The King of Swords, sometimes called the “King Arthur card” of the Tarot deck, depicts a stern and austere man sitting on his throne with his great sword (Excalibur?) in his fist. The throne has a brocade backdrop depicting a butterfly (a symbol of immortality). A glimpse of a man with outstretched arm can be seen at the bottom of the brocade. Birds flutter in the sky, perhaps the pair of ravens (known as Thought and Memory) who brough news to Odin each day.

When the card is upright, it speaks of an intelligent person who knows his power — whatever that power might consist of — and the authority he wields. He is not afraid to use that power and authority and uses it primarily to defend the poor, the weak, the needy. He is always available to those who need him, much as the knights of the Round Table were ready to set out on a quest at moment’s notice to right the wrongs suffered by those who appealed to the king.

When the card is reversed, it speaks of a person who is ruthless in the pursuit of his goals or agenda. He is cruel and cold-hearted, ready to do anything to increase his power and defeat those who oppose him.