The role of a woman or even feminine energy has transformed over time. While various societies and cultures still create their own ideas of what is “right,” more and more often we as human beings are learning to honor the duality found within all areas of life.
In preparation for writing this post, I gave lots of consideration about what I wanted to say. As a woman, this post means something special to me, because we will be talking about the Queens.
The Queens:
Within the Court Cards we encounter a perplexing set of cards. Mostly due to the fact that they strive to represent the entire breadth of human character and personality.
As we saw with the Pages and Knights, each card represents many varied aspects of human beings. However, things are about to become even more complicated. In the course of gathering my notes, I discovered different aspects to the Court Cards, especially when it comes to the Queens and Kings.
These sixteen cards represent children (Pages), teens (Knights), and adults. But due to the datedness of tarot, changes have been made over the years to keep the deck relevant.
As I discussed in my first post on the Court Cards, I have adopted these changes and added a few of my own, in order for this deck to not only remain accurate but better represent people. Especially women and those of non-white skin color.
These changes mean that not only do the Queens represent different types of women, but they also represent feminine energy and the inner self of a person. While Kings no-longer just represent men, but masculine energy, and the external self in people.
The Importance of Honoring Duality:
I choose to approach the Queens and Kings in this manner, because we don’t live in a society where women make wives and men are the only breadwinners. But I also didn’t want to make it all about women either.
We live in a world of duality, and as we see in that famous Taoist symbol of yin & yang, it requires duality in order to achieve balance. Due to this fact, I am not just a woman, but I hold within me both feminine and masculine energy.
There are times when I can be soft, gentle, and tender. But just ask my friends and family and they’ll confirm that I can be fierce, decisive, and strong. I can also be stubborn and shy, but that’s another story.
As you can see, we each of us are made of both feminine and masculine energy. It is the way this energy is honored changes from gender to gender and even person to person.
As a result, I have complicated and also simplified the Queens and Kings. While the process of learning these cards might require more work, once you pull your deck out and begin to ask questions, this layered approach to the court cards will offer you greater insight into your answer.
What makes up the Queens?
My first exposure to the Court Cards was through my tarot classes. My teacher, Bonnie, has spent fifty years as a professional tarot reader, and in that time was able to learn the Court Cards through the people she met.
She then took this experience and shaped archetypes or broad personalities for each Queen or King. These various types of personalities offer an idea of who a person might be depending on how they choose to approach life.
I then took these broad personalities and also took a look at personality traits. Sometimes a Court Card is not talking about a person, but a necessary personality trait to learn/utilize or avoid in order to be successful.
Lastly, I will address the internal aspect of each Queen and the feminine energy. In my research to learn more about the Court Cards, I came across the use of the Meyers-Briggs within tarot. These sixteen personality types are paired with each Court Card and offer added insight into the cards, people, and which Court Card you relate to.
Through these pairings, the introverted personality aspects aligned with the Queens while the extroverted personality aspects aligned with the Kings. As a result, the Queens came to symbolize the hidden self within all of us.
This is the part of us that only our close friends and family see. The stable, introspective, and centered self we can all find within ourselves.
In this society and around the globe, we don’t just have men and woman anymore. We have people who don’t fall into just one category. They embrace their uniqueness and as such, whether you are a man or woman, there’s a little Queen in us all.
Queen of Wands: Water & Fire / ISFJ
Adults:
As we begin with the Queen of Wands, there are two paths she can take. Through the balance of both the fire (Wand) and water (Queen) elements of this card, there are two distinct personalities that can be represented.
The Tom-Boy:
The Queen of Wand’s first personality embraces her fire energy with gusto. Here we see a grown woman who has transformed once again. As a child she might have exerted her energy on the swings, as a teen on learning to drive, but now she holds even more energy than before.
It is within this incarnation of the Queen of Wands that we discover our outdoorsman. This woman loves to hike, fish, and go exploring. She puts herself out there and can sometimes be known as one of the “guys.”
If she isn’t an avid hiker, she just might be the gardener with a natural green-thumb or an avid horse woman. Either way, you won’t find her indoors during the summer.
