variation using two sphinxes. In his account, the charioteer’s achievement is especially an intellectual triumph, but it does not automatically amount to spiritual understanding or inward freedom. This is more specific than treating the picture as a promise to win. As a learning comparison, ask what the driver appears to have mastered and what that mastery might leave unresolved. The presence of sphinxes is a design choice within this occult tradition, not proof that tarot originated in ancient Egypt.

Further reading: A. E. Waite: The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, VII: The Chariot.

Waite describes the lion as already subdued by the woman’s gentle fortitude and led with a chain of flowers. He links the lion with the passions and gives the flowers a spiritual meaning within his account of divine law. The contrast is between effective influence and obvious physical force. For an optional study prompt, compare what patient restraint can do that coercion cannot. This interpretation concerns a symbolic scene; it is not advice to approach a dangerous animal or tolerate harmful behaviour from another person.

Further reading: A. E. Waite: The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, VIII: Strength, or Fortitude.

Not in Waite’s own explanation. He describes a star inside a raised lantern and treats the figure as showing an attained height to others, rather than simply searching for something still missing. That makes guidance and a visible example part of this card’s symbolism, alongside its solitary setting. Try comparing a question about seeking instruction with one about sharing something already learned. This is a card-specific distinction in Waite’s account, not a requirement to isolate yourself or claim special authority over other people.

Further reading: A. E. Waite: The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, IX: The Hermit.

Waite intentionally combines several symbolic traditions. He describes a serpent-form Typhon, a sphinx, the four living creatures associated with Ezekiel, and letters that connect Taro with Rota alongside a divine name. His central contrast is movement and change with a principle of equilibrium. Importantly, he says that using Egyptian imagery does not imply an Egyptian origin for tarot. Study the moving wheel and the stabilising figures as different parts of one composition, rather than treating every symbol as a separate forecast.

Further reading: A. E. Waite: The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, X: Wheel of Fortune.

Waite specifically draws attention to the peaceful, absorbed expression, the halo and the living wood with leaves. He says the figure suggests life held in suspension, not death. These details make the image more than a literal scene of punishment. As an optional reflective exercise, consider the difference between a pause that changes your viewpoint and simply being prevented from acting. That comparison is not an instruction to endure mistreatment, remain in danger or suspend necessary practical help.

Further reading: A. E. Waite: The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, XII: The Hanged Man.

Waite identifies the flower on the rider’s black banner as a mystic rose signifying life, and the distant sun as a symbol of immortality. He places these details within an account of transformation and passage, so the image contains continuity as well as endings. This explains the design in his spiritual framework; it does not establish an afterlife or predict a death. For study, look at how signs of life change your response to the rider instead of reading the title in isolation.

Further reading: A. E. Waite: The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, XIII: Death.

In Temperance, Waite describes liquid passing from one chalice to another, with a foot on land and another on water. His interpretation emphasises harmonising different aspects of existence. In the Star, water pours from two vessels into the surrounding land and water; his account emphasises a freely communicated spiritual gift. A useful visual comparison is combining within a relationship versus giving outward to a wider setting. That is a study distinction, not a universal formula or a claim that either card guarantees healing.

Further reading: A. E. Waite: The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, XIV: Temperance; XVII: The Star.

Waite describes two human figures chained to the altar and gives them animal tails while retaining intelligent faces. His explanation concerns bondage within material life, but he also says the figure above them is not their master for ever. This makes the contrast between constraint and retained humanity important to his reading. You might reflect on an obligation or habit without labelling a person evil. The image cannot establish possession, diagnose addiction or show that someone is to blame for circumstances they cannot control.

Further reading: A. E. Waite: The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, XV: The Devil.

Yes, that is supported by Waite’s symbolic account. Although he acknowledges the picture’s visible destruction, he particularly connects it with the breaking of a false structure of doctrine or understanding. A reflective application might be realising that an explanation you relied on no longer fits the evidence. That is different from forecasting a literal accident. The card is not proof that your beliefs are wrong, nor permission to disrupt someone else’s life; compare any interpretation with what is actually known.

