Queering the Tarot, page 18
The Queen of Wands represents a high sex drive, but it also represents having a lot of fire and passion to give beyond just sex. If that is the case and you're repeatedly getting this card about love or relationships, it may be time to look at nonmonogamous options in your personal life as well. As we think about queering the tarot and therefore the world and institutions around us, relationships can look like anything we want them to when we find compatible partners. You don't have to give your whole self to one person if that isn't something you are capable of, believe in, or are able to do without overwhelming them or wearing them out.
The other major aspect of the Queen of Wands ties back to the topic of creating change and furthering social justice movements that the entire Wands suit addresses. These natural leaders are often brilliant community organizers and genius strategists. They might not have thrown the first brick at Stonewall, but they did lead and organize the ensuing riot. They're not Knights. They're not fighters. Yet without a Queen of Wands sitting at the helm, you're not likely to get much done. If you repeatedly receive the Queen of Wands, it's probably time to pick a cause and get cracking, either developing an organization where there isn't one, or stepping into a leadership position in an existing situation.
The Queen of Wands can come up easily next to the Ten of Wands, our card of burnout and overwork when I'm reading for activists. This happens almost weekly. The Queen loves to be busy and is also stubborn, so they will often ignore their own limits and boundaries to accomplish change, then end up collapsing in exhaustion and irritation. For extroverts like this Queen, this is an easy fix—a night out with friends where the work and the collective are not points of conversation. In truth these Queens like anything sensual, so a night of dancing, good wine, and gossip in a queer setting will get them right back on their feet. Sometimes, though, we are legitimately burned out and need to rest, so look closely at your other cards to make sure you're not overlooking signs of this.
Finally, if this card is fire (and it is) then it is also gut instinct. As queer people, we often spend a lot of time denying our own truths, usually for more years than we've been trying to live in those truths. Which means even if we are currently the most out and proud person that ever existed, we have spent so much time denying what our gut was screaming at us, that things sitting in that instinct like “change jobs,” “move to Ohio,” or, hell, “start eating better” get shut down and overlooked. We don't know how to trust this feeling. We don't know how to trust ourselves. This Queen lives and thrives in that instinct and urges you to do the same. When there are decisions to make, take some incredibly deep, long breaths, and then do a body check. How do you feel physically? Where do you need to pay more attention to yourself? Finally, what is the answer to that question that's been bugging you? It's in there.
THE KING OF WANDS
In the first tarot deck I truly learned to read, the King of Wands sits on his throne looking excited, determined, and kind. This kindness, which is actually not as common in other decks, has colored my entire relationship with this card and this version of that fiery Wands energy. The King of Wands is a natural born leader, but whereas the Queen often leads with dominance and creativity, the King leads with kindness and almost seems like he's letting you in on a secret as he encourages you to change the world with him. This King is very honorable and will never crack his own idealistic code. As an event, the King symbolizes those moments when we learn that wrecking the system requires working with the system, at least for a time—though never through cheating or manipulating our way in. As an energy, this King is every bit the raw fire that the Queen is, just applied differently. This King in any format likes challenges and will often argue just to win, though I personally read even that trait with a touch of cheekiness to it. Speaking of cheeky, this King loves a practical joke and has a true lust for life when it comes to anything that inspires big belly laughs.
When queering the tarot, the King and Queen have quite a bit in common. They are both natural leaders in social justice movements. They are both strong lovers, and they both lack the follow-through one would hope for in an otherwise great leader or partner. There are some substantial differences, though, especially when we see the kindness and mischief in this King. Whereas the Queen tirelessly organizes and leads our social justice movements in the margins where the rest of us are, the King likes to play diplomat, actually going out and having hard conversations about political bills that are advancing or breaking down racism in one-on-one conversations with people. He works tirelessly, too, and is always willing to do the crucial emotional labor that many of us in the activist or LGBTQQIP2SA+ don't have the energy for. As a major face card in the fiery suit of Wands, his passion for community and justice run every bit as deep as the Queen's. In addition to having those hard conversations, this King is also the community leader who throws potluck dinners so we can all come together and is often seen heading up arts groups doing important work. Crucial fighting for marginalized people's rights and dignities happens in marches, courtrooms, and in the streets—but it happens elsewhere, too. It happens in theatres, in conversations with high school friends, at brunches with co-workers. That's where you'll find the King of Wands working to open people's hearts and minds.
