Building Responsive Power: Queering Tarot's Kings

Part three of four in the Queering Tarot’s Court Cards series. Check out part one, Queering Tarot’s Pages, here. Read part two, Queering Tarot’s Knights, here

*A lion head on a blue starry background*

Tarot's Kings are the public face of power. But does that mean they're qualified to lead?

This central question of the Kings is that of worthiness. That's why pulling a King can so often dredge up our own feelings of "imposter syndrome." I hate that term though.

From the time I was born, those in power have passed me over even when I was the most qualified candidate. I've been denied opportunities and resources. I been asked to support people's leadership who should have been supporting mine.

"Imposter syndrome" holds me responsible for internalizing oppression. It takes a systemic problem and ignores all but the part of it that has become a limiting belief.

The true imposter is often those who power deems qualified for leadership.

The imposter is under-qualified but well connected. The imposter looks great on paper. The imposter can't recognize talent for what it is, because very often they are not as talented as those who they manage.

This is what complicates one's relationship to the Kings. Yet, we must sometimes sit in our own Kingliness. Not the under-qualified part. The "being out in front" part. The "dealing with our own fear of success" part. The "living our lives in public" part.

It is in this archetype that we must deal with some of the highest and most insidious forms of power . It is in this archetype that we deal with the complexities that arise when we hold power.

The King as Public Face

The Kings come around when we have to "show face" or even save face.

With power comes being a target. With power comes those who believe we shouldn't hold it.

When we are free enough to create and invent, we are moving as the Kings.

When we are making something new and shoving it, ready or not, into the light, we are moving as the Kings. And when we receive a response to that work, whether backlash or praise, we are moving as the Kings.

The Kings require a measure of freedom to actualize their ideas. They need collaboration. They need input. They need company.

This is where the work happens. This is where the trouble starts.

Tarot's Court Card Kings as Acolytes (Not Emperors)

The Kings of tarot's court cards are in relationship to The Emperor because of their position. They are not, however, the ones who inherit the justice and stability The Emperor brings.

As card fourteen of their suit, the are the acolytes of the first acolyte card, The Hierophant. The Hierophant, like the Kings, is a five. They have come to implement the changes someone else has called for. They are following someone else's script.

The Queens, who we will talk about next week, are the ones with the power to stableize long term relations. The Queens are the ones who are actually running shit at the level of the court cards. (No one living in reality will be surprised by this.)

When viewed in this way, the court card's monarchs are power as it really is in our lives. The Empress and Emperor of the major arcana, by contrast, are power as it was designed to operate. They are power as we are conditioned to believe it operates.

TL;DR when your boss shows up in The Emperor in a reading, that's a much less advantageous sign than when they show up as the King of a suit. They may be stodgy and rigid, or just a petty tyrant who thinks they deserve more than they're getting.

That is because everyday power is rightfully symbolized by the court cards, not the majors. After all, the minor arcana re the mundane forces that we live with everyday. They are the people and events that most directly influence our lives. Because of this they are the easiest things for us to shape.

Image: A Black person with vitiligo and curly hair smiling wearing a jean jacket. The text says "What's your liberation tarot archetype?" and "Take the Quiz" in lime green, On the computer screen in front of them is the Quiz.

Queering Tarot’s Kings

Queer life's Kings are non-profit middle managers. They're rich queers who gatekeep queer housing.

When positive, this archetype can speak to us at work or in the workplace. The Kings may be queer business owners, thought leaders, parents, or artists.

Wherever you find them, they are at the top of their game, and experiencing the recognition of their peers.

This has its pros and cons. Should one person really be the public face…of anything, let alone queerness?

This question serves to highlight the central quandary of tarot’s Kings. They are rooted in community by virtue of being a minor arcana. Their actions effect our daily lives.

Yet their power often comes from a mandate outside the community itself.

King of Wands: The Leader

The King of Wands has a power that other people envy.

They're a capable leader, an excellent business owner, and socially successful.

They're someone you want to see at the helm of a project. They're delightful at a party. But don't trust them too deeply.

If you show up as the King of Wands, ask yourself if you're being as honest as you can with the people around you. This is especially true for your personal life.

It can be easy to be a cad when the The King of Wands is about. But if you're omitting the facts, you're making it impossible for people to make their own decisions.

This is one of the ways that the King of Wands holds power. It's especially common to see this behavior when the King of Wands shows up reversed or with the Seven of Swords.

The King of Wands and the Seven of Swords is a strong sign you're in danger of being cheated...or cheated on.

King of Swords: The Debater

Have you ever met someone who intellectualized everything?

Every interaction analyzed. Every debate won. Every conversation a debate. This is the realm of the King of Swords.

Somehow this doesn't stop them from being charming.

Yet, living in one's head can keep one from living life to its full measure. The King of Swords is intelligent to the detriment of embodiment.

The King of Swords is the kind of person who seems fun to date when you swipe right but in person? There may not be much personality under all that thinking.

The King of Swords gains power from their intellectual life. They take pride in understanding the world around them, but that doesn't mean they can feel it.

They aren't great at understanding their emotions, despite their desire to understand everything.

Luckily emotional maturity and embodiment are skills that one can build over time.

King of Cups: The Drama King

The King of Cups is dramatic out of an understanding that life is to be felt deeply.

This can be a good thing when they use this power to vent off some steam, create beautiful things, and love with their whole heart.

The King of Cups is an incredibly loyal friend, and someone with the ability to pour from a full cup. They can also be a great big baby. They may leave the emotional heavy lifting to others to protect their own energy. This is fucked up when it's not reciprocal.

The King of Cups, when reversed or in a bad spot in their life can be a great manipulator. The can twist words into knots and get people to do things they don't want to do.

This is the card of the theater director, after all. There's an echo of The Moon in this card, creating illusions and stories for others to fall into. Sometimes this is exactly what one needs. Other times it takes us off our right path.

The King of Cups must be accountable to those around them to grow into the most fabulous version of themselves.

King of Pentacles: The Rock

You can't beat the King of Pentacles for stability.

At first, that sounds like a compliment, but there are plenty of circumstances where immovability is a liability. The King of Pentacles holds firm in the wrong choice as easily as the correct one.

This means that they leave themselves little room to course correct.

You can trust the King of Pentacles because they understand that loyalty is earned. They show up for what they believe, for the people they love, and for themselves.

They may not be able to meet some of your more complicated emotional needs, though. They can learn this over time, and with some outside help.

Building is what the King of Pentacles does best. Their foundation is consistent and solid. They know what they want in the future and can make peace with their decisions regardless of the outcome.

The King of Pentacles possesses the Emperor's certainty, but with the stoic nature of the Hierophant.

It may take them a sec to choose a direction, but once they have, they're on their way.