Alright, let’s talk about the King of Spades. Not the playing card exactly, but its counterpart in Tarot, often seen as the King of Swords. For a long time, this card just felt… heavy. You know? Like pulling it was getting told off.
First Steps
So, I decided I needed to actually spend some time with it, figure it out beyond the basic book meanings. My first step was simple: I pulled the King of Swords card out of my main deck. I just carried it around for a few days. Put it on my nightstand, tucked it into my journal. Didn’t do readings with it, just lived with it nearby.
Honestly? It felt kinda awkward at first. Like having a very serious guest over who doesn’t say much. It has this intense vibe, very direct. I’d glance at it and just get this feeling of sharp focus, maybe a little bit cold.
Digging In
After a few days of just looking, I started actually working with it. I’d sit down, maybe five or ten minutes each morning, and just gaze at the imagery. Didn’t try to analyze it intellectually, just let the feelings or thoughts come up.
Here’s some stuff that started bubbling up:
- Clarity: This word kept popping into my head. Not coldness, but clarity. Like cutting away fog.
- Truth: The feeling wasn’t about being mean, but about being truthful, even if the truth was uncomfortable.
- Boundaries: Saw the sword not just as a weapon, but as a tool to draw lines. To say ‘this is my space’, ‘this is what’s acceptable’.
- Experience: It felt like wisdom gained through hard times, not just book smarts.
I also started journaling. Just stream-of-consciousness writing about the card. What does it remind me of? Who does it remind me of? Times in my life when I needed that kind of energy, or maybe when I encountered it in someone else. It got less intimidating the more I wrote. It started to feel less like a judge and more like a very straightforward advisor.
Seeing it in Action
Then came the real test: seeing it in actual readings, for myself and sometimes others. I started noticing it differently. Before, I might have groaned inwardly. Now, I saw it show up when clear decisions were needed, when someone had to speak their mind, or when intellectual honesty was the main point.
I remember one specific time I was agonizing over a project. Just couldn’t decide which way to go, drowning in options. I did a simple one-card pull asking for guidance. Boom. King of Swords. It wasn’t a magical answer telling me what to choose, but it felt like a very clear instruction: Stop waffling. Use your head. Analyze the facts objectively and make the call. Cut away the emotional fluff and see the core issue. And that’s what I did. It wasn’t easy, but it was necessary.
Where I’m At Now
So, the King of Swords… or Spades, if you lean that way. I don’t dread seeing him anymore. I respect him. It’s the energy of sharp intellect, absolute clarity, speaking truth, and upholding boundaries based on experience and mental discipline. It’s tough energy sometimes, sure, but necessary. Spending that focused time, just me and the card, really shifted my whole perspective. It went from being a ‘bad’ card to a really valuable, if serious, guidepost. It’s all about just sitting with it and letting it speak for itself, I guess.