This Queen of Wands also is found within a male dominant role or profession. Capable of holding a position of leadership, she is business minded, and knows how to be successful. She is the woman who embraces her energy and vigor and charges forth in life.
(As an interesting side note, due to the Queen of Wands natural inclination towards male friends, this can sometimes indicate that they themselves have spent many or very recently spent a lifetime as a man herself. For information on reincarnation click here.)
The Queen of Illusions:
The second path that the Queen of Wands can choose is follows more of her water energy and if she’s not careful can fall into a lower vibration. This Queen utilizes the mystic/intuitive/and even psychic energy associated with water and becomes the ultimate “witch” of the Court Cards.
As you can see within the Rider-Waite-Smith deck, she even has a black cat at her side. Unlike cultural depiction, she is a witch who can manifest what she desires. When she’s in her element, she knows what she wants, she knows how to get it, and she goes out and gets it.
Here is where the danger can arise. While it is empowering and helpful to know what we want, it still matters how we go about getting what we want. When the Queen of Wands is embracing a higher vibration, she can manifest what she needs with decisive and clear action.
She does this with honor and honesty and represents the best aspects of powerful people. Here her fire energy acts as her drive and makes her an unstoppable force.
However, if she decides not to consider the ramifications of her actions or is lazy about what needs to be done, she can fall into a lower vibration. Here, she becomes the shapeshifter.
This Queen of Wands will take on different personalities in order to become what she needs to get what she wants. She might appear as a Queen of Cups or Pentacles, but at her heart, that’s just not who she is.
She will bring people into her life for a specific reason/purpose and when she’s through will either ignore them or kick them out of her life once more. This incarnation is feeding her ego and not her heart.
Personality Traits:
Take a moment to consider the manner in which the Queen of Wands can present herself. How do the qualities of fire and water shed light on her different incarnations?
As we saw with the two personality types above, the Queen of Wands represents the qualities of energy and drive. These qualities are represented through varied personality traits.
Here is a woman who is driven, strong, ambitious, outgoing, and approaches all that she does with high energy. These various traits can present themselves through a strong business mind, looking at things logically, and being a good communicator.
When we then pull in her water energy, we can see that she is charming. Her manifesting skills support her desires, and the gentleness of the water energy offers an insightful side to her. This side also expresses itself through creativity, kindness, generosity, and hospitality.
If this Queen of Wands is representing a mother, she’s the type of woman who will approach the act of parenting from a logistical mindset. From her perspective her job is done, when her child reaches the age of eighteen.
Lower Vibration:
When the Queen of Wands falls into a lower vibration, her drive and desire becomes colored by her ego and desire to win. She can become calculating, manipulative, and even will bend the rules to achieve her own goals.
This destruction can also carry into herself and not just her personal or business life. She can fall into the danger of self-deception. Through the use of her own power, she can craft a story or reality for herself where she can feel good, and through the process fail to see the impact her life and actions have on others. From their perspective’s she isn’t so terrific.
This destruction can also come in the form of self-sabotage or recklessness. When ego gets behind the wheel, her own heart, mind, and life no-longer fall under the list of what’s important. Even she can become expendable in order to attain the win.
Lastly, if this card shows up in a reading it just might be a warning. This woman seeks and destroys all who have done her wrong, real or perceived. But rather than telling you to your face, she will weave a spell that will leave you at its center. This woman will speak to various people truths and lies all meant to steer and manipulate them to you and to do her bidding. All while she watches.
Feminine Energy & Internal Self:
The Queen of Wands expresses the more, high intensity aspects of feminine energy. Interestingly, this card can at times represent a gay man or bisexual person. Here we see the conflict of the more masculine energy of fire trying to balance with the more feminine energy of water.
When representing the inner aspect of a person, we can see that this person lives a life of manifestation. They are self-assured and very energy driven. Their life is very much shaped and dictated by what draws their eyes and what doesn’t.
