The court cards
The sixteen court cards indicate a specific person or possibly a group of persons. None of them have to correlate with the sex/gender on the card, although this is what I myself will first consider.
Like the cards ace to ten, the court cards are divided into four suits. Each suit includes a king, a queen, a knight and a page. Furthermore, each suit corresponds with an element, a tool and an aspect of our existence. Wands stand for willpower, courage and spiritual development. Cups stand for the emotions, intuition and relationships. Swords stand for our mental capacity, our thoughts, and pentacles stand for our earthly reality, our natural environment, work, money, growth.
We therefore have a king, queen, knight and page of wands, a king, queen, knight and page of cups, a king, queen, knight and page of swords and a king, queen, knight and page of pentacles.
If a court card turns up in a spread, first look at whether the card indicates a person who is influencing the situation in a certain way. If the court card does not seem to indicate a specific person, it may also represent the person for whom the tarot reading is being done, an aspect of their personality at that moment, or advice, a recommendation. The key is to use your intuition, based on what you know.
Kings
In principle, the kings can all be seen as different aspects of the emperor, expressed in the energy of the suit they correspond with. Kings can also represent a father or father figure. In essence, the kings, like the emperor, indicate stable authority and structure. They stand for established leadership and mastery. They refer to a person or possibly a group of people. They may also represent a person of the other sex/gender. If they do not refer to a specific person, they may represent the querent themselves, particularly a controlling and determining energy around the person, or which is necessary at that time. This may be positive, neutral or negative, depending on its effect.
King of wands: he is proactive, progressive, self-assured, courageous, inspired and inspiring. He can help achieve success and satisfaction in the outside world. He may act as a public leader. Possible downsides are dominance and arrogance, etc.
King of cups: he governs from the heart. He is diplomatic, tactful, sensitve and reasonable. He may play a leading role in a spiritual discipline or work in a healing profession. A romantic with a big heart, who aims to get it right. Possible downsides are beating about the bush, lack of focus, distraction, dishonesty.
King of swords: he is analytical, determined, resolute, decisive, intelligent, logical and rational. He leads, rules or governs from his mind. Possible downsides are lack of senstivity, manipulative, judgmental, etc.
King of pentacles: he is throughtful, calm, disciplined, patient and stable, materialistic and typically financially successful. He may be attached to wealth and status, may represent established power. Possible downsides may be prejudice and a conservative nature, as well as slowness to act.
Queens
In principle, the queens can all be seen as different aspects of the empress, expressed in the energy of the suit they belong to. Queens can also represent a mother or mother figure. In essence, the queens, like the empress, stand for producing something vital, for nurturing, upbringing, shaping, support. Stereotypically they stand for leadership at social or group level, in the community, family, etc., although a queen may express her nature in any environment. They refer to a person or possibly a group of people. They may also represent a person of the other sex/gender. If they do not refer to a specific person, they may represent the querent themselves, particularly a controlling and determining energy around the person, or which is necessary at that time.
Queen of wands: she is passionate, inspired and inspiring, likes to bring people together, to network and lead. Loves using her wisdom to help others, especially to advance in life. She is communicative, warm, ambitious and progressive. She has a strong, sensual energy she uses in an independent manner. She is in touch with her shadow side and understands our animal nature, our instintive needs and wants.
Queen of cups: she is strongly focused on her inner world and access to the spiritual world. Highly intuitive and mediumistic. Continually engaged in further developing her natural talents in this area. She may be an excellent healer and guide for others on their spiritual path.
Queen of swords: she is just and purposeful. Helps others to see the truth to cut out and eliminate what is not productive or helpful in their lives. She may be strict, intelligent, driven and analytical. Sometimes remote. Very independent. May have suffered greatly to arrive where she is now is. She may be intimidating to some.
Queen of pentacles: she surrounds herself with and enjoys caring for her loved ones and extended family. She is nurturing, focused on security, home life, a warm nest, profection, secure finances and possessions. She may have extensive knowledge of trees, plants and herbs – natural healaing. May be so focussed on her own environment that outsiders find it hard to get through to her.
Knights
The knights represent relatively youthful energy and often stand for adventure, movement, the need to prove yourself, enthusiasm and idealism. They may be capable of making bigger mistakes than the kings and queens because the necessary experience is lacking. The knights ride on horseback or are ready to set off. They indicate a person or possibly a group of persons. They can also stand for a person of the other sex/gender. If they don’t refer to a specific person they may refer to the querent himself/herself, particularly an active, enthusiast energy around the person or necessary at that moment.
Knight of wands: wants to change the world, undertake a major rescue operation, be honoured as a hero. Pro-active, and, convinced of his own potential/abilities. Could be an activist, a social-justice warrior, a revolutionary. Eager to help and make a positive impression. Possible downsides are recklessness, self-importance, possibly a poor listener.
Knight of cups: a charmer, een romantic, a flirt, a seducer, an artist. He has a ceative, artistic and mysterious side, and prefers to keep parts of himself hidden from view. He can be honest and upright, but is inclined not to tell the whole truth. He can be jealous and possessive. Strong sexual energy.
Knight of swords: head is full of ideas, stories and theories, gift of the gab, a smooth talker, can be very persuasive. Driven and ambitious but sometimes inconsistent and his plans may be unfounded. Generally finds it hard to make a commitment.
Knight of pentacles: a hard worker, reliable, productive and disiplined. Ambitious and works hard to achoeve goals. He has a sensual, earthy side that makes him easy to trust. His possible downsides are mainly his slowness to act and his extreme caution.
Pages
The pages indicate a young person, a person with youthful energy in one way or another. They may indicate female energy as a counterpart to the typically male energy of the knights. Pages represent the need and desire to experiment, to discover the world, to study, learn and collect experiences and discover their potential. Their energy is generally light, playful and curious. They may indicate a person or a group of people. If they don’t refer to a specific person they may stand for the querent herself, someone who starts a new chapter in her life and starts new things that she has to study for.
Page of wands: he/she is optimistc, enthousiastic, blossoming sexuality, lust for life, creative in the area of ideas, passionate. Falls in love or beomces infatuated easily. Possible downsides are impulsiveness, not thnking things through.
Page of cups: he/she is sweet-natured, romantic, dreamy, artitistic, creative and sensative. He/she likes to connect to the mythical world of nature. Has an immense need for connecton with others. May be quickly hurt, inclined to dream away in his/her own imaginery world, immersion in own emotional world. Needs to ground and stay grounded.
Page of swords: he/she has a sharp tongue, is analytical, fast, smart, decisive, scintillating, but can also be argumentative, take rational arguments too far, provoke conflict
Page of pentacles: he/she is the ideal student, committed to learning. He/she is also social-minded, friendly, generous, hospitible, loves cooking and organising events for others, also family-oriented, fun, a loyal friend. Can easily make things work, manifest things. May also indicate pregnancy.