The Court Cards are the part of the minor arcana that seem to stump people over and over again. The more traditional interpretation of the court cards is that they represent the people in the querent’s life. They don’t feel as free to interpret as the rest of the minor arcana because of their humanness, and because we recognize that humans are complicated, it can make reading them a little complicated!

Where to Begin

I’m going to preface this by saying that every reader has their own unique way of interpreting the court cards. So, I will be showing you the way I’ve understood them. The best way to view every court card, in my opinion, is as an archetype of their suit, especially when you are viewing them as people in a reading. Viewing them just as people is limiting. Only interpreting the court cards by their gender, class, and race restricts your readings and removes the nuance that you can get from a court card, whether the reading is about a third-party or not.  

When a court card comes up in a reading, I tend to read it as the embodied archetype in that particular moment in time. I have also read it as someone else (like a third party; someone who is not the querent) or as the querent themselves. In old school readings, tarot readers would pull a court card representing the querent, usually one that matches the querent’s astrological sun sign. And yes, the court cards do have assigned zodiac signs. For example, if the querent is a Scorpio, the tarot reader would begin by pulling the King of Cups, placing it at the center and then pull the rest of the cards. Why is Scorpio the King of Cups? Personally, this is how I was taught to see the Kings (as fixed signs). The Golden Dawn assigned mutable signs for the Kings. Go figure.

Traditionally, a significator is chosen based on the querent’s zodiac sign and/or age. But if you wish to choose a significator for yourself, why not choose one that matches your current energy? This requires some self-awareness but choosing one that matches your current energy will deliver the best results.

“But Asteria, how would I know that this is the right significator for me? I’m not even sure what court cards mean?!”

I thought you’d never ask!

Introducing my new Court Card Series!

The court cards are an important and often overlooked part of the minor arcana, and in this series, I would like to reintroduce them like an intriguing stranger you’re trying to get to know.

I will be calling this “All My Friends.” I’ll be introducing each suit of court cards, discussing their nature in unique scenarios, and how to work with them in a reading. I’m so excited to share because the court cards are a set of archetypes that are versatile and the part of the tarot that is most full of life. Please subscribe and stay tuned!