When in their higher vibration, they are at peace with who they are. They like what they like, and they don’t like what they don’t like. This self-assurance comes from their knowledge that no matter what life brings them, they will be able to navigate it since they know what it is they want.
Occupations:
- Actress
- Horse trainer/rider/rancher
- Adventurer
- CEO
- Business owner
Queen of Cups: Water & Water / INFJ
Adults:
Moving on to the Queen of Cups, we once again find two paths that this Queen can take. Which path she chooses depends on how she utilizes her gift of emotions (self-serving or compassionate) and how well she’s learned to embrace/master the art of emotions. As a result, Bonnie discovered three distinct personality types.
The Heart-Centered Queen:
The first incarnation of the Queen of Cups represents a woman who is in a wonderfully high vibration. Here we see only the element of water (both Cups & Queens) in their highest potential.
This woman is loving, kind, sensitive, and nurturing. She makes for a great listener and will go that extra mile for others on a emotional level. She loves to give gifts and just comes across as that gentle soul.
In readings, this card can symbolize the mate or partner (while the King of Cups represents the mate/partner when male). The reason being, the Queen of Cups is surrounded by and represents life when based on love.
It is only when she falls into a lower vibration when we see the danger of water with no support or shape. Then this Queen of Cups can become emotionally fragile, reactive, and everything becomes heartfelt. Here she is in danger of losing touch with reality and living life with a pair of rose-colored glasses.
The Drama Queen:
Next, we see the product of a self-serving Queen of Cups. Here emotions run and rule this Queen’s world, and not in a healthy way. Embodying a princess attitude or sense of entitlement, this Queen feels that the world revolves around her (ego).
This translates into a need for gossip and drama, so that she can be right in the middle of all that is going on. Her diva attitude is paired with a desire for luxury and need to be taken care of.
When she falls into a truly low vibration, she can become the gold digger. And will even stoop to manipulation and lies to create the environment that she desires for herself.
The “Cindy Lauper” Queen:
The final Queen of Cups incarnation represents the woman who hasn’t learned or chosen not to embrace the world of emotions. Instead, she “just wants to have fun.”
Rather than honoring the darker aspects to emotions (pain/sorrow/jealousy/guilt), she has chosen to live her life on the surface. As a result, she is a happy soul who loves colors, sparkles, and things that shine.
She can fall into the trap of living in her own little world lost to reality. Without ambition, she wants to be waited on while still maintaining power. Essentially, she wants the freedom to choose any life she wants, but not have to work on the logistics or creation of said life.
That’s not to say she’s manipulative about it. When she’s in a higher vibration, this desire merely comes from a place of wanting a good life and also not wanting to work for it. In her reality, this makes total sense.
That being said, when she does fall into a lower vibration, she can become eccentric and live life on an emotion-based level. She might even become a stalker, try to hide on an emotional level, or camouflage what she doesn’t wish to see. As a result, she could overlook things like if someone’s married.
Personality Traits:
With regards to personality traits, the Queen of Cups embodies that water + water energy. She can represent, the intimate aspects life. Not only is she a great hostess, involved with her community and family, but she also is emotionally supportive and listens sympathetically.
When in her higher vibration, the soothing aspects of water appear. She is more focused on the internal world we each have. She strives to bring harmony, comfort, and solace.
This tender-hearted spirit seeks to understand the world, seen and unseen. She’ll scry her own soul and knows both the light and dark sides to life.
As a mother her maternal instincts are strong, and she is both loving and at times can become co-dependent. (Interestingly, this card can represent a non-coordinated person or even someone who is of a less athletic build. Since this woman’s focus is all within and with her heart (which fluctuates a lot) her body will reflect that as well.)
Lower Vibration:
When the Queen of Cups is representing a lower vibration, then she is a slave to her emotions. She can become incredibly emotional and can’t be reasoned with. There is a chance for co-dependency, and she can be reactionary, narrowminded, and intolerant. There is also the very real fear of abandonment.
Feminine Energy & Internal Self:
Here we see the heart of feminine energy. Representing the various waters of emotions. This woman is not afraid to know the breadth of human emotion.
