The King of Swords sits on a rock on a green plain, with green trees in the background, a pale blue or light gray sky with some cumulus clouds, and a red butterfly flying over his head.  He holds a large sword out in front of him, pointing straight up.  He wears blue underclothes, with a yellow tunic, and brown boots and crown.  Prominently featured in this card is the green stem and flowers of St. John's wort, the herb associated with the King of Swords in this deck.

I mentioned early in this series how the Knight of Swords seemed more fiery, and the King of Swords more airy, even though the usual elemental associations in this deck are air with Knights and fire with Kings.  There is a very serene, natural feeling to this card, and a light, airy sense.  The butterfly heightens this feeling, as it is a symbol of air and of transformation.  Kings are sometimes thought of as the true end of the cycle of the suit, rather than the 10’s, and in this system they indicate a transition to the next cycle, or in timing spreads, a transition to the next season.  Its red color may indicate an active transformation, and his reddish boots give the only other sign of activity.  There is also quite a bit of brown – in his crown, his shirt, and the large brown rock he sits on, giving him a sense of stability and earthiness that the King of Swords usually lacks.

While there is a bit of elemental confusion, the main sense I get from this card is serenity and open-mindedness.  This King has gotten where he is by being flexible, knowledgeable, and intelligently assessing his surroundings.  He is open to change, and not afraid to be exposed to the elements and to new situations.  He does not need to wall himself up in a castle, he is practical and goes about his kingdom constantly assessing what needs to be done and prepared to dispense justice or settle issues whenever his help is needed.  Unlike some Kings of Swords, he is more inclined to use his intelligence in a helpful, personal way, rather than an authoritative and dictatorial manner.  However, his word is still final.  He has earned the respect of his people through talent, intelligence, and a natural diplomacy.

St. John's wort is a sedative herb used to calm anxiety and depression.  It contributes to an atmosphere of calm and lifts the spirits, and can be used in healing lung ailments.  Many of the herbs associated with the suit of Swords are associated with the lungs, and improving circulation of air, breathing, and clarity of thought.  The authors connect this herb to the card by stating “this herb can impart the capacity to calm the emotions of fear, depression, and frustration in order to allow our ability for free visionary thoughts to come through.  It will alleviate tension and unrest we may experience when we need to express our ideas and beliefs.”  I am finding this a bit of a stretch to connect with the King of Swords’ usual energy, but this may be helpful when one needs to lead through ideas – convince others of an important, but controversial or life-changing idea, and then provide the leadership to carry it through.  The ability to alleviate tension and calm fears and anxieties would be a positive trait for the King of Swords to have in addition to his brilliance of thought and ability to articulate difficult concepts.

Thrysse