This article continues my series on the Court Cards. For some background information on this series, see "Court Cards, Part I: The Kings of Tarot" and "Court Cards, Part II: The Queens of Tarot."

For this series, we are looking at the Court Cards as representing other people involved in the situation that the querent is asking about. Knights are known for focused action that generally gets results but may be oblivious to anything else going on around them.

When a Knight appears in a reading, it is a good indicator that someone will take swift and decisive action that will impact the situation.

Committed to completing whatever quest they seek or to fulfill whatever vow they've made, the Knights rush about seeing only what concerns them directly. Although their goal that may or may not have anything to do with the querent's situation, the Knight's action will affect it somehow and may even wreak havoc in the situation. They can be unpredictable, extreme, and chaotic. Keep an eye on them!

The best way to keep a Knight from running around and potentially causing problems is to get their attention focused on something productive. Knights can, in the right circumstances, have a powerful positive affect on a situation. However, it is not easy to capture a Knight's attention and refocus his energy. But if you understand what motivates him, you stand a good chance of enlisting his support. Get him interested in your cause and you will have a commanding champion in your corner.

Each Knight brings his own unique personality, motivations, and faults to any situation.

Knight of Wands
The Knight of Wands is someone whose actions in this situation are fired by his will. He has something very specific he wants to achieve; he very much wants to have his way and will stop at nothing to get it. The Knight is all hepped up and passionate about something and may heedlessly run roughshod over anyone in his way. If his will is in sync with the querent's, he will be a helpful influence. If not, the querent could get run over. Such intensity is often not maintained for very long, so it may be possible to just ride out this burst of energy, if it cannot be enlisted in the querent's favor.

Knight of Cups
The Knight of Cups is someone whose current actions in this situation are motivated by emotion. His heart is focused on something, such as a vision, a quest, a creation, or a relationship. In this case, he is absolutely compelled to follow his heart to the exclusion of all else, for good or ill. At this point, he considers nothing else; all that matters is his presumed love, reconciliation, poetry, art, or dream and he moves through life as if mesmerized. It will be very difficult to turn this Knight's attention from his current pursuit.

Knight of Swords
The Knight of Swords is someone whose actions in this situation are motivated by the commitment to an idea or a way of thinking. This person believes very strongly that his idea, decision, or belief system is the right one. He will use his skill with language and communication to do all he can to further his ideal. His weapons are logic, rational arguments, and evidence. He is prepared to use them to destroy any opposition. If he lacks a larger plan or strategy or goal, he will likely flail about dangerously. However, if you can catch his attention and get him focused on something, he will prove invaluable.

Knight of Pentacles
The Knight of Pentacles is someone whose actions are motivated by resources, finances, or the material world. Whatever he does is meant to further that goal. In this area, timing can be everything, so he watches for just the right moment. He knows it's not just what you have and how you use it, but when you use it. He has the stamina and patience for the long haul. Although sometimes appearing passive or even weak, he is anything but. Alert and smart, he knows the value of active observing. When the time is right, he will make his move and rarely takes a misstep. Of all the Knights, he is the most reliable for a long-term project.

In Part 1 of the series, we took a look at the Kings of the Tarot.

In Part 2 we took a look at the Queens of the Tarot.

In Part 4 of this series, we'll take a look at the Pages of Tarot.