King of Cups

Charming, charismatic, outgoing, the King of Cups is all of these and more. He is creative and interesting and likes conversation about art and style. He is often quick witted and clever. He can be empathic and in touch with his feelings.

The Inner child version shows a female, showing this card can refer to either a man or woman, and she is calling for friends/aid. What I like about that is that often when things are stormy, people can retreat into themselves and not ask for the help they need, but the Guardian of Hearts is wise and sufficiently sure of herself to call with an open heart and get the assistance s/he needs.

The shadow side of this card is someone who is too passive, watching the world but not getting up and changing things. Or the card can represent someone emotionally manipulative, seeing and understanding and then twisting things to fit his/her own agenda. The common flaw I find with the reversed king of cups is that when his back is to the wall, he melts away. The King likes charm and light and if the situation is difficult he can find himself backing away and leaving you flat.

I actually find this card, as with all the court cards, really complex. I’ve given very different interpretations of this card to people, depending on their situation.

King of Wands

Like the Ace, the King of Wands is the pinnacle of the wands – so the King is fiery, bold, creative, and energetic. You certainly notice him when he enters a room, he has that kind of charisma. And while he may sweep you off your feet, or ignite a new passion in you, like the knight, he is not always good at the detail, and you may be left wondering what happened.


This is a man who needs new adventures and highs to keep the momentum going. He is that wonderful boss, a powerful natural leader who inspires the troops, but not necessarily the best husband (unless you are the Queen of Wands, then you are more than a match for him!) If you are in a wands marriage, it’s fiery, tempestuous and passionate and that’s how both of you like it. However if one of you is wands and the other is not, that can cause problems…

One way to read the King is that you are playing with fire. Of course heat facilitates all kinds of transformations, and we need it. But make sure you are protecting yourself and not getting burnt.


All Tarot Kings are about outward energy and focus. The wands King is a particularly actions oriented guy. This card is about having the confidence to take the leap forward. Use this energy while it is around you as it is a strong, bright flame and it can serve you well.

The Court Cards

Before we start with the specifics of the Court Wands, I just want to have a little blurb about the Court Cards in general. The court cards are us and our family or the important people in our lives – the youth, the brother/sister and the mother/father. Or the child, teen and adult, or the aspects of ourselves that need to grow or are all grown up.

I often find the court cards are more complex to read than other cards. Who are they and what do they mean for the querent? (you!) The way I read the cards, most cards represent an aspect of you, but the court cards are the most obvious cards to refer to someone else. If we see the King of Cups hovering on the possible outcome cards, we are talking about an adult, a lover who is around but not quite there yet, and we spend the rest of the reading figuring out how to draw him in. If you are a Queen and your partner is a Page, there is an obvious disparity in power and maturity and needs to be looked at. I find a wealth of information in the court cards, where they fall, who they are next to, how many of them are in the reading. They are not the easiest cards to summarize here, because they can mean so many things.