The Knight of Swords Yes or No: Yes, Fast, and Watch the Cost

Written by Chaya the Medium.

The Knight of Swords is a yes at a charge. Here is how I read it for yes or no questions, upright and reversed, and why the reversal is a no about aggression.

If you want the short answer, the Knight of Swords is a yes. In a yes or no draw the upright card says the thing you are asking about will move fast and decisively, and that direct, focused action is favoured. It is a sharp yes, and it is a yes that can cut people on the way through.

This is a card of yes as a charging horse with a blade out. The Knight will arrive. Whether anyone is glad to see him is the question.

Is the Knight of Swords a yes or a no?

Upright, I read the Knight of Swords as a yes. Reversed, I read it as a no. My free yes or no tarot draw uses the Major Arcana only, so if you want a quick draw, use that; these Minor Arcana values are the ones I apply when a full deck is in play.

Tina Gong's the Knight of Swords guide at Labyrinthos associates the upright card with ambition, drive, directness and fast action. Brigit Esselmont's yes or no tarot overview at Biddy Tarot notes that readers assign yes and no values differently, which is true, and it is why I state mine rather than pretend there is one correct table.

Why the upright card reads this way

I read the Knight of Swords as yes because the card is about pursuit with total focus: the galloping horse, the raised sword, the storm clouds he is riding straight through. When a question is about whether to act directly, whether a plan will be executed, whether speed will win, the Knight says yes.

The yes is to the action, not to its reception. The Knight of Swords gets there. He does not always notice what he rode over.

The Knight of Swords reversed as yes or no

Reversed, I read the Knight of Swords as a no. The reversal describes aggression, rashness, words that cut, or a charge with no plan behind it. The directness has become a weapon rather than a tool.

If you drew the Knight of Swords reversed, ask whether the action you are asking about would be decisive or merely forceful. The no is to force.

The Knight of Swords yes or no in a love question

In a love question, the Knight of Swords is a yes to saying what you want plainly, to the direct approach, to cutting through a situation that has gone on too long. It is a weak card for tenderness. Reversed, it is a no to the argument that is really a conquest, and to the partner whose honesty is a blade.

The Knight of Swords yes or no for work and money

For work and money, the Knight of Swords is a yes to the decisive move, the fast negotiation, the plan executed without delay. It is a good card for competitive situations. Reversed, it is a no to the aggressive email, the rash resignation, the deal pushed through over objections.

When a yes or no draw is the wrong tool

The Knight of Swords answers questions about decisive action. He is a poor card for questions about patience or feeling, which he answers by charging. A single card answers a single, well-formed question. If the question is really three questions, or is about another person's choices, a yes or no draw will give you a confident answer to the wrong thing. My guide to a one question psychic reading explains how I handle questions that need more than one card.

What to record before drawing again

Keep three short notes: the exact question you asked, what the direct action would be, and who would be in its path. The third note separates the upright yes from the reversed no.

For comparison, the Knight of Wands yes or no and the Chariot yes or no answer differently. The the Knight of Swords card meaning page covers the card in full, and the Knight of Swords as timing and the Knight of Swords as feelings cover the two other questions people most often ask of it. For a personal interpretation, my guide to an online psychic reading explains how readings work, and the three-card tarot listing and customer reviews are worth reading before deciding whether to order.