Welcome back, dear readers!
We did it! We are at the end of our series about using psychology in your tarot readings for others!
In our past three posts, we explored the details of cognition with the Page of Swords, systems of motivation and emotion with the Knight of Swords, and understanding personality with the Queen of Wands. Now we turn our attention to the King of Swords.
In tarot, kings are invested in the superstructure of their suits. While queens foster growth, kings organize that energy into systems of meaning. From a bird's eye view, the King of Swords sees patterns and draws understanding.
For tarot readers, the King of Swords challenges us to consider larger systems of meaning, not just individual differences. One powerful way to achieve this is through Social Identity Theory.
Social Identity Theory
Humans have a drive for high self-esteem and belonging to a group. Social Identity Theory argues that these drives push us to join groups we feel proud of, giving us purpose. From these groups, we develop our sense of self, making us feel good and encouraging us to invest more in the group.
This practice is evident in daily life. For example, Texans are notorious for state pride. The more Texans lean into their group identity, the better they feel about themselves, thus encouraging more investment in Texas. This cyclical process improves both Texas and individual Texans.
Social identity theory is also at work in contexts like sports fans, political activists, religious devotees, and even consumers who prefer one product over another (e.g., Apple vs. Windows).
Group membership varies in investment and participation. People with low levels of identity with their groups don't invest much. For example, anime fans in the US might enjoy watching but aren't interested in conventions or learning Japanese. Conversely, deeply invested anime fans spend lots of time and money on their passion and community.
Social Identity and the Self
Social groups profoundly influence our sense of self. The more invested we are in a group, the more its norms integrate into our self-concept, emotions, and behavior. For example, if a group values empathy and patience, these traits develop within us but are typically activated when with the group or thinking about it—this is called identity salience.
Interestingly, social identity theory predicts that personality may not be fixed. Instead, it may depend on our most important social identity at any given time or the most salient group membership.
We belong to multiple groups simultaneously (e.g., a book club, university, family, political party). Each group has different norms, integrating into our self-concept. We enact the most relevant part of ourselves in a given situation.
For example, there's an older meme about church ladies being rude to restaurant staff after church. The joke assumes their piety should extend to kindness in all settings, but their personality shifts with context.
This phenomenon reminds me of couples who worked from home during COVID-19. They heard how their partners behaved at work, revealing different personalities than they knew. We all change with context, making us adaptable and successful in social environments.
How to Read with the King of Swords
Based on Social Identity Theory, we can apply critical techniques in readings. High identifying members are more likely to display their group membership. For example, a dedicated anime fan might have character tattoos, a Cowboys fan a jersey, a committed Trump voter a "Make America Great Again" hat. Low group identity rarely shows membership.
When working with a querent, pay attention to signs of their group membership, helping estimate their personal characteristics.
To take it further, play with identity salience to make the querent more predictable in group norm adherence. For example, if you see a political sticker, compliment it to make that identity salient, aligning their psychology with that part of themselves. Use what you know about the group's values to anticipate the querent's values and perceptions.
If knowledgeable about the querent's group, build camaraderie by sharing membership or mention their group's competitor. These methods will highlight the group norms and push other identities and traits to the background.
Conclusion
As you probably assessed throughout this post, the King of Swords embodies a much more active energy in tarot readings. Rather than just observing, synthesizing, or fostering growth, he actively leverages the psychology of others to create a magical, hyper-real space. Social identity is a powerful framework, pointing us toward why people do what they do and providing tools to shape behavior. This manipulation could be benign, as discussed today, or more insidious in contexts like cult building.
Thank you for joining this series on using psychology in tarot readings. Happy reading!
New Spread
In honor of completing our series "No Reading is Truly a Cold Reading," I wanted to share a spread you can use to reflect on your tarot reading journey. This spread is designed to open dialog with your cards and reflect how you are going as a tarot reader. Use this spread to understand your strengths as a reader, areas of improvement, and tips for improving your practice. Thank you again for going on this journey in social-cognition and stay tuned for next week's post as we explore more into the esoteric world of tarot.
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