King
Tarot glossary
The King is the top court card of each suit in Italian, French and Rider–Waite–Smith decks, usually shown enthroned. Readers take a King as the suit's quality turned outward and fully developed: authority, responsibility, command, sometimes control. In the Golden Dawn and Thoth system the court is renamed, and the Prince stands where the King would be, while a mounted Knight takes the top rank; this is a frequent source of confusion when moving between decks. Kings are often read as older men or as a person in charge, though many modern readers read any court card for anyone. See court cards.
