I like the keyword ‘sovereignty’ for all Queens; Queen of Pentacles is sovereign over their environment, their body, their resources. Queens teach us how to set boundaries and how to practice both exquisite self-care and radical self-compassion. Queen of Pentacles asks us to take ownership over our finances, to tend to our homes and beautify our living spaces, and to nourish our physical selves. On the deepest level, this Queen is about learning that the material and the spiritual are one and the same. This Queen trusts in the magic of their incarnation, and understands that not only is their body a temple, to use that old adage, but that everywhere they stand is sacred ground. Seeing through that lens, Queen of Pentacles offers a powerful opportunity to release judgment of ourselves. Their elemental signature is Water and Earth, which combines to make clay. This Queen understands that both our lives and our bodies are not fixed, but pliable like clay; so not only can this Queen adapt to all manner of circumstances with grace, but they extend infinite compassion towards the shape they are taking, in their life and in their physical self. They embody a sense of authentic faith, for they know that every cell and fiber is holy.

Queens represent our sovereignty over our own experiences. Swords are the suit of communication and truth, and detail our struggles with our inner narrative/self-talk and mental health. The court cards of the suit of Swords show various ways we wield this power of the mind. Queens of Swords possesses great inner authority: they* know their truth, they own their story, and they do not allow themselves to be manipulated. Now, this is not to say that this Queen is illogical or will not listen to reason. But they would, for instance, not fall for an attempt at gaslighting. This would be wonderful archetype to call upon if your experience is being questioned or doubted in any way: Queen of Swords does not insist that you wage a fight against those who doubt you, but won’t let you second guess yourself. You know what you know! Your experience is your experience! This Queen also demands discipline regarding our own mental health. Because of the nature of sovereignty, they must patrol and maintain their own boundaries. So if you are engaging in behaviors that you know damn well cost you peace of mind (staying up til 2 AM on Twitter anyone?), Queen of Swords can come along to ask that you shore up those boundaries to keep order within their realm.

*I use they/them pronouns for all court cards, because gender is a construct!