She strives for balance and prosperity, but she also acknowledges that sometimes there can’t immediately be harmony. Sometimes things need to be felt and addresses before solace is found.
When representing the inner aspects of a person, the Queen of Cups is much the same way. Here we see a person who is closed off. Not because they don’t feel, but wisdom of past experiences have taught that they do feel. Once they feel safe, they have a wealth of love to give.
Occupations:
- Teacher
- Barista
- Nurse (medical field)
- Artist (all forms)
Queen of Swords: Water & Air / ISTJ
Adults:
Halfway through the Queens we encounter the Queen of Swords. Here we see water (Queen) and air (Swords) energy come together. Once again creating two distinct paths for our Queen to take.
These paths are based upon the same type of woman, a woman who is analytical and more mind based (as opposed to our Queen of Cups). But what matters is how they got to this place as adults.
The Queen of the Mind:
This incarnation of the Queen of Swords has always been more comfortable in the world of facts and data. She possess the unique skill of liking research.
Through logic and reason, she rules her life with her head and not her heart. Organized, efficient, business minded, strong, and professional, this woman might come off as standoffish. But that doesn’t mean she doesn’t have her moments.
When she becomes too unbalanced and falls into a lower vibration, she can become too overly dependent on her mind. This can lead her to become cold and unfeeling. Here we can see that the Queen of Swords has forgotten about those unquantifiable aspects to life and to people that we all have.
The Iron Lady:
When a young woman didn’t start out as analytical she can become this incarnation of the Queen of Swords. As we saw with the Page and Knight of Swords, there are times when our hearts as children are placed in danger.
As a result, children can switch to their minds and their trauma shapes them into the adults we know today. What I love about this incarnation of the Queen of Swords is that she has done something with her trauma. She has learned to heal and incorporate the skills she learned to survive to create a life for herself.
This is the woman who has been through hell and back. She is business minded, professional, strong, and intelligent. Sounds pretty familiar to our previous incarnation, huh?
She is also, analytical, practical, and organized. She is neat and tidy, and possess the skill of being able to step back in a situation or with regards to herself and see things as they are.
As a result, she has grown into a woman of wisdom. Strong and kind. She is also health conscious and approaches all aspects of her life from a straight-froward attitude.
When she’s in her lower vibration, she can become what is known as the Barren Queen. Here the Queen of Swords can represent the woman who is widowed, never married, or never had kids. Through a series of events, she might have become that loving cat or dog person.
Then, when the Queen of Swords falls into an even lower vibration, she is in danger of falling apart. Her persona has been carefully crafted to hold back the pain and trauma. Here we see great sorrow, an eccentric or hoarder, and she might even be endanger of a psychotic break.
The B****:
This final incarnation of the Queen of Swords is the woman who has sustained trauma, but never dealt with it. Since she endured wounds while she lacked power, she never claimed her power when becoming an adult.
As a result, she has become angry, hostile, and emotionally bitter. She’s reactive and never takes responsibility for her actions. Either not caring or blaming all of her life’s problems on those who did her wrong.
She can also become the “right” fighter. Life then becomes her way or the highway, and whatever cause she chooses can do no wrong and must be embraced.
Considering the reality of this woman’s life, when she falls into an even lower vibration, she merely becomes more of what she already was. She can be abusive and explosive by nature, and even physically/mentally dangerous.
Personality Traits:
Luckily, when the Queen of Swords is representing personality traits, she centers around the analytical aspects of that Sword/air energy. Here we see the talents of an intelligent woman.
She creates order, and gets down to the nitty-gritty. She can connect the dots between cold hard facts and as a result is able to gain clarity about life and how it works. Here we see the head in control.
Decisive and forthright, she is smart, analytical, and honest. This honesty creates a person with integrity. Her ability to see connections and patterns can sometimes lead her to overthink and analyze a situation. As a result, she can at times seem aloof because she’s taken up residence in her head and only comes up for air on occasion.
Lower Vibration:
Here we can see the danger of experience with the Queen of Swords. All that analyzing and life experience can lead her down some dark paths and sometimes all she’s seen can outweigh the good in the world.
