Card 52 of 52 · Spades · King
King of Spades Playing Card Meaning
Spades speak of difficulty, endings, hard truths and decisions; the King brings a man of authority, or the suit's power. Season: winter.
Tarot counterpart: King of Swords
What the King of Spades Means
The King of Spades is the man of authority: in the old descriptions dark-haired, ambitious, powerful, a lawyer, a doctor, a judge or an official, someone whose decisions affect your life and whose feelings do not enter into them. He is respected rather than loved. He can be a great ally and a dangerous opponent. As a quality, he is cold judgement: the capacity to decide without sentiment. Drawn for a question, the King says a man of power decides, or that the matter must be settled by rules rather than by wishes.
King of Spades in Love
A partner who is controlled, ambitious and hard to read, or a man whose position matters more to him than the relationship. If you are asking about a man, the King of Spades shows seriousness and distance together. For couples, a decision made by rules, a legal matter, or an authority figure in the family.
King of Spades in Work and Money
A boss, lawyer, regulator or judge who holds the outcome. Rules apply and feelings do not. Prepare your case, follow the procedure, and respect the hierarchy. The King of Spades rewards discipline and punishes bluff.
King of Spades as a Yes or No
Maybe
The King of Spades decides by the rules. Yes if your case is correct in every detail, no if it rests on hope.
King of Spades as a Birth Card
Birthdays with the King of Spades as their playing-card birth card: 1 January.
Find any birthday's card on the cartomancy page, or your tarot birth card, a different calculation.
The Suit of Spades
Spades are the suit of difficulty. They cover endings, losses, illness, conflict, warnings, and the clarity that comes when something is cut away. A reading full of Spades says the matter is serious and that the answer is unlikely to be the one you hoped for, though the Six and the Ace can mean relief and a clean break. Spades are honest rather than cruel: they name the problem. Old cartomancers gave the suit the winter, and matched it with the Swords of the tarot.
The King in Every Suit
The King means a man of authority, or the suit's power; the suit decides where.
Will the King of Spades Turn Up for You?
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Draw three cardsFrequently Asked Questions
What does the King of Spades mean?
The King of Spades is the man of authority: in the old descriptions dark-haired, ambitious, powerful, a lawyer, a doctor, a judge or an official, someone whose decisions affect your life and whose feelings do not enter into them. He is respected rather than loved. He can be a great ally and a dangerous opponent. As a quality, he is cold judgement: the capacity to decide without sentiment. Drawn for a question, the King says a man of power decides, or that the matter must be settled by rules rather than by wishes.
What does the King of Spades mean in love?
A partner who is controlled, ambitious and hard to read, or a man whose position matters more to him than the relationship. If you are asking about a man, the King of Spades shows seriousness and distance together. For couples, a decision made by rules, a legal matter, or an authority figure in the family.
Is the King of Spades a yes or a no?
Maybe. The King of Spades decides by the rules. Yes if your case is correct in every detail, no if it rests on hope.
Which tarot card is the King of Spades?
The King of Swords. Spades correspond to the tarot's Swords, and the King matches the King. The two cards share most of their meaning, though the tarot card carries a picture and a reversed reading that the playing card does not.
Whose birth card is the King of Spades?
In cardology the King of Spades is the birth card for 1 birthday: 1 January. The rule is 55 minus twice the month minus the day, counted from the Ace of Hearts (1) to the King of Spades (52); the King of Spades is number 52.
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