Further reading: A. E. Waite: The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, XVI: The Tower.

In Waite’s account, the path between the towers leads towards the unknown, while the dog and wolf express the mind’s fears when it has only reflected light for guidance. The scene therefore concerns uncertain perception as well as its night-time setting. A grounded study question is which details are visible and which you are supplying through imagination. This symbolism does not reveal hidden enemies or verify a suspicion about another person. Uncertainty in a reading is a reason to seek information, not manufacture an accusation.

Further reading: A. E. Waite: The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, XVIII: The Moon.

Waite describes the child as a symbol of simplicity and renewed innocence within his spiritual interpretation. He contrasts the Sun’s direct light with reflected light and places the rider outside a walled garden. Together, these details suggest openness and a changed relationship to experience, not just a pleasant day. For an optional comparison, place the Sun beside the Moon and notice how confident or uncertain each scene feels. The child is symbolic; the card does not confirm a pregnancy or promise an uncomplicated outcome.

Further reading: A. E. Waite: The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, XIX: The Sun; XVIII: The Moon.

Waite treats Justice as a moral principle concerned with actions and their due consequences. Judgement uses resurrection imagery: an angel sounds a trumpet and the figures respond together. He interprets that response as a profound inner summons and transformation. For a study distinction, Justice asks you to examine conduct and fairness, while Judgement can prompt reflection on what calls for a changed direction. These are symbolic applications, not predictions of a court decision or permission to judge another person’s worth.

Further reading: A. E. Waite: The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, XI: Justice; XX: The Last Judgment.

Waite describes the Fool as a spirit going out in search of experience, while his World represents a condition of fulfilment and wholeness within a much larger spiritual picture. The contrast is not simply happy versus unhappy, or early versus late in your life. For study, compare an unfamiliar activity you are approaching with one whose parts you can now bring together. This is a learning analogy, not a fixed life-stage map or a guarantee that everything is finished when the World appears.

Further reading: A. E. Waite: The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, 0: The Fool; XXI: The World.

The Two shows a figure on a battlement holding a globe, with one wand fixed nearby. The Three shows a figure watching ships from a cliff, with three wands planted in the ground. Waite connects the latter with established enterprise and cooperation, while giving the Two conflicting interpretations. As a visual memory aid, compare surveying a domain with watching an undertaking already extending beyond it. Treat planning versus expansion as a useful study shorthand, not a complete quotation of Waite’s meanings or a business forecast.

Further reading: A. E. Waite: The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, Wands: Three; Two.

No. Waite describes garlanded staves, people holding flowers and a house reached across a moat. His interpretations include refuge, domestic celebration, harmony, rest and the enjoyment of completed work. A wedding can fit some readers’ contexts, but it is not the only event the scene can suggest. For study, imagine a welcome home, a shared milestone or a peaceful gathering and see which details support each. The card does not prove that a proposal or marriage is approaching.

Further reading: A. E. Waite: The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, Wands: Four.

Waite describes the Five as a group brandishing staves in something between sport and struggle, with competition among its meanings. In the Seven, one figure occupies higher ground while six staves rise towards him, giving the scene an unequal arrangement and a defensive position. For a learning exercise, distinguish participating in a contest from holding a position under challenge. Neither card proves that people are hostile to you. Use the contrast to clarify the scene, not to invent enemies or assume every disagreement needs a fight.

Further reading: A. E. Waite: The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, Wands: Five; Seven.

Waite describes a rider wearing a laurel wreath, carrying a wand with another wreath, and accompanied by people on foot. He reads the scene as a victor’s procession, while also allowing the arrival of important news. The surrounding people matter: this is recognition displayed within a group rather than satisfaction kept entirely private. A useful study prompt is to distinguish doing something well from having that work acknowledged. Drawing the card does not establish that an award, promotion or public success will occur.

