Tarot Tips: The Shining Knights in a Reading
Published: Sat, 10/16/10
If you have trouble reading this issue of Tarot Tips, you may see it and other back issues at http://tarotschool.com/Newsletter.html
![]() Vol. 2 #20 / October 15, 2010
In this Issue: - Welcome
- Tarot Tip: The Shining Knights in a Reading - Tarot Card Showcase: Knight of Cups
- Upcoming Events
- Best Practices: In Quest of the Perfect Niche Market
- Featured Tarot Blog: Mike Hernandez Tarot Welcome to a new issue of Tarot Tips!
And a special welcome to our new readers.
The meanings of tarot are often best understood
or realized through fairy-tales, myths and legends.
A common thread in these stories is the theme of
the hero. Every culture has glorified its greatest
warriors and rulers and made them into national
heroes.
A hero is defined by the dictionary is: a) "a
mythological or legendary figure, often of divine
descent, endowed with great strength or ability,
b) an illustrious warrior, c) someone admired for
their achievements and noble qualities, d) one
that shows great courage."
The hero's journey is tarot's metaphor for our
life's path and challenge. Heroes answer the great
questions like "What am I doing here?" The
tales of heroes/heroines teach us how to deal with
life's challenges and duties as they are framed
in the legendary worlds of good and evil.
In this issue the discussion turns to one kind of
tarot hero - the knight. We explore the uses and
meanings of this important rank in the tarot
court. We are showcasing the Knight of Cups in
a look at its symbolism and interpretations in a
reading.
Check out the link of an up and coming tarot
champion - Mike Hernandez, whose blog is
featured for your enjoyment. This issue's column
has insightful tips for your quest on the road to
professional success through niche marketing.
We hope you truly enjoy this adventure of a
knight's tale. Your fellow questors,
Ruth Ann, Wald & Gina Tarot Tips is here to help you with the practical side of your Tarot journey. In order to take the greatest
advantage of this newsletter, please send us your
questions regarding any aspect of your tarot study
or practice and we'll do our best to answer them
in an upcoming issue.
Spread the experience of tarot - share this newsletter with other Tarot Enthusiasts! Tarot Tip The tarot court cards can be difficult and
troublesome to interpret when they show up in a
spread. Of all the ranks in the court, the knight
may be easy to identify with if we see ourselves
as modern day warriors with a great responsibility
in daily life.
The knights of tarot are in a class all their own,
each one having its own secrets. Without going
into great detail, here are some interesting
things to know about knights in general, and some
practical uses for knights in readings.
American writer Thomas Bulfinch described the word
knight as originally meaning boy or servant. The
word knight comes from the Old English "cniht"
and even earlier, from the German "knecht," and
meant slave or servant. The word knight
eventually to mean a young man admitted to the
privilege of bearing arms in military service to a
king or aristocrat.
The roots of knighthood arose in Medieval Europe,
when feuding nobles and religious and political
challenges in Western Europe gave rise to a class
of warriors/protectors. As improvements in
military technology increased and the threat of
barbarians decreased, knights returning from the
Crusades brought with them their deep interest in
Eastern metaphysics. The merging of Eastern and
Western metaphysical knowledge played a huge role
in the development of the esotericism that was to
have a heavy influence on tarot.
Knights adopted their own special standards and
codes of honor for daily living and interactions
with others. The four virtues of prudence,
temperance, justice and fortitude were among
these, in addition to faith, generosity, courage,
determination and will.
Heroism is concerned with the moral pursuit of
goals, service to a high cause, and defending all
that is held valuable. These are represented
symbolically in the tarot knight. When modern
heroes let us down, we turn to fictional ones,
which is why superhero comic books and movies
are so popular.
We live in a scary world, and whether you read for
yourself or others, the main issue underneath all
queries to a tarot reader is the need to know that
everything is safe and secure, or will at least
end up that way.
In addition to the armored knights of the
Rider-Waite-Smith tarot, this rank has been
portrayed in other decks as princes, cavaliers,
warriors, seekers, angels, brothers and sons,
all emitting a daring masculine energy in the
style of their respective suits.
Like other members of the tarot court, knights can
represent people or personalities, and bring
changes of circumstance. Knights lack the maturity
of kings and queens, but demonstrate motivation
and sincerity in carrying out their duties. They
are models of goodness and beauty in everything,
even in things that are not so good. We must not
forget that the knights were trained to kill in
the name of good.
When a knight turns up in a reading, ask the
querent: To what or who am I in service? What is
it that I need to protect? Am I feeling defensive?
What virtue am I lacking? How can I humble myself
in this situation?
The following are ways to interpret specific knights
in a reading:
The Knight of Pentacles card suggests steadiness
and reliability. Planning ahead and considerations
that define a long-term goal. Knowledge of what is
important and valuable. A resourceful and
responsible person that uses common sense.
The Knight of Swords card suggests heroic action.
He is ready to take up a fight for almost any
cause. The ability to overcome obstacles or
resolve disagreements and conflicts. The desire to
make necessary improvements. Confronts challenges
by charging forward. Very focused on making a
point. Ruthlessness and hastiness. The Knight of
Swords jumps to the defense of his ideals.
The Knight of Wands card suggests enthusiastic
energy. He keeps his options open and is on the
lookout for the next best thing. The Knight of
Wands can be flamboyant and a trendsetter. Travel
may be on the horizon. The future looks bright! He
is all for a new quest or exciting journey
The Knight of Cups suggests compassion. He is
charming and comfortable with emotions, and is
very agreeable and amiable. Playing on the
emotions of others is very easy for this knight.
