In my last blog post, we talked about the Students, aka Pages, in That Afro Drip Tarot. Today, I want to explore the Zealots, traditionally known as the Knights. We’ll talk about how you can interpret these cards when they come up in your readings and why I chose to rename them Zealots in a modern tarot deck.
Like I mentioned in the blog post about the Students, each rank of the tarot court cards has an associated element. The Students, or Pages, are associated with earth, while the Zealots, or Knights, are associated with air. In the tarot, air is associated with the mind, analysis, and communication of all kinds. We can also associated it with movement, like the wind. That’s why the Knights are traditionally depicted on horseback. How each figure is interacting with their horse gives you a clue to their individual personality traits and energy.
The Zealot of Scepters is standing on his horse’s back, scepter raised high in the air. This card indicates a lot of energy, and love of fun, adventure, and attention. The Zealot of Vessels is hugging his horse next to a serene lake with his eyes closed. This card indicates dreamy, sensitive, loving, somewhat impermanent energy. When we look at the Zealot of Blade we see a figure that most resembles a traditional knight, with a determined look on his face, racing his horse forward, blade held in the air, ready for whatever battle may come. But the Zealot of Coins almost gives the opposite impression. He kneels down in a field, surveying the landscape before him in a classic “thinking man” pose. This card indicates preparedness, reliability, responsibility, and taking the time to do things right.
So, why did I rename this rank to “Zealot?” The Knights are sometimes called the extremists of the tarot and when you take the air elemental association into account, you can see why. If the Students, or Pages, are like the young children early teens, you can think of the Zealots like those in their late teens or early adulthood. They have more life experience than the previous rank, so they have a clearer idea of what they want, but they still lack the wisdom that comes with the two ranks that follow. Because of that air association, all of these archetypes take the energy of the suit they come from and combine it with the mental attributes of air to become practically fanatical in their expression.
Zealot is defined as, “a person who is fanatical and uncompromising in pursuit of their ideals.” The Zealot of Scepters chases excitement and adventure, so they go where the party is. The Zealot of Vessels seeks connection and artistic expression, and lets their emotions lead. The double air of the Zealot of Blades makes them doggedly pursue ideas and ideals, so don’t try to argue with them! All the Zealot of Coins wants is stability and predictability in their endeavors, so they’re in no rush.
Let’s say you had a question about a potential job and wanted the tarot’s advice on how to best present yourself during the interview. If you received the Zealot of Vessels, it would be advised that you show your artistic side, creativity, and sensitive nature as strengths. But if the Zealot of Blades showed up, it would make sense for you to be steadfast in your ideas during the interview, because that job would probably value individuals who can adamantly articulate their points of view rather than be swayed.
If you’ve ever struggled to understand the Knights in the tarot, I hope this blog post clears some things up for you. Interpreting the cards doesn’t have to be complicated and can actually be really fun!
Happy reading!
Shaniqua ❤️