Further reading: A. E. Waite: The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, Wands: Six.

Waite describes the wands moving across open country towards the end of their course. His meanings include activity, haste and movement towards an endpoint. The absence of a person holding them makes the motion itself the centre of attention. For study, notice the shared direction rather than searching for a character to identify with. Speed is a symbolic quality here, not a reliable timetable: eight wands do not by themselves mean eight days, eight messages or a journey you must take.

Further reading: A. E. Waite: The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, Wands: Eight.

In the Nine, Waite’s figure leans on one staff while the others stand behind him, ready to face opposition. In the Ten, a figure physically carries all ten staves under their weight. A practical visual distinction is maintaining a guarded position versus bearing an accumulated load. For an optional reflection, ask whether a situation calls for readiness or for reducing what you carry. The cards cannot tell you how much strain is safe or require you to keep enduring an unreasonable burden.

Further reading: A. E. Waite: The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, Wands: Nine; Ten.

The Two shows a pair pledging cups to one another; Waite includes affinity, friendship and union among its meanings. The Three shows a group raising cups together, associated in his account with shared enjoyment and a satisfying conclusion. Compare a direct exchange between two participants with celebration in a group. Neither scene has to be romantic: the Two can support a study of cooperation, while the Three can concern friendship or community. The figures do not establish the actual relationship status of anyone in a reading.

Further reading: A. E. Waite: The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, Cups: Two; Three.

Waite describes a figure under a tree facing three cups while a hand from a cloud offers another. His explanation focuses on dissatisfaction: something different is present, but the figure does not find consolation in it. For a study exercise, separate noticing an offer from wanting or accepting it. You need not turn the image into a moral judgement that someone is ungrateful. The card also cannot establish depression or tell you that an offer is suitable merely because it is available.

Further reading: A. E. Waite: The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, Cups: Four.

Waite’s Five centres on three fallen cups, with two still standing behind the cloaked figure. He explicitly combines loss with something remaining. The Eight shows a person departing from the cups that once occupied their attention. A useful distinction is responding to what has been lost versus moving away from a former concern. That is a comparison of the scenes, not an instruction to move on quickly or leave a relationship. Notice what remains, what is being left and whether either interpretation fits the actual question.

Further reading: A. E. Waite: The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, Cups: Five; Eight.

Waite describes children in an old garden with flower-filled cups and explicitly links the scene with memories and things belonging to the past. He also records an alternative interpretation involving unfamiliar surroundings and new connections, so even his historical entry is not a single fixed keyword. Use the garden and children as a visual route into the memory association. A drawn card is not evidence that a particular childhood event happened, and a pleasant picture need not require you to describe your own childhood as happy.

Further reading: A. E. Waite: The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, Cups: Six.

Waite presents the cups as images of fantasy, reflection and imagination, and cautions that the scene does not itself suggest something lasting or substantial. Their variety can therefore help you distinguish an attractive possibility from an established reality. For an optional exercise, write down one imagined option, what appeals to you about it and what would have to be checked before acting. This practical exercise is our adaptation of the imagery, not proof that the card knows which choice will succeed.

Further reading: A. E. Waite: The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, Cups: Seven.

Waite’s Nine shows a seated figure with abundant cups displayed behind him, suggesting personal satisfaction and enjoyment. The Ten places cups in a rainbow above adults, children and a home scene; his meanings include fulfilment in love and friendship. A useful comparison is enjoying what satisfies you individually versus sharing belonging with others. Neither is automatically better, and the family image need not define a required household structure. Treat the contrast as a way to study the pictures, not a promise of permanent happiness.

Further reading: A. E. Waite: The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, Cups: Nine; Ten.

