✳ Pearl Arcana Draw cards
King of Swords

A 78-card digital tarot drawn in the tones of nacre and dancheong.

King of Swords

Intellectual authority, truth, impartial judgment, strategy, ethical clarity.

Keywords · Upright

  • intellectual authority
  • truth
  • impartial judgment
  • strategy
  • ethical clarity

Keywords · Reversed

  • abuse of intellect
  • cold ruthlessness
  • manipulation
  • rigid logic
  • unjust judgment

Abuse of intellect, cold ruthlessness, manipulation, rigid logic, unjust judgment.

Read this card →

How this deck reads it

The posture with the sword point set downward before the throne reads as an attitude that sets a standard by laying power down rather than wielding it. The butterfly-embroidered drapery shows that judgment rests not on rigid discipline alone but on delicate observation, and the long-tailed pheasant emphasizes the gaze of the person seated there rather than ornate outward appearance. The luster of mother-of-pearl flows along the blade and becomes a cold, ordered impression, creating a scene in which clarity of logic is itself authority.

The dancheong colors are not exaggerated and are used to draw boundaries distinctly. That restraint reveals that this figure's judgment is of a nature not swayed by emotion, and at the same time leaves within the picture the question of how far that coolness is permitted.

Artwork

A bearded king leans back on a throne where two birds perch on the backrest, holding a sword upright. The hem of his deep blue garment flows with a nacre sheen.

See all 78 cards