The way I see the court cards is that they are first and foremost an aspect of our own personalities. The Pages represent the personality we manifest under stress, the "child" that comes out when we are emotionally upset. This aspect of our personality is generally not very constructive or appropriate to the current situation - it often produces the behaviour that we regret later. But we learned it early and it is instinctive. We pout, we have a tantrum - whatever strategy "worked" when we were small children.

The Page of Pentacles is the overly serious child who felt responsible for things that weren't their concern, who tried to put things right before they were ready to be fixed - or aren't amenable to fixing. This child feels inadequate and out of their depth. They are overly serious and will find it hard to see any humour in the situation.

The Page of Cups is the emotional child, the one who tries throwing a tantrum or pouting and sulking to get their own way. They project neediness and are often overly sensitive to their own feelings while overlooking the effect they have on others.

The Page of Swords is the sneaky child, the one who plays one person off against another, and who tells "white lies" in order to manipulate the situation to best advantage. They don't volunteer information, and may snoop or pry to elicit information.

The Page of Wands is the fiery child, who loses their temper very readily, and may want to put things right long before the other party is ready to forgive and forget. Because they don't hold grudges, they are often dismayed to find that their angry words, spoken in haste, are remembered long after the original fight. They may also project on to the conflict things that weren't actaully said or done, since they have a vivid imagination.


It is important to acknowledge these personae, but not to act upon them, as they aren't the qualities of the Higher Self. They are not our adult selves, they are the selves that get us into trouble under the stress of strong emotions.