In Waite’s Two, the figure holds two swords in a balanced position. In the Eight, the figure is bound as well as blindfolded, with swords around her; Waite describes this as temporary confinement rather than an irreversible condition. Compare an actively maintained balance with visible restrictions on movement. The pictures do not tell you that real obstacles are imaginary or that someone could simply choose to escape them. For study, describe the hands, restraints and surrounding space before adding an interpretation.

Further reading: A. E. Waite: The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, Swords: Two; Eight.

No. Waite describes three swords piercing a heart against rain and cloud, and includes separation, absence, division and disruption among the meanings. Those themes are broader than an affair or romantic rejection. The heart makes emotional pain an understandable response to the image, but it does not identify its cause. As a study exercise, compare disappointment over a friendship, an interrupted plan and a difficult parting. The card is not evidence of infidelity or a sign of a physical heart condition.

Further reading: A. E. Waite: The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, Swords: Three.

Waite identifies the figure as a carved knight’s effigy on a tomb, with hands held in prayer, rather than a living sleeper. His interpretations nevertheless include retreat, solitude and repose. Recognising the object in the scene helps explain its stillness without treating it as a forecast of death. For a reflective exercise, consider what deliberate withdrawal from activity could make room for. That is an optional use of the symbolism, not a diagnosis or advice to replace needed care with rest.

Further reading: A. E. Waite: The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, Swords: Four.

The Five shows a figure holding the field after two others retreat, with swords left on the ground. The Seven shows someone carrying five swords away while two remain beside a nearby camp. Waite links the Five with loss and dishonour, but gives the Seven a notably mixed set of meanings involving plans and attempts. Compare the aftermath of a confrontation with an action still in progress. Neither image proves that a particular person has lied, stolen something or acted against you.

Further reading: A. E. Waite: The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, Swords: Five; Seven.

Waite describes a ferryman taking passengers towards the other shore and says the journey is within the boatman’s capacity. The scene makes movement possible through assistance and a means of passage, rather than through the passengers’ effort alone. For study, identify who carries, who is carried and where the journey is directed. You can use that as a prompt about support during a transition, but it does not establish that travel is coming or that a difficult situation has already been resolved.

Further reading: A. E. Waite: The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, Swords: Six.

Waite’s Nine centres on a seated figure lamenting with swords above; the Ten shows a prone figure pierced by the swords. The visual contrast is between an experience expressed by a conscious figure and an extreme tableau of defeat or desolation. Waite himself says the Ten is not especially a card of violent death. Study the difference in posture and placement rather than turning either image into a medical prediction. Neither card can diagnose a mental-health condition or establish that harm will occur.

Further reading: A. E. Waite: The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, Swords: Nine; Ten.

Waite describes a dancing figure with one pentacle in each hand, joined by a continuous figure-eight cord. The connection makes the two objects part of one moving arrangement rather than unrelated possessions. His historical meanings are mixed, including enjoyment as well as agitation and complications. As a visual exercise, notice how keeping both objects in motion differs from holding one still. You may use this to reflect on competing commitments, but the card cannot assess affordability or tell you that a financial risk will work out.

Further reading: A. E. Waite: The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, Pentacles: Two.

Waite explicitly asks readers to compare these cards. He describes the Eight as an artist working at a craft, possibly in a preparatory stage, and the Three as a sculptor working in a monastery after the earlier apprenticeship has received recognition. This makes practice and established skilled work a useful distinction in his account. For study, compare learning a technique with applying it to a substantial commission. Do not assume that the larger card number must always show the more advanced stage.

Further reading: A. E. Waite: The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, Pentacles: Eight; Three.

The Four shows a figure clasping a pentacle with others held close at the head and feet; Waite emphasises holding on to possessions. The Six shows a merchant weighing money and distributing it to other people. Compare retaining resources with allocating them, and notice that the second scene contains different positions of power. This is a symbolic study comparison, not a rule that saving is selfish or giving is always wise. Real decisions about money need facts about needs, limits and circumstances.

