King of Swords Tarot Card Meaning

The King of Swords is always depicted as an older man sitting on a throne. He is either facing to the side or directly forward. He has a double-edged sword in his right hand and points it up. The king wears a dark purple or blue tunic. This is considered symbolic of a desire for divine knowledge and represents compassion. Some iterations of the King of Swords have the king with his left hand extended as if he is waiting for offerings.

When the card is drawn upright in tarot readings it signifies mental clarity, intellectual power, honesty, authority, and self-discipline like the Queen of Swords. The King of Swords reversed tarot card represents a misuse of power, manipulation, deception, and other dishonest traits. The reversed card also signifies quiet power.

King of Swords Upright

First and foremost, in a tarot reading the King of Swords represents self-discipline, control, power, and authority like the other King tarot cards. Courage and knowledge are underlying traits of this card. These traits are what lead the king to power and control, and they will lead the person who draws this card to their goals as well.

Drawing this card means others pay attention when you speak and are interested in what you have to say. You are known for being truthful, and honest, and you know how to express yourself. You aren’t the sky, and you aren’t afraid to share your opinion, even if it means upsetting the people around you.

Mental clarity and intellectual power are other traits of the King of Swords meaning it’s easy for you to know the difference between truth and lies. It also means you are often correct in your decision-making.

You are always calm when faced with tough decisions, and it’s simple for you to control your emotions in stressful situations. People who draw the King of Swords often do not like to beat around the bush; they would rather be blunt and get straight to the point. You are aware of the need to care for others but detaching from those around you is often the simplest answer.

Love Meaning – Upright

In a love tarot reading the King of Swords tarot card means that you are attracted to your partner at an intellectual level. Your relationship is often challenging, but it encourages you to excel and hold high standards. The card can also represent fatherhood. Generally speaking, The King of Swords is representative of a man who is happy in life and is succeeding.

A single person should see the King of Swords tarot card as a turning point in their dating life. You will meet someone who embodies the qualities represented by the King of Swords or you will become a person who represents this card.

It means you require a partner that you aren’t just merely physically attracted to; it means you need someone you can connect with on an intellectual and emotional level. Alternately, it can represent someone who is happy being single – someone that doesn’t need another person’s love to feel their self-worth.

Career Meaning – Upright

High standards aren’t only reserved for relationships. This extends to the workplace as well. The King of Swords represents someone that is devoted to their work. Coming off as too serious at times, you may be someone who is career-driven. You are true to your principles, and you apply these principles to your work life as well.

It could also represent a position of power that will be coming your way. Your rigorous routine and structure will be noticed, and you will be promoted to a position with much more responsibilities. Your calm and collected attitude means you will be great at making important decisions. Your logical and rational approach means you will always make the best decisions possible.

Health Meaning – Upright

In regards to swords tarot card meanings in health, the King of Swords represents structure and routines as well. This is especially true regarding health. You often arrange your mealtime and sleep patterns in a strict manner, adhering to the schedule no matter what.

An ill person might find representation in the King of Swords manifest as a doctor or a surgeon in their life. The structure extends financially too. You may be very strict with your budgeting, often never spending money that you don’t need to. You may come off as very frugal with your purchases.

Spirituality Meaning – Upright

The King of Swords represents knowledge concerning spirituality. You are often someone who researches multiple belief systems in search of the truth. A person who is representative of the King of Swords often needs to lessen their search for knowledge and trust what feels right in the heart. Generally speaking, it means you need more action and less preparation in your life.

King of Swords Reversed

The King of Swords reversed is often a very negative thing. It represents an out-of-control, often tyrannical, abusive type of behavior. Whether it is a direct representation of you or someone else in your life, the King of Swords reversed is a sign of negative things to come. The King of Swords could represent a person of power abusing their authority. It could also indicate that you are being manipulated by someone. Generally speaking, it also represents spontaneity, impulse, outbursts, and anger.

Love Meaning – Reversed

When discussing love and relationships, the reversed King of Swords represents selfishness and abuse. The reversed King of Swords represents someone who allows their emotions to get the better of them. It can represent a coldness in a relationship, or it can preface a relationship about to go sour.

The King of Swords as far as love tarot card meanings go could mean you need to be more understanding of your partner or give them more respect. A relationship represented by the reversed King of Swords is one that needs work but isn’t unsalvageable.

Career Meaning – Reversed

The reversed King of Swords is an indication of a poor workplace experience. Someone at your job may be overly aggressive, hungry for power, or demeaning in their behavior. It represents general toxicity in the workplace. If this doesn’t describe your workplace experience, then it is likely you that is making the workplace more hostile.

You should take a closer look at your own behavior and learn to be more understanding of your subordinates and co-workers. It could represent a lack of discipline in the workplace too. You may find yourself constantly late to work or taking too long lunch breaks. Reconsider your own goals to work towards a better work environment.

Health Meaning – Reversed

The King of Swords reversed represents a feeling of uncontrollability when it comes to health. It means you feel you aren’t in control of your own destiny. It can make you feel powerless and incomplete. You may have more on your plate than you can handle, or you may be getting too much of an information influx to handle. If this describes you, you may need to learn to separate reality from fiction. You need to find out what information is trustworthy and what information is deceptive.

Spirituality Meaning – Reversed

The King of Swords represents nativity when it’s reversed. You may be someone who is completely engaged in their spirituality – someone who is too engaged actually. You may be guilty of receiving too much information at once and mixing up facts for fiction. You should stop blindly believing everything you learn and invest yourself into finding the truth.

As the upright King of Swords represents someone who is on a constant search for more knowledge, the reversed King of Swords is the exact opposite. It represents someone who is constantly fed misinformation and is hidden from the truth. The King of Swords represents someone who should invest in knowledge and be cautious of their current sources of information.