He is idealistic, romantic and has a tendency to
live in a dream world, but he gives a lot of
thought before committing to anything or anyone. Tarot Card Showcase In this section we will feature tidbits on a specific tarot card. While there are many systems and decks to choose from in the world of tarot, here we use the Universal Waite Tarot images and symbols. Copyright 1992 U.S Games.
![]() KNIGHT OF CUPS
Esoteric Title: Prince of the Chariot of the Waters,
Prince and Emperor of Nymphs and Undines
Astrological Attribution: Pisces (Mutable Water)
The Knight of Cups seems calm but his emotions can
run extremely deep. He is attractive, sensuous,
and loves pleasure. He can be gallant and filled
with sympathy. A bringer and pursuer of dreams, he
comfortably dwells in the realm of fantasy.
The fish on his tunic represent the sign of
Pisces. The connection to the element of water are
seen in the flowing river, the wave-like mane on
the horse and the color blue in all the
ornamentation.
In a reading, this card can signify a change of
heart and/or an opportunity for change. Sometimes
this knight deludes himself, sometime he creates
illusions for others.
This card can suggest the arrival of news, a
proposal or a person dear to one's heart. He can
be the object of one's desire, or the ideal lover
in a relationship reading, although he has the
unfortunate habit of changing his mind.
As the embodiment of Piscean energy, this knight
is prone to be in service to others.
Positive Keywords: Messenger, visitor, lover,
poet; receptive, empathetic, artistic, gentle,
convincing, sensitive; inspiration, erotic fantasy
and dreams.
Negative Keywords: Deceptive, idle, suffering,
deluded, false, lazy, unrealistic; rascal, liar,
imposter, fraud. Upcoming Events:
CARD STUDY COMPLETE:
The Hermit - The Hanged Man These four cards are the heart of the world of the
spirit in tarot. They are the center of consciousness
in every human being. In these classes, we'll dive
further into the meanings of these four amazing
cards than you might even have guessed existed.
10/21 The Hermit
10/28 Wheel of Fortune
11/04 Justice
11/11 Hanged Man
4 Thursdays: October 21, 28, November 4 and 11
9-11 pm Eastern time
Tuition: $80 for the series - includes .mp3 recordings
Earns 8 Degree credits
REGISTER AT:
Land of Enchantment Tarot Symposium (LETS)
Santa Fe, New Mexico Featuring Mary K. Greer, Fern Mercier, Carrie Paris, Margaret Letzkus, Robert Hahn,
Melissa Weiss Steele, Jordan Hoggard and more.
Sign up with their in-person attendance option, or
choose to attend the Symposium from your own home!
The Readers Studio (RS11)
Queens, NY
Presenters include: Caitlin Matthews, Corrine
Kenner, Barbara Moore, Mary K. Greer, Bev
Haskins, James Wells, Carolyn Cushing and
many more to be announced!
Best Practices for Professional Readers
IN QUEST OF THE PERFECT NICHE MARKET
Growth for your business through marketing can be
effectively done when you know who it is you are
marketing to. Niche marketing is a component that
will boost your business power and add to your
bottom line.
A niche in this context is defined as a specific or
select audience within a broader market. In the
world of tarot, who would be part of your niche
market? If you were going to invest in advertising,
to whom would it be directed? The problem of
finding one service or product to stand out in a crowd
is not an easy task.
Niche marketing can be complex and getting the
strategies right is essential. The best place to
start is with research and a good marketing
program. The first question any marketing person
would ask is "Who is your target audience?"
Your answer would most likely be "anyone who
wants a reading" or "anyone who wants to learn
tarot" but what you really should be thinking
about is who wants to get a reading or learn tarot
from the way YOU provide these services.
For instance, why would you spend your time, money
and energy advertising your local neighborhood
store in a newspaper in another state? This is an
exaggeration but the point is to define and focus
whose attention you need to attract. It could
spell the difference between landing one new
customer versus 4 - 5 new customers.
The importance of a well-defined niche market will
help in your online business, too. It will help
optimize your website for search engines so your
niche market can find you.
Here are some brief but important rules to keep in
mind:
1. Make and keep promises that meet specific
needs. These must have appeal and be unique.
Find ways to tailor what you offer to attract the
right clients.
2. Speak their language. This is especially
challenging for those outside of the tarot realm.
Your clients may not know that a tarot reader isn't
necessarily a medium or a channel. It is important
to say the correct thing.
3. Remember, a niche market is small. Research
what is available and see if your niche would be
viable.
4. Test and Revise. Defining your niche will
require test marketing. Revisions should be made
as necessary, and don't be discouraged if you
discover heavy competition. This is not
necessarily a bad thing and means there is a
demand. A product or service that is too unique
may be difficult to market. Questions arise when developing or transitioning
to professional Tarot Reading status to earn income. These can range from "How can I make money with Tarot?" and "How do I get started?" to more complex technical and business questions.
You may already be up and running and have
questions about how to enhance or ramp up your
business. We would love to hear from you. Send any
questions, or interest in a future class on the
Business of Tarot, to [email protected]. ![]() Discover the meanings behind the interpretations
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Featured Tarot Blog / Newsletter MIKE HERNANDEZ TAROT Mike Hernandez is a wonderfully gifted tarot
reader. He has been involved with public speaking
for over 20 years and is also a talented musician!
Be sure and stop by this very warm, friendly and
super knowledgeable tarot enthusiast's blog that
features Mike's favorite deck and his views and
opinions about tarot.
![]() Join our 2,380+ fans and join the fun!
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