Further reading: A. E. Waite: The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, Pentacles: Four; Six.

Waite describes two people passing a lighted window in a snowstorm and associates the scene primarily with material difficulty. The window creates a visible contrast with their exposed surroundings, but his entry does not say that they have been offered entry or refused help. A possible reflective question is what support is genuinely available and how someone could access it. Keep that as a question, not an assumption that hardship results from overlooking an easy solution. The card cannot forecast poverty or illness.

Further reading: A. E. Waite: The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, Pentacles: Five.

The Seven shows a figure leaning on a staff and looking closely at pentacles among greenery. The Nine places a figure with a bird on her wrist amid abundant vines and a substantial garden. Waite’s account of the Nine stresses accomplishment and discernment; his Seven entry gives conflicting meanings. As an optional visual comparison, distinguish inspecting what is growing from inhabiting an already abundant setting. That is our study shorthand, not a guaranteed investment cycle or a prediction that patience will bring a financial return.

Further reading: A. E. Waite: The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, Pentacles: Seven; Nine.

Waite describes an older figure, adults, a child and dogs at the entrance to a house and its grounds. Alongside material prosperity, his meanings include family matters, ancestry and records. The scene therefore invites attention to an enduring household and what connects people across time, not just a pile of money. For study, compare a family archive or shared place with a private possession. The card does not verify an inheritance, identify biological relationships or imply that wealth is necessary for a meaningful family life.

Further reading: A. E. Waite: The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, Pentacles: Ten.

Waite highlights different kinds of movement: the Knight of Wands’ horse suggests a hasty mood; the Knight of Cups rides quietly; the Knight of Swords charges at full speed; and the Knight of Pentacles has a slow, enduring horse. Compare their pace, direction and manner before attaching a personality keyword. This is a concrete memory aid for these four pictures, not a ranking of the suits. A person can act differently in different situations, so a court card need not become a permanent label for someone.

Further reading: A. E. Waite: The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, Knights of Wands, Cups, Swords and Pentacles.

Waite’s Page of Cups studies a fish emerging from a cup, which he connects with images taking form in the mind. The Page of Pentacles looks intently at the pentacle held above the hands, and his meanings include study and application. A useful visual contrast is attending to an unexpected imaginative image versus concentrating steadily on an object of study. These are suggested learning associations, not claims about someone’s age, gender or aptitude. Try describing each figure’s focus before deciding which quality fits a question.

Further reading: A. E. Waite: The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, Page of Cups; Page of Pentacles.

The shared composition does not make their meanings identical. Waite associates the Ace of Wands with creation and enterprise, Cups with nourishment and contentment of the heart, Swords with force and triumph, and Pentacles with contentment and comfortable material conditions. These are selected themes from his historical lists, not promised outcomes. Compare the objects as well: a substantial wand, an overflowing cup, a crowned sword and a displayed pentacle create different visual emphases. This gives you more to remember than a single keyword such as beginning, without requiring you to accept every fortune-telling meaning in the old book.

Further reading: A. E. Waite: The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, Aces of Wands, Cups, Swords and Pentacles.

Waite describes a dove descending towards the cup with a cross-marked wafer, which he calls a Host. His entry also refers to a holy table, nourishment and the heart. The objects therefore belong to a religious symbolic setting, rather than simply depicting an ordinary drink. Recognising that setting helps explain why the Ace of Cups can be studied through spiritual nourishment as well as emotion. You can acknowledge the imagery without sharing its religious assumptions, and the card does not confirm a blessing, cure or divine instruction.

Further reading: A. E. Waite: The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, Ace of Cups.

In his King of Pentacles entry, Waite explains the suit’s pentagram through the four elements in human nature and the principle by which they can be governed. He also notes that older packs used this suit for ordinary coins, while his collected interpretations extend beyond money. This is his account of the design, not a universal definition of every five-pointed star. For study, keep the symbol’s explanation separate from the scene around it: a pentacle being held, made, exchanged or displayed can serve a different role in each picture.

