The Court Cards of the Tarot
There are four suits in the Tarot, and each suit has Four Court Cards, each card representing a personality that illustrates a different aspect of their suit. These four personalities are the fiery, watery, airy, and earthy parts of Fire, Water, Air, and Earth. The Knights are all the “fathers” in their family, representing the fiery, active personalities found in their suit. The Queens are the “mothers,” who represent the watery, passive personalities of each suit. The Princes are the eldest children, representing the airy, intellectual personalities found in each suit. The Princesses are the younger children, representing the Earthy, practical personalities found in each suit. Each group of four cards within a suit defines a family.
The Family of Wands
The family of Wands is that of a royal dynasty. The patriarch, the Knight of Wands, is the Fire of Fire, and is an active and passionate man. He is new to his throne, having married the old queen, and so has much to prove and tries to do so as quickly as possible. He is impulsive and prideful, but is willing to do whatever needs to be done to rule with Strength.
His wife is the Queen of Wands, and she is the Water of Fire, who embodies the qualities of the Suit far less actively than her husband. She is the older ruler, and acts like a cat; she is charming, competent and everyone loves her for the qualities she embodies and the charisma she had, but she can be vindictive and tyrannical is raised to anger, and is aloof from the people, unlike her husband.
Their first child is the Prince of Wands, who takes advantage of what he has and uses his smoldering charm to cause others to love him, but he views them all as play-things, and he often amuses himself at the expense of others; his attention is powerful, but fleeting.
Their second child is the Princess of Wands, who is more logical and sensible than her air-headed brother. She does what needs to be done for the good of the kingdom, and explores new frontiers and does what no one else will dare to do, earning her admiration.
The Family of Cups
The family of Cups is that of a noble family. The patriarch, the Knight of Cups, was raised as an only child, and is kind-hearted and wants to help those around him, but isn’t sure how he can. He is unsure of himself, but has visions of grandeur and of going out to change the world, but never actually goes out and does it, instead engaging in flights of fancy. He is kind and generous when others come to him, but he will not seek others out.
His consort, the Queen of Cups, holds frequent audiences in her private chambers, where she spends most of the day dreaming behind her veil. She deliberately keeps herself mysterious, and allows people to ask her favors, which she will then grant them. She knows how to help people, and instantly makes connections with people, understanding their emotions. She helps them realize who they are, and then returns to her state of blissful dreaming.
Their eldest child, the Prince of Cups, is a talented artist and gifted individual, who everything comes naturally to, but who also tends to remain aloof from others, expressing himself and connecting with them through his works of art, which are admired by all.
His sister, the Princess of Cups, is a partyer. She is often full of wise words of advice, like her mother, but they are often hard to understand as she is constantly lost in ecstasy, having given over to debauchery and a state of eternal rapture. She is easily taken advantage of and given to worldly pleasures, spoiled by her parents and ignored by her brother.
The Family of Swords
The family of Swords is a family of dedicated freedom fighters. The patriarch and father, the Knight of Swords, is devoted to a cause completely and utterly, ignoring his family in order to help bring about his glorious vision of equality. He is very intelligent and deeply idealistic, and goes out into the world to try to change things to make the universe more right. His actions are, however, self-destructive, and will lead him to ruin as he fights authority and the rest of the world.
His wife, the Queen of Swords, is a very independent-minded and capable woman, a result of her husband never being around. She, shares her husband’s vision of the future – indeed, he couldn’t stand her if she didn’t – and is equal to him in their household. She, however, prefers to bring about their shared ideal reality through less aggressive means, by brokering peaces and slowly spreading her ideas. She serves as an arbiter of disputes and a diplomat, able to understand the source of any conflict and choose the best course of action to solve it.
They have too children, both raised to believe in their parents’ ideals. Their son, the Prince of Swords, believes that their theory for the future needs to be sound and well thought-out before action is taken, and so locks himself in his ivory tower, constantly thinking up new theories about the universe have long since ceased to have any practical application. He is a genius, and no one else – not even his parents – understand half of what he says. He has long since left reality, lost in his own thoughts, having nothing or no-one to ground him.
His younger sister, the Princess of Swords, helps her mother manage the household in her father’s absence. She is clever and possessed of a low cunning, and is willing to compromise some of her principles in order to get something closer to what she dreams of. She is able to come up with lots of ideas, like her brother, but hers are very practical. She is a fantastic manager, able to put her clever ideas into practice, and is a positive asset to her parents, even if she can be petty and vengeful at times.
The Family of Disks
The family of Disks is a family of businesspeople. The patriarch, the Knight of Disks, got to where he is today – a wealthy, successful businessmen and entrepreneur – through careful saving, hard work, and calculated risk. He is very cautious, but willing to take a risk when the chance of failure is minimal and the rewards are great. He is very logical and also stubborn; he will never admit he’s wrong, and will always have his way, as he brings home the most bread.
His wife, the Queen of Disks, is the perfect hostess, and submits to her husband’s desires. She longs for something greater, but her husband is set in tradition and will not let her be anything greater. She helps everyone who comes to see her as much as she can, and gives so much of herself away that there is little left for her. She lives through the lives of those she helps, as she herself has no life to live outside her home. She spends her life helping others to realize their potential and assisting them on their journey trough life; she is a very good teacher.
Their eldest child, the Prince of Disks, is dull, slow-moving, stubborn, ponderous, but very intelligent; his mind just works at a slower pace than most others. He chooses his words carefully, and once he starts moving, can not be stopped. He is fantastic at solving problems, able to come up with clever solutions to any problem his father sets before him.
Their youngest child, the Princess of Disks, has been married off to another aspiring businessman, and she bears his child. She brings much potential wealth to her father’s and her husband’s families, and also carries the next generation with her. She is fierce and will not let anything harm her unborn child, as it is everything to her. She is beautiful, strong, and won’t take any nonsense. She knows how important she is, and she won’t let anyone forget it.
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