Outside of his activist work, you'll find Kings of Wands of all genders at the bar after hours looking for bossy lovers. While this King isn't a bottom per se, he loves the back-and-forth that comes with meeting other fiery people and taking them home. Like the Queen, he's incredibly sex-driven, but whereas she likes to command and be followed, he just wants to have a good time. He's willing to let you win those bedroom brawls if that sounds the most fun, but he's hoping you're a switch, too. As a romantic partner, the King has a little bit easier time with monogamy than the Queen—if your intellectual and physical connections are compelling enough, that is. That being said, if the King keeps coming up in readings when you're struggling with monogamy, you might want to think about your own drives and desires and how important non-monogamy may actually be to you. Even if you're in a relationship and choose not to open it, knowing you're a polyamorous or non-monogamous person choosing to act monogamously is a completely different experience from believing you, left to your own devices, are monogamous. However, whereas the Queen often feels best with multiple partners, the King is often just as happy with one solid partner and occasional flings or one-night stands. The kink community on the whole is recognized in this card, so we might not get submissive or dominant from this card alone, but we do know you need a little more driving your carnal life than others may be happy with.
I've touched on how queering this card can often mean arts leadership, and that is more true in the queer community than elsewhere. An LGBTQQIP2SA+ person coming in for a reading who feels unsatisfied by their job situation is likely craving raw creativity and true art, even if they can't define the latter. Arts leadership is where much of our queer advocacy and community-building happens, and I would strongly encourage such a person to organize an open mic or try curating a show or directing a play to satisfy that nagging feeling that there is something more. Because this card is gut instinct and creativity but is also natural leadership skills, they make perfect artistic directors, art dealers, and creative producers in any medium they hone in on. As mentioned with the Queen of Wands, queer people are so often told that our gut instinct is wrong, and learning to overcome that coding and speak out is liberating. Someone with King of Wands energy will learn to use that freeing feeling to create artistic opportunities for others to do the same. This is just conjecture, but I believe that's why LGBTQQIP2SA+ people specifically make great arts leaders when receiving the King of Wands card often in their readings.
Then there is that pesky piece about the gut instinct. When used like the Queen of Wands, we overcome all of those years of being told our gut instinct about ourselves and our desires is not enough or straight up that we're not good enough, and we become masters of trusting our gut over time. However, a King of Wands, as that more playful side of fire personified, may start losing control, relying on gut instincts and urges (and happily conflating the two) instead of applying logic or emotion to the situation. While this is always a concern for someone who regularly receives the King of Wands in readings, for an LGBTQQIP2SA+ person who spent years denying this instinct and believing it was wrong, there is extra danger in losing control when we start trying to own that part of ourselves. The King of Wands can bring a strong reassurance that trusting your gut is right and safe and good—but it can also bring a quick warning. Our gut instinct's concern is keeping us safe in the moment. It doesn't care where we want to be in five, ten, or fifteen years. Which does mean that it isn't always right. When it's telling you not to trust someone you just met, or that maybe you shouldn't spend that extra $200 on new shoes, you should definitely listen to it. If it's telling you to burn down the things in your life that you love because of a self-destructive coping mechanism that you developed as a closeted queer person? You probably shouldn't listen to that. Self-destruction is very present in the King of Wands. Fire is beautiful, and creative, and it burns unnecessary things to the ground. It's also dangerous and easy to lose control of. The challenge of this card is learning that balance. Learning to temper your moods, your gut urges, or your raw fire is crucial for a King of Wands—or for someone receiving the card frequently in readings.
THE PAGE OF SWORDS
The Page of Swords normally stands proudly but hesitantly holding a sword while looking either toward or away from the action of the rest of the card. As a person, this Page is normally young or new on their path. Pages are messengers, and the Swords are our cards of logic, cool heads, mental health, and recovering from oppression or trauma. Writers frequently get Sword court cards, as do doctors, mathematicians, and scientists. The Page of Swords as an energy delivers new insight or clarity regarding tense circumstances, illuminates new ways of healing or coping, or brings a new type of thought and energy. The Sword cards are action-oriented once there's a plan. The Page is ready to wield that Sword, as long as they know what they're doing. As advice, you are likely being called to contribute fresh thought and critical planning to a situation, or perhaps you're being told that you have a plan already, so it's time to take charge and act. As an event, you are likely entering a period of new ideas or insights into your own life, or this is a period where you're learning a lot of new information. The Page of Swords is critically honest and forever curious about the why of any given situation. All of the Swords court cards represent a time to cut away negative habits, relationships, or situations. The Page is a good bit kinder than the rest of these court cards, so if that's the message that comes through in a reading, this is likely a mutual decision, a habit that's died off already, or something you can gently wean yourself off of.
The Page of Swords has shown up often for me since I started my tarot journey in a dusty dorm room basement a decade and a half ago. Quite frankly, once I realized I was queer, this card showed up again and again and again to push me to just get it over with and come out. Even if you are already out to the world at large, this card indicates a need to come out at work, to your grandparent, or wherever that hole in honesty lies. The Page is not a negative card, so it's safe to come out now.
