The Minor Court

All the nobody people, and all the somebody people, I never thought I’d meet So Many People…

The Minor Arcana Court Cards are the four cards in each suit that almost always represent people or roles in your life rather than situations. In many Tarot decks, Court Cards are named like royalty: King, Queen, Knight, Page. My go-to deck (The Wild Unknown, by Kim Krans) uses a family structure for the Minor Court instead. King becomes Father, Queen becomes Mother, Knight becomes Son, Page becomes Daughter. Kim describes each suit’s Family in a way that helps to create a more personal connection to these complex cards, as linking these characters to people in your own life is an important step in understanding their meaning.

Court Cards in a reading usually speak to one of three things: a quality of your own personality, an actual person you know or will meet, or a role you must play in order to deal with a situation. These complex cards are often ordered by age as well, Kings and Queens being the elders, Knights and Pages the youngsters. Pages (or Daughters in this case) are the messengers of the Tarot, and almost always indicate news or messages coming into view. It is important to look at the surrounding cards when interpreting Court Cards in a reading so we can become aware of who these characters are in relation to your specific question. Below, I will outline interpretations of each Family’s traits by suit.

The Wands Family have all the qualities to push through new growth. They exhibit strength, energy, and desire for new efforts. They are well-loved and vibrant at their best, and dangerous enemies when provoked.

The Cups Family shows us the true nature of our hearts and souls. They are artistic, open-minded dreamers, who rule with a quiet power. They are the introverts, the mysterious and emotionally deep characters that show us how we process the whole range of human feeling.

The Swords Family are sharp as the blade they wield. They are well educated, highly receptive, intelligent, logical, and attentive to all sides of a situation. They aren’t always considered the most approachable characters, and they always tell it like it is.

The Pentacles Family have all the qualities required for material comfort and security. They are grounded, deeply connected to nature and home, and they do not shy away from hard work. They have an air of steadfast prosperity, and are often career-centered people.