Old in the ways of the world, connoisseur of passions and
secret appetites, he knows first-hand the addiction to love
and pleasure. Now, tempered by experience, he watches
without comment as others are consumed by their desires.
Intimate with the landscape of the heart, without fumbling
or mistakes, he occasionally seduces the inexperienced and
the weary. With a sure hand he guides them to his bed,
trading sophistication for comfort and delight. Knowing how
to love and care he remains inwardly detached, and only
slightly jealous of younger rivals.
Long a devotee and seeker after truth, he consults with
initiates. Patient and worldly, he counsels the ignorant.
The wise and the foolish alike speak well of him..
Generous and moody. Graceful and intimidating.
Subtle and restrained. A veil of calm conceals enduring intensity.
Imagery:
Symbols of Water: The water, the fish, the blue robe,
the lotus, and the wavy lines on the crown.
Symbols of Air: The ship in full sail, the turbulence
of the waves (driven by wind), the grey background
(a reference to the Qabalistic world of Yetzirah),
and the gold of the cloak (a reference to Consciousness
and thus to the Element of Air).
The King: Brings the power of the mind to matters
of the heart. A symbol of knowledge, experience and
sophistication. In the system of Qabalistic attributions
used in this Course, the King is the third member of
the holy family of Father, Mother and Son. This is
in line with the Christian attributions of Christ as
both King and the Son of God.
The Lotus: (on the arm and back of the throne,
on the scepter, and in the design of the crown)
It speaks of purity growing from contaminated or sullied
beginnings. An erotic symbol, it simultaneously suggests
feminine sexuality by the shape of its flower (the vulva)
and bi-sexuality or total sexuality by its combination of
long, stiff stalk with vulva-shaped flower. From Egypt to
China, from India and Tibet to Japan, the religion and
mysticism of the East regards the lotus as a prime symbol
of spiritual purity and perfection.
Fish: (in the background and on the King's pendant)
Symbol of the depths, of the unconscious. The fish is
also universally regarded as