Knight of Swords
Onslaught
“I’m tough, I’m ambitious, and I know exactly what I want.”
Madonna
Knight of Swords at a glance
Finbarre’s interpretation: The Knight of Swords charges towards an objective with speed, intelligence and too little tolerance for obstruction.
| Upright | decisive action, intellectual courage, rapid intervention, defending a principle, direct speech |
|---|---|
| Reversed | recklessness, verbal aggression, poor judgement, escalating conflict, impatience |
| Linked card | The Chariot |
| Soundtrack | Sabotage - Remastered 2009 by Beastie Boys Open the full Tarot Interviews playlist on Spotify |
Upright meanings
- Decisive action
- Intellectual courage
- Rapid intervention
- Defending a principle
- Direct speech
- Urgency
- Ambition
- Cutting through delay
- Competitive drive
- Acting on conviction
Reversed meanings
- Recklessness
- Verbal aggression
- Poor judgement
- Escalating conflict
- Impatience
- Fanaticism
- Acting on incomplete facts
- Destructive speed
- Incapacity
- Mistaking force for reason
Knight of Swords in a reading
| Area | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Love | Communication: Urgency. Reversed: Fanaticism. |
| Career | Work: Ambition; cutting through delay. Warning: Acting on incomplete facts. |
| Money | Financial theme: Competitive drive. Warning: Incapacity. |
| Feelings | Upright: Rapid intervention. Reversed: Poor judgement. |
| Advice | Prioritise: Acting on conviction. Watch for: Mistaking force for reason. |
| Outcome | Potential: Direct speech. Obstacle: Impatience. |
| Yes or no | Yes for immediate action; no for a measured or peaceful result. |
Symbols in Knight of Swords
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| The charging horse | Momentum is already difficult to interrupt. |
| The raised sword | Thought and argument are converted directly into action. |
| The bent trees | The surrounding world registers the force of the advance. |
| The storm clouds | Urgency may be real, but visibility and judgement are compromised. |
A. E. Waite's original description
He is riding in full course, as if scattering his enemies. In the design he is really a prototypical hero of romantic chivalry. He might almost be Galahad, whose sword is swift and sure because he is clean of heart.
Waite's original divinatory meanings
Upright:
Skill, bravery, capacity, defence, address, enmity, wrath, war, destruction, opposition, resistance, ruin. There is therefore a sense in which the card signifies death, but it carries this meaning only in its proximity to other cards of fatality.
Reversed:
Imprudence, incapacity, extravagance.
Source: A. E. Waite, The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, first published in 1910, with illustrations by Pamela Colman Smith.
Continue through the deck
- Previous card: Page of Swords
- Next card: Queen of Swords
Written and interpreted by Finbarre Snarey, tarot researcher, founder of the British Tarot Archive and coordinator of the UK living heritage submission for Rider-Waite-Smith tarot reading practice.
These interpretations reflect Finbarre Snarey’s understanding of contemporary Rider-Waite-Smith tarot practice. They are provided for education, reflection and entertainment only and should not be treated as medical, legal, financial, psychological or relationship advice.
