The court cards

Court cards are where beginners struggle most, because they can mean three different things: a person, an approach, or a stage of maturity.

The four stages

• PAGE — the learner. New to the subject; curiosity without skill.
• KNIGHT — the one who acts. Fast, eager, unbalanced. Tends to overdo it.
• QUEEN — the one who knows from inside. Handles the subject by feel; holds it internally.
• KING — the one who turns outward. Applies the subject in the world and takes responsibility.

Combine it with the suit

Combine with the suit: Knight of Swords is thought moving fast — someone who leaps into an argument and locks on to being right. Queen of Cups is feeling known from inside — someone who reads people and carries them.