King of Swords
Swords · Air
The authority of clear thought and impartial judgement — the just ruler of the mental realm.
Upright meaning
The King of Swords sits with sword upright and eyes direct, two birds in the air behind him and clouds moving past. He is the highest expression of the sword's analytical intelligence: clear, fair, authoritative, and oriented entirely toward what is actually true rather than what is comfortable or convenient. His judgements are sound because they are made without preference for any particular outcome. He serves the truth, not his own interests.
Reversed meaning
The King of Swords reversed marks the analytical authority become manipulation, tyranny, or the cold exercise of power for its own sake rather than in service of truth and justice. The intellectual gifts are fully present; they have been turned toward domination rather than clarity.
At a glance
| Suit | Swords |
|---|---|
| Number | King |
| Element | Air |
| Yes or no | Maybe |
Frequently asked questions
Is King of Swords a yes or no card?
King of Swords is read as "maybe" in a yes/no reading. Reversed, its message softens or turns toward manipulative and tyrannical.
What does King of Swords mean upright?
Upright, King of Swords stands for mental clarity, intellectual power, authority, truth, clear thinking.
Building an astrology app? 1,500 free API credits a month, no card
Tarot in your app
Fetch King of Swords and every other card with meanings, or draw a full spread, in one call.
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $LIFEASTRO_API_KEY" \
"https://api.lifeastroapi.com/v1/tarot/card/77"