• Upright: authority, power; keenness of mind; courage • Reversed: authority corrupted; dominance; evil intention •

Artist: Alison Stone

I am very sleepy because I

did not get enough sleep this

makes it difficult for my brain to

function. Recommended

remedy: sleep. Instead, I eat an unusually large

amount of food, lounge around with

old National Geographic magazines, and

finally get around to telling

this deck: “Wake me up.”

The King of Swords

sits on a narrow throne in the blue wilderness.

This king leads with his keen mind and his

sharp tongue and even sharper, keener blade.

The cutting edge of his sword

shines with some light of its own.

He lifts his eyebrows as if,

without them lifted,

his heavy eyes might close,

his lazy lids might touch,

his head might nod in sleep,

his arm might fall and slice the blade

across his own bare neck and thus

relieve his body from his brilliant,

sometimes over-bearing mind

forever. Even kings must

even kings need even kings must

sleep.                                       Is tired.

This king.