Alternatively, the Page of Swords also speaks to sexual and gender fluidity. Many of us come out as one thing, with a specific understanding of ourselves or our identity. As that shifts and evolves, the Page of Swords will show up to urge you to live your truth, however fleeting or confusing that truth may be. Words are important to Sword cards; there are many other cards that deal with fluidity where you don't have to call yourselves anything, but with a Page of Swords, labels can be affirming and freeing. This card, then, urges you to seek a label that fits your current experience. As your sexual identity shifts and grows, the Page of Swords will probably show up each time—not only as that annoying tough-love friend promising you that all of this was safe to feel, discuss, and live as, but also pushing you to accept yourself in all of your various iterations. The Page of Swords will call you to face any changes you're going through instead of running away or doubling down on identities that no longer fit you.
While Wands deal more directly with social justice action than I often see the Swords doing, this Page is a call to action. We've spent this whole suit dealing with oppression, and we spent the Wands suit learning to harness our fire into something actionable. Now the Page of Swords shows up to assure us that all of this planning has paid off and that we are ready to pick up a Sword and fight. This is most likely a head-on battle. The Swords do represent law, medicine, and related careers, but this is not fighting from within or trying to create change while also holding a job in one of these offices. The Page wants you to prepare for a battle—you versus the person or organization you've been struggling with. You are ready.
We've talked a lot about the Swords in regards to mental health and healing from trauma. This Page brings a kind-but-urgent cool-headedness, as you realize it's time to bring in a professional to help you through your next stages of healing. You need psychological insight that doing the work on your own will no longer provide, but you're also ready and feeling equipped to do the deep work that any good therapist will require of you. It is not only spiritually safe to move to another plane of coping or healing, but also emotionally safe to dig deep and accept third-party insight. In some cases, this card could indicate that mental health medication is needed now. You're either starting a cycle of mental illness again or are coming out of one, and the Page of Swords shows up because they just want you to feel better this time around.
As we look at the world around us right now, it's so easy to feel completely overwhelmed and frustrated. Many of us are dealing with really deep cases of compassion fatigue, disassociation, or blatant exhaustion from trying to handle everything. The Page of Swords also seems to be evolving to adapt to these times. I'm seeing people who have never struggled with mental illness before needing to seek therapy or to learn coping mechanisms. I'm seeing some of the most well-balanced people I've ever met start to spin out. These are difficult, trying times. The Page of Swords shows up to remind you of the reality of the situation, both good and bad. Yes, this oppression that the Swords often deal with is very real. It's not all coming from institutions this time either; homes are being destroyed from natural disasters and we are left literally picking up the debris, often without the aid of the people and places we are supposed to trust to help us.
The Page of Swords is not going to lie to you about the reality we are facing—however, it does bring a new view. Part of queering anything is learning alternative ways of existing, loving, and thriving. If we can't rely on a government agency to give us an opportunity to help, we can find a new way to aid those in need. We can form a new organization, send what's needed to individuals we know how to reach, or get together to brainstorm totally new ways of putting our passion into action. Ultimately, this is what the Page of Swords wants us to do, and it's what too much of the world needs from us now. The old ways are broken, and they might not be fixable. Find a new way. If that, too, fails, be a new way.
THE KNIGHT OF SWORDS
If Swords is our suit of air, logic, and communication, the Knight is a fighter who will do whatever it takes to be heard and make sure you are, too. The Knight is direct, analytical, and not afraid of a long battle, a hard journey, or a war of words. However, this is a card that represents air in its truest form, which means this Knight can be coldly logical, to the point of being unfeeling. Paired with the fast action of the Swords suit, that can mean that as soon as we're accustomed to this Knight's confident ways and are rebuilding after they've turned our world upside down with their insight, they're often gone, leaving us alone to clean up the debris. This makes them players and heart-breakers in traditional tarot, or destructive friends and co-workers in modern day. They are opinionated to a fault when badly aspected, and not afraid to crush you by sharing their opinion. As an energy, this disruptive influence in a suit that deals so much with mental health can show crushing relapses after a period of good health or sobriety. On the flip side, if you've been avoiding the reality of a situation in your life—be it your mental health or anything else—this Knight is a needed wake-up call.
As we look at this card from the perspective of an LGBTQQIP2SA+ querent, we see both the best and worst of this card double back on us. First, the negative: if this card is harsh words or hateful actions, then warnings of bigotry or hatred from where you least expect them could be present. I have seen this card show up as a seeker's mom verbally attacking them over dinner, seemingly out of the blue, as losing friends upon coming out, and as job losses because someone's name got linked to activist work they were doing. This card can be dangerous, and for those of us who are statistically more likely to face danger, that's especially true. There's something, too, about the specific nature of the Knight of Swords that screams “danger from where we least expect it,” which can indicate the abuse and harassment that do happen within the queer community. If you've just met someone new and this card comes up—run. That's true for non-queer seekers too, but it's important to take the statistical likelihood of a queer person being victimized into account when you are reading for an LGBTQQIP2SA+ person.
