Kitchen Table Tarot

Knight of Swords, The High Priestess, The Chariot

Hello friend, and welcome to my kitchen table. I hope if this reading is for you it may provide some insight and clarity, but I am glad you’re here no matter what. You are a precious child of the divine, an essential thread in the fabric of our world, and it means a lot to me that you exist. ♥️

So this one feels speedy. Like a lot is about to happen, very quickly—maybe things you’ve seen coming, or maybe things that will open up that connection between you and the divine, allowing you to come into your intuitive power. The Knight of Swords represents drive and speed. It’s a sort of hothead energy usually; like running into battle without armor, extreme skateboarding without a helmet, or—on a less dramatic note—“draw in ink without a sketch,” an idea I absorbed from the guidebook/coloring book for the Rosalarian Tarot. I’m drawn to share that interpretation because I actually began typing all of this out when I always draft by hand, which reflects that gung-ho just do eet energy represented in the card. In this illustration in particular, the Knight is going from speed to speed—the sprint to the motorbike—and ordinarily the card energy contains a little warning to think about the unseen consequences and hurdles ahead, but the corvid flying above and slightly in front suggests that this time the Knight of Swords is using their intuition and following the plan of the soul—that it is not thoughtlessly seat-of-the-pants action. Whoever this Knight is, they’re in a hurry because something has awakened in them, just in time to meet a spiritual due date, and the High Priestess confirms that—perhaps finally, or at long last—the Knight is relying more on their internal world, listening to what they’ve picked up in observation but not processed consciously. The High Priestess is able to see what others cannot by letting go of petty, material concerns and never relying on outside validation to confirm what her soul tells her. In the image her eyes are closed yet she sees, staring at a point beyond herself and this mortal coil. She is bookended by the Chariot, which is also a card of speed—especially in this illustration. The Chariot is steered by someone who knows where they’re going and how to control the direction. Whatever obstacles may lay in wait for the Knight of Swords, the Chariot indicates that they will navigate around them without any true danger to bystanders.

The other thing I notice here is a color progression—the Knight of Swords presents a washed-out blue sky partially obscured by clouds, then the High Priestess pops against a saturated background that takes us from true blue to turquoise, and the red flowing out of her crown chakra is seen more fully in the warm, vibrant sunrise/sunset palette of the Chariot. The power of these two major arcana cards combined tells me that the Knight of Swords is sprinting in the right direction, towards destiny and the fruits of their growth. If this Knight is you, then it’s time to trust yourself, take a leap of faith, and see what awaits you in a far more colorful future. You just might surprise yourself.

I hope I see you again soon, friend, and remember—you’re always welcome at my kitchen table. -KTT 🌻💛

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BONUS READ:

The Devil [reversed], Four of Swords, 2 of Wands [reversed]

You have found freedom from the things that bind you to pain. Whatever it is you’ve been doing has kept your true self locked away. You have felt miserable, connected to people, places, and/or things that create a dependency on outside validation to feel like you can even take a step. You have yearned to break free and think for yourself but the forces around you seek only to control you—“for your own good,” or so they say.

But you are, like beautiful angel Gloria Estefan once sang, coming out of the dark. The sun has dawned on certain aspects of your daily life, revealing the extent of the meddling influences in your life. You are waking up to the manipulation, the forces squeezing your personality out of its proper shape, the lack of depth in your day-to-day life. Taking back the reins (reigns) from your puppet masters might feel scary, but you don’t have to do a lot at this time. Your calling right now is to rest. To restore yourself, you must be willing to bring your daily activities to a gentle heel. Now that you’ve decided to take your life back, you’ll have more time to yourself. You might be tempted to fill that space with distracting activities, maybe sexual encounters. This is a natural feeling, but the more time you spend with yourself—not counting days or “transgressions”—the less you will feel that need to occupy the sanctuaries of your soul with anything but your own knowing. If you need some structure, try setting a regular bedtime and plan soothing activities to wind down towards it. Warm showers and hot tea sound like cliches, but they are comforting. Listening to a favorite podcast or audiobook is a good way to keep yourself entertained without screens. Meditation is often suggested, but it can be hard to do and make a vulnerable person feel more anxious depending on their circumstances, so you might want to hold off until you feel a little more secure in yourself. (Very short—10 to 15 minute—guided meditations like you can find on YouTube might be okay if that helps you feel calm.) If the need to self-medicate (food, sex, alcohol, drugs, spending, etc., etc.) keeps cropping up, now is a good time to try a hobby that you’ve never “had the time” for, or return to one you liked in a time before. (Things I have done personally at such life junctures as these include coloring in, paint-by-numbers or diamond “painting,” yarn craft like knitting or crochet, and setting out to watch movies I hadn’t gotten around to seeing. What sort of things look like fun to you? What have you always wanted to try? It might be hard to find those things if you’re feeling sort of floaty. Just know that you’re worthy of enjoying your time.

The 2 of wands reversed here seems placed more as a guidepost to remind you to avoid regimented planning, echoing the exhortation to rest of the 4 of Swords. Avoid making big plans or life changes to caulk the new “holes” in your life. They will start to close as you heal by getting back to yourself and relearn how to organize your thoughts and emotions. Avoid committing to the next big anything, especially as related to relationships, career, and/or geographical location.

It might be a little while before you feel free, but if you take care of yourself and go easy, it will all start to come back to you. ♥️