The reversed King of Swords represents a lack of control or misuse of your mental faculties and authority. The card represents people who use their intelligence and position to show off or strongarm other people to their whims. Additionally, the card can represent a lack of control over your attitudes leading to outbursts or impulses.
Reversed King of Swords Description
Compared to the other royalty swords the King stands out for boldly looking towards the front, presenting a striking figure to us. He looks massive compared to the nature around him, symbolic of his power and authority. At the same time, the violent winds commonly present in the Swords cards have toned down, showing a more certain path to his goals. The color of his tunic and robe represent both compassion and the search for knowledge. While his sword represents a firm mind, the butterflies on his throne represent chance showing a man that can adapt and change based on circumstances. Lastly, we can see an angel molded on his throne next to his ear as if it were giving direct advice to him.
Reversed King of Swords main Meaning
Since the upright King of Swords in function represents a perfect ruler in touch with both his emotions and intellect, it should come as no surprise that its reversed counterpart becomes something of a tyrant. The reversed King of Swords represents capable people with great intellect and persuasion abilities. However like most reversed Swords, this is coupled with an inner struggle or emotional disbalance, and this results in a King that uses their gifts the wrong way.
People aligned with the reversed King of Swords tend to be highly manipulative, taking advantage of their intelligence and charisma to make sure people act the way they want to. And since they are often charismatic they can usually get away with it without people easily noticing it. However the imbalance the card shows can appear in other forms as well. This card can appear when a gifted individual is simply using their skills to show up and get short-term recognition. Or when someone is prone to emotional bursts which limit his or her ability to use their intelligence to the fullest.
What does King of Swords Reversed Mean for Love?
For people in a relationship or already invested in a potential suitor the reversed King of Swords indicates that someone with those traits is playing a part in the relationship. Love is already blind on its own, so it’s easy to be swept off your feet when your head is on the clouds. However, sometimes it is important to allow your mind to play a role too. If you combine natural charisma and infatuation it’s all too easy to ignore someone’s bad traits, but this will only hurt you eventually. Be rational and look back at your current relationship. Has it been as flawless as you remembered it? Have you felt respected at all times? You might slowly recall key habits that hint at a darker nature, or perhaps even realize that you have been the one who’s been playing with your partner. While wit and strategy can play a role in courting you need to remember that we all are people, with feelings and needs. Your partner is more than a “conquest”.
While the reversed King of Swords can be a warning for single people about someone they are soon to meet; there’s another possible take. This card can be a reminder that our standards towards romantic relationships have lowered too much, Maybe you’ve been hurt in the past, or a lot of subpar partners have led you to believe there isn’t much you can expect from dating. But that’s not a healthy attitude to take and if you set your standards so low you run the real risk of finding someone who is that bad for you.
Reversed King of Swords as Feelings
When asking about feelings the reversed King of Swords can be a challenging card to read. While cards usually have more than one angle which allows us to use them to answer multiple questions the reversed King of Swords is an intrinsically self-centered card. So it can be hard to find a real answer if you are asking for someone’s feelings towards you and you get this card. As usual, more cards can help to get a more accurate reading.
The main takeaway from the reversed King of Swords is that this is a person who is stuck in his head and ideas. Even when the question is their feelings about you it mostly becomes about themselves. As such there are three main attitudes that we can usually find when this card appears. One possible reading is disinterest; this person is so absorbed in their thoughts that whatever role you might play on their feelings is lost or ignored by them. Another interpretation is confusing, you are an unexpected factor in their complex mind machinery and they have no clue how to handle this new idea. last but most concerning is control, in this reading the person in question sees you as another factor they can control in their life.
Overall this card is not only a bad omen but a dangerous warning. Selfishness is the main element we can see in the reversed King of Swords, so you should be careful if someone you know is represented by this card.
Reversed King of Swords as Advice
There’s one famous sentence that sums up very well the advice the reversed King of Swords offers, and that is “The end does not justify the means”
As we’ve seen so far people represented by the reversed King of Swords tend to care about their goals above all else, and this can lead to them being harsh or even cruel towards those around them. As such the advice the card offers is very clear, you need to look at how you are doing things and ask yourself if this is the right thing.
When it comes to people this advice usually means to consider how you are treating them and why are you doing so. Have you been stringing people along to fulfill a goal? You might get that promotion or gratification soon thanks to your wits… But the damage you leave won’t be gone that easily. Did someone around you need a wake-up call? Maybe your intentions were genuine, but the way you phrase things is what makes a difference between cruelty and kindness.
This advice also applies to investments or business opportunities. Integrity isn’t something that can be cast away when it’s convenient, and it’s up to all of us to make sure we keep on the straight path, even if the alternatives are appealing.
Reversed King of Swords Meaning for Job and Career
There are two main ways to read the reversed King of Swords when it comes to your career and it ultimately comes down to whether the problem is external or internal. The most common example of the reversed King of Swords at work is the power-hungry employee. They can be your co-worker or your boss, but one way or another they are being a terrible influence for everybody. Someone like this tends to be hyper-competitive making sure to drag other people down to ensure they shine even more. And if they are in a position of power it only gets worse. Don’t drag yourself to their level. Remember that power is in numbers and someone like that isn’t going to be fast friends with the people at work. Do your work honestly and if things get out of control find solutions with your co-workers, don’t let a single person drag everybody down.
However, if you can’t identify anybody like that at work then you could be the issue. Have you been feeling less motivated recently? is it harder to care about your work? The reversed King of Swords can represent your lack of motivation and energy at work. And this not only leads to a lower performance but even to faltering integrity or a short-fuse. It’s time to find balance again or consider another line of work, taking a short break or trying to find a way to overcome the routine will be of great help right now.
Reversed King of Swords Meaning for Money and Finance
When it comes to financial readings the reversed King of Swords mainly represents a lack of control over your impulses, or investments that aren’t returning profits. This card warns against making pointless purchases. While we all have hobbies and certain expenses that aren’t fully necessary this doesn’t mean they won’t affect your situation. A luxury is called that way because it’s not going to return a profit and because it’s not bough that often. Don’t lose your head while shopping, it will come back to haunt you.
If the issue lies in investments then you might have overestimated your income. This card tends to appear when long-term investments are made but you need the money right now. There’s no way to cheat economics and if you need immediate money then investments might not be the best call, as those tend to take a long time to return a profit. In short, don’t try to cheat the system. Pointless expenses rack up and trying to accelerate profits just doesn’t work. If you want stable finances you need to take responsible choices when it comes to money.
Silver Wanderer
One Sword. One Heart. One Spirit.
You, me, and countless others have searched for answers all of our lives.
