“But the mild voice of reason, pleading the cause of an enlarged and permanent interest , is but too often drowned, before public bodies as well as individuals, by the clamors of of an impatient avidity for immediate and immoderate gain.” – James Madison

The Voice of Reason

Part of making any wise decision is understanding the ramifications of every potential solution. When you are invested in one particular outcome, it can be difficult to do this; you may be unwilling to see the potential negatives of your preferred decision, or may even overlook an even better option. In these situations, subjectivity is your greatest enemy. However, The King of Swords recognizes this pattern, and instead sets his own personal investments and emotions aside so as to make decisions from an objective perspective. Because of this, he is a great mediator who seeks out the best possible answer for all parties involved. He is able to set his own personal interests aside so as to prioritize the greater good, even if this means sacrificing his own desires. In order to come to this final decision, he listens closely to all those involved, and takes great care in addressing all of their concerns. He is known for being the voice of reason even in the face of chaos. However, due to the fact that he places such great emphasis on tangible results, many are easily led to believe that he is uncaring, or even downright unfair. You are much like The King, and are known for your ability to distance yourself from a situation so as to consider the best interests of all who are involved. Oftentimes, despite the fact that you could easily decide to prioritize your own personal interests, you find yourself placing a much greater level of importance on the interests of everyone else. Perhaps you agree to come in to work outside of your availability, despite the fact that it is your day off, because you know that your coworkers would struggle without an extra set of helping hands. Or maybe you regularly let your romantic partners make decisions for the both of you, even if you disagree, so as to avoid sparking an argument. Even though these actions may bring some inconvenience to you, you have decided that the collective interests of everyone as a whole are far more important. However, there are times where this style of decision making has gotten you into a sticky situation with others, especially when the objectively best solution does not align with their own personal interests. You have noticed that not many are able to make the same sacrifices as you, and are oftentimes blind to their selfish tendencies.

Relationships are a team effort. There are a slew of things, both big and small, that the two of you will need to learn to work together on in order to produce the best results. This isn’t always going to be easy; after all, the two of you are still unique individuals. Your personal beliefs, interpretations of situations, and interests in certain results aren’t always going to be the same. This simple fact is the reason why it is so important to be able to compromise with a romantic partner. This can be extremely difficult to do, especially when you feel very passionately about your own beliefs regarding the situation.. One of the most important steps to overcoming such a predicament is to learn how to truly listen to your partner and consider their concerns so as to find a solution that works best for the both of you. You and your partner have found yourselves butting heads lately, and it feels as though neither of you are willing to even consider a solution other than the one that you initially preferred. These disagreements may be over something incredibly trivial, such as where to get dinner or what movie to watch. On the other hand, these issues may be incredibly important to the future of your relationship, such as whether or not to move into a new house or start thinking of having children together. Either way, your constant focus on your own interests has blinded you to other solutions; ones that are objectively much better than the one that you’ve been putting all of your attention into. It may be time to really listen to your partner and learn to get creative. Compromising does not mean simply going along with the ideas of others; instead, find a new solution that falls somewhere in the middle. Take a moment to step back and truly consider why you have been so adamant about your own perspective. Are you harboring any preconceived notions that it is time to let go of? Are you clinging to tradition because it is all that you know? By gaining a deeper understanding of your own prejudices and biases, it will be much easier to consider potential solutions other than the one that you’ve been focusing on up until now.

SWORDS. KING.

He sits in judgment, holding the unsheathed sign of his suit. He recalls, of course, the conventional Symbol of Justice in the Trumps Major, and he may represent this virtue, but he is rather the power of life and death, in virtue of his office.

Divinatory Meanings: Whatsoever arises out of the idea of judgment and all its connections—power, command, authority, militant intelligence, law, offices of the crown, and so forth.

Reversed: Cruelty, perversity, barbarity, perfidy, evil intention.

All employers want employees that go beyond meeting the expectations that are set for them. While they may not always be successful in creating an environment that harbors loyalty towards the company, members of leadership are always keeping an eye out for those who are willing to go the extra mile in their position. Despite the fact that they may not always be compensated, or even recognized, for their efforts, these employees tend to place the needs of their work team above their own. This can come in many forms: they may stay after their shift to help with unfinished work of others, go out of their way to provide excellent customer service for even the rudest of customers, or perform other work-related tasks when they are are off the clock. In this way, you are the model employee; you take great pride in your work and go out of your way to do everything to the best of your ability, even with things that are not asked of you. You don’t necessarily do these things for recognition or personal gain; instead, you simply believe that you are doing what needs to be done in order to make the entire process run smoother for your entire work team. However, you are easily influenced by the rules imposed upon you by leadership, and always do everything by-the-book. While this has kept you out of trouble, it may also be the cause of some friction with coworkers. They may be frustrated by your tendencies to follow rules as they are written, and may find your inability to find alternative solutions to problems incredibly annoying. Your emphasis on maintaining efficiency and maximum effort in the workplace does not mean that you should compromise your ability to innovate beyond the parameters that have been set by your superiors. Part of considering the interests of all parties involved also means acknowledging the concerns of your fellow employees in situations where they may be directly opposed to rules and regulations. Perhaps there is a specific rule that most employees disregard due to the fact that it serves no real purpose other than to be an annoyance, yet you continue to push for it to be upheld. Or maybe you are openly critical of others’ mistakes, making it a point to vocalize your disapproval. This may be a sign for you to relax your strict tendencies and listen to why your coworkers aren’t following these rules. Are you really at risk of facing punishment if you disregard smaller rules that only serve to slow down the work process? Or have you created the image of a false authority figure in your mind that demands each rule be followed to a letter, without question?

While there are times where it is appropriate to prioritize one’s personal interests, this does not mean that they are always more important than the greater good. When The King of Swords appears in the reversed position, it may be a sign that you have allowed your own personal investments to control your decision making, leading to a drastic decrease in your ability to look at situations from an objective perspective. Take a moment to step back and consider why you are doing what you are currently doing; is it the solution that is actually improving the situation, or one that is simply giving you the most desirable outcome? Take this as a signal that it is time for you to let go of your personal interests and shift your efforts to endeavors that benefit more than just yourself.

The King of Swords is the card of impartiality. You treat others as equal, and any decisions made are based on those of equality and fairness. Whilst friendly, you are not the emotional shoulder to lean on, and treat each arising situation with authority. This King is a MAYBE.

• Upright King of Swords – Yes or No?
• King of Swords Reversed – Yes or No?
• King of Swords Meaning For Love – Yes or No?
• King of Swords Reversed Meaning For Love – Yes or No?
• King of Swords Meaning For Advice – Yes or No?
• King of Swords Reversed Meaning For Advice – Yes or No?
• King of Swords Marriage – Yes or No?
• King of Swords Health – Yes or No?