It is in these moments where the darkness seems to dwarf the sun that she can become bitter, vindictive, vicious, and seek revenge for all wrong doings. At other times, this lower vibration isn’t as dense and sometimes the Queen of Swords is just weary of it all.
Feminine Energy & Internal Self:
With the Queen of Swords, we can see the intelligence found within feminine energy. It’s not all about emotions and desires, but there is also a form and structure to feminine energy that allows it to build things.
While a dream might start the ball rolling, creativity also takes perseverance and grit. Having a plan to bring this dream into reality is an important step. As is, balancing and bring harmony to all the various components or different factors involved.
When representing the inner self, the Queen of Swords represent people who are reserved and serious. Maybe as children they couldn’t afford to not be serious or maybe they just find an ease within themselves when they approach life in this manner.
In either case, these people memory plays an important role in their lives. They won’t ever forget an act of harm, nor will they forget an act of kindness.
They will also take all they have learned and experienced and start connecting the dots on human beings and on life. If you are one of those few lucky people who earn a place within their heart, they will have so much wisdom and insight to impart to you.
Occupations:
- Analyst
- Inventor
- Advisor
- Researcher
Queen of Pentacles: Water & Earth / ISFJ
Adults:
With our final Queen, we see the energy of water (Queens) and earth (Pentacles) combined. Since Pentacles are earth energy, these women see life as it is and choose one of two paths in life. While both types of women work to alter life, how they go about it is different.
The Queen of Practicality:
The desire to alter life comes from the combination of water and earth energy. Earth energy ground the Queen of Pentacles in reality and life here on Earth. While water energy brings in that more feminine energy and the desire for a good life.
As a result, the Queen of Pentacles lives life looking to have a good life. In this case, she is the grounded woman. What you see is what you get. She is here to be in service to those she loves and to the world.
She does this through humanitarian work, working hard, and being hands on. This Queen of Pentacles is compassionate, kind, and studious. If a job needs to be done, she’ll roll up her sleeves and isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty. She will see the job through to the end, keeping her commitments, and honoring her word.
When in her lower vibration, she can appear like a doormat. This can either be due to other taking advantage, her choosing not to waste her breath, or lacking assertiveness. Other times, she can be looking to avoid conflict and disharmony.
At times she can be a workaholic. Sometimes that is all it is, while at other times, she can stay in situations longer than is healthy for her. Since the Queen of Pentacles is all about changing the world, she can become neglectful of her own health and well-being. Instead favoring the world around her, forgetting she too is part of this world.
Due to her hard work, she can at times become the martyr, and even use this to control. Whether it’s her children or friends and family, she can manipulate others into doing as she would like.
This course of action can also come from a place of bitterness, when the Queen of Pentacles gets upset that others aren’t taking care of her. Forgetting, that not everyone thinks and understands things like she does.
When she expects others to address her needs, especially if she’s neglected her needs while caring for others, and other don’t address her needs, she can become bitter. Rather than communicating her needs, which from her point of view isn’t necessary, she can become manipulative.
The Queen of Compassion:
This final incarnation of the Queen of Pentacles also strives to change the world to make it better. That way she can enjoy a wonderful life and so can others. But she goes about it from a place of emotions.
Before, the Queen of Pentacles was practical in her approach to changing things. In this case, the Queen of Pentacles showers those around her with love and through this intuitive approach she heals and changes the way things are.
This Queen is loving and kind. She acts as the mother hen in her social circle, taking in pets and children. While social she also needs time to recharge.
Due to her more grounded approach to life, she is empathetic with others, and able to step back emotionally when helping others with their emotions. While the Queen of Cups will get caught up in the emotions as well.
The Queen of Pentacles is wonderful at taking care of others. At times it can seem like a natural state of being. The challenge for her will be to learn how to take care of herself. While she is able to be objective with others, she is all emotions when it comes to herself.
When the Queen of Pentacles falls into a lower vibration, she can become co-dependent and more emotional. In this case, she can become the busy-body, sticking her nose where it’s not be invited or wanted.
