Knight of Swords
Minor Arcana · Suit of Swords
- ambition
- action
- fast thinking
- drive
- recklessness
- impatience
- aggression
- no plan
In the picture
A knight charges at full gallop on a white horse, sword raised, against a stormy sky with trees bending in the wind.
Upright meaning
The Knight of Swords rushes in. He is ambitious, quick-thinking and determined, focused completely on his goal. The card favours direct action and speaking your mind.
Reversed meaning
Reversed, the charge leaves damage behind. Acting too fast, being tactless or rushing in without a plan are the risks. Slow down enough to think.
About the suit of Swords
Swords are the suit of air: thoughts, words, decisions and conflict. Swords cards can be sharp, because they deal with truth, worry and the hard choices made in the head. The four court cards of each suit (Page, Knight, Queen and King) can stand for people in your life, or for ways of handling a situation: the curious beginner, the person of action, the one who understands it from the inside, and the one in charge.
