King of Swords (Tarot Triptych)
Name: King of Swords, Prince of Swords
Number: 1 or 3
Astrology: Aquarius
Qabalah: Yod of Vau or Vau of Vau
The King of Swords is the highest card in the suit, but as the Prince, as he appears in Thoth, he is the third highest. In each depiction he bears a sword and wears a crown, looking with judgment and considering how to apply his sword.
In Rider, we have a King cloaked in sky blue and grey. His throne is adorned with butterflies and sylphs. He is crowned, and his sword is held aloft, slightly to the right. He looks straight ahead.
In Thoth, we see a Prince riding in a chariot drawn by three little men. Geometric figures swarm about him. He is preparing to strike with his sword, while his other hand holds the reins and a scythe.
In Marseille, the King is looking to the left. He is adorned in ceremonial armor with two Lunar shoulder pads. He is holding court, giving orders, and forming plans - not going to war. He is giving orders and forming plans. His sword is pointed straight up, and his scepter is by his side.
In both Rider and Marseille we are shown the King as Judge. This calls to mind the Judgment of Solomon, in which two women claim to be the mother of a child and come before their King to solve the dispute.
A King judging by the sword is a perfect example of this card.
The Prince, on the other hand, is judging only ideas. He is in a realm of intellect, not practical matters of the court. With his sword and scythe he cuts every sprout and sapling before they have time to mature, for each is imperfect. This card always reminds me of masturbation, and the phrase “mental masturbation”. None of these ideas will be fertilized. This is Hamlet himself, thinking and thinking.
The Kings on the other are interested not necessarily in Justice, but in balance and symmetry. The butterflies on the Rider King’s throne are not beautiful per se, but beautiful in their symmetry. The Kings are interested in using their swords to cut perfect borders, to divide bounty, to create laws and boundaries for their subjects.
When we pull this card we can expect an orderly person in the case of the King, or a mental person in the case of the Prince. Their ideas can bring peace and balance to our lives, or set us spinning our wheels. This may be energy we have to embody, setting things in their right place, and removing excess.