She also sees problems and sticks her hands in to take care of it, neglecting her own boundaries and others. While help might be wanted, permission and the ask for assistance hasn’t happened yet.
This Queen of Pentacles also struggles with reality and life here on Earth. When her heart feels the struggle and pain in the world, and yet she yearns for and ultimately dreams about the good of humanity, reconciling the two states can be a great challenge.
Personality Traits:
When the Queen of Pentacles presents itself in a spread and is talking about personality traits, she represents the Grand Matriarch. Here we see the hands-on learner.
Not only has she reached this place of authority, but she still carries with her all she’s learned and experienced. As a hands on learner she knows what she’s talking about.
As a result, she is a genuine, honest, reliable, and organized person. She has cultivated financial security and her need for order is seen in this area of her life. As well as, in her home environment.
When the Queen of Pentacles is frustrated her environment reflects this and becomes messy. As a result, she dislikes living in chaos and keeps her home organized and clean.
While the other Queens have wisdom to share, it can seem like the Queen of Pentacles withholds what she knows. The Queen of Swords is merely private, while the Queen of Pentacles knows what knowledge does.
Knowledge empowers people and supports them in doing things they might not have been able to do before. As a result, she judges what she shares and who she share information with until she knows that the person asking can handle what’s being shared.
The Queen of Pentacles is also known as the Day-to-day High Priestess, which alludes to her ability to manifest what she desires. This same straightforward attitude is how she parents.
As a mother, she is practical, loving, kind, and compassionate. She can also be traditional and combine love with practicality to her approach. In this way, her children are loved and also taught the realities of life.
Lower Vibration:
When the Queen of Pentacles fall into a lower vibration she can fall two ways. The first is into a deep depression and becomes a lost soul. With all the pain in the world it can become too much, and she can lose her way.
What makes this all the more difficult, is that rather than seeking help, the Queen of Pentacles goes inwards. She then becomes invisible and walks away. She becomes a shell of who she once was or could be.
Her ability to handle life seems to leave without her, and she becomes fearful of everything. As a result, she loses that inner peace with the way life is and become wary of the very place she calls home.
If the Queen of Pentacles doesn’t fall into a state of fear, she can fall the other way into a state of anger. In this instance, she becomes angry, passive aggressive, and even pretentious. This controlling nature leaves her unable to hear the advice from others.
Feminine Energy & Internal Self:
The Queen of Pentacle’s feminine energy is very much grounded with Mother Nature and Mother Earth. The intuitive connection with the cycles of life and Earth are what makes this woman so strong.
This connection grounds her in life while also acting as a conduit for feeling. Here is a woman who feels all she does. Her body speaks with her and she listens.
When representing the internal self of a person, the energy is much the same. Here we have a person who is very self-assured because they know themselves.
The self-knowledge provides their own self as a tool. Where they know what they can and can’t do. Since they are able to come from this place of self-knowledge it can be hard to get to know them.
Partly, because they aren’t desperate for connection in the same way. They are already connected to themselves, and there is a lot to learn about them.
As an interesting side note, old souls often will read as the Queen of Pentacles. Since their Soul Contracts generally are more challenging and centered around some hard work.
Occupations:
- Either a matriarch at home or at work/business
- Scholar
- Professor
- Historian
- Psychologist/therapist
Final Thoughts:
Queens no-longer rule nations as they once did. But I find that the title still applies to the energies and personalities depicted within these four cards. Because we are all Queens.
We possess the power to rule and create our own kingdom and our own lives. Both the world within ourselves and the world we share. The quality and capacity for happiness and love within those worlds depends on who we are and what we do.
A Queen is merely a person who utilizes their own innate power/strength to take charge and responsibility for their lives. A Queen of old and you or I today, share the same worries and concerns. Even the same doubts.
It is merely what we choose to do and what talents we choose to learn and utilize that will determine what those who are around us and those who come after us have to say.
Thankfully we are all Queens and we all the power to create the life we desire.