Further reading: A. E. Waite: The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, King of Pentacles, explanation of the suit symbol.

Waite often gives Swords difficult associations, but his entries also include skill and bravery for the Knight, vigilance for the Page, authority for the King and triumph for the Ace. The suit therefore contains different uses of force and judgement, not one undifferentiated verdict. When learning it, notice whether swords are being carried, balanced, raised or left on the ground; these produce different scenes. Keep the individual card’s context rather than turning every Sword into bad news or forcing an uncomfortable image to become reassuring.

Further reading: A. E. Waite: The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, King, Knight, Page and Ace of Swords; Two of Swords.

Waite places the throne on the sea, with a ship to one side and a dolphin to the other. He explicitly uses the scene to connect the Cup with water, which also appears in the other Cups court cards. The setting makes the surrounding element part of the portrait rather than mere decoration. As an optional visual exercise, contrast the seated figure with movement around him and consider steadiness amid changing circumstances. That is a reflective application of the composition, not a claim that a particular person has complete emotional control.

Further reading: A. E. Waite: The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, King of Cups.

No. Waite describes her as contemplating images in a cup, but immediately adds that she acts and that her activity supports her dreaming. His account combines imagination with engaged attention rather than separating the two entirely. For a study prompt, think of an imaginative idea that becomes clearer through making, practising or helping, then return to the image. That example is our suggested application. The card does not verify psychic sight, and a reflective style is not a role reserved for a particular gender.

Further reading: A. E. Waite: The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, Queen of Cups.

Waite describes a raised sword, an extended hand and a face whose severity is tempered by experience of sorrow. That gives the expression a context instead of making it a shorthand for an unkind woman. When studying the card, distinguish what the portrait shows from a judgement about someone’s character. You might explore how difficult experience affects the way a person listens or responds, but the image cannot establish anyone’s history, bereavement or intentions. It is not a reason to distrust someone because of their gender or manner.

Further reading: A. E. Waite: The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, Queen of Swords.

Waite himself compares the King of Swords with the Major Arcana figure of Justice, but distinguishes the King as authority exercised through an office. In his description, the King holds an unsheathed sword and sits in judgement. A useful study contrast is the person empowered to make or enforce a decision versus the principle by which fairness is considered. This does not guarantee that a person in authority will be fair, identify an actual judge or predict the result of a legal matter.

Further reading: A. E. Waite: The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, King of Swords.

Waite gives the King of Wands an animated, ardent character, a flowering wand and a throne marked by a lion. His King of Pentacles has a bull motif on the throne and is associated with practical intelligence, aptitude and bringing ability into concrete results. For a learning comparison, place energetic conviction beside capable execution, while allowing both to appear in one person or project. These are selected historical associations, not fixed personality types, zodiac tests or evidence of someone’s wealth, honesty or competence.

Further reading: A. E. Waite: The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, King of Wands; King of Pentacles.

Waite describes Wands as a suit of living growth and animation, and gives its Queen a magnetic quality. His Queen of Pentacles contemplates her emblem and is associated with generosity, security and an expansive spirit. For an optional study comparison, imagine support that energises participation beside support that helps sustain practical conditions. This is a memory aid derived from different emphases, not a strict division between people. Neither Queen requires a particular gender, domestic role or level of material wealth.

Further reading: A. E. Waite: The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, Queen of Wands; Queen of Pentacles.

Waite describes the Page of Wands in the act of making a proclamation, with messages among the card’s associations. The Page of Swords is alert and looking around, and Waite connects that scene with watching and examination. For study, compare delivering something outward with checking what is happening around you before speaking. Both can be active, so quiet observation need not mean passivity. This contrast does not establish that a message is coming or that anyone is spying on you.

Further reading: A. E. Waite: The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, Page of Wands; Page of Swords.