Court cards
The court cards are the sixteen tarot cards that show people: a Page, Knight, Queen and King in each of the four suits. They can stand for someone in your life, a side of yourself or an approach the situation calls for.
Each suit has four court cards, and each rank has a character. Pages are students and messengers, curious and eager to learn. Knights are movers, pursuing a goal, sometimes to extremes. Queens show inner mastery: care, emotional intelligence and quiet authority. Kings show outer mastery: leadership, responsibility and command.
Combine the rank with the suit to read the card. The Knight of Wands charges ahead with passion; the Queen of Cups is compassionate and intuitive; the King of Swords judges with clear logic; the Page of Pentacles studies carefully and plans.
In a reading a court card may describe another person, yourself, or the attitude that will help. The question and the surrounding cards usually show which. A Queen of Swords drawn for guidance, for example, suggests answering with honesty and clear boundaries.
Older guides, Waite’s included, described court cards as particular people, down to their colouring and age. Most readers today treat them as qualities anyone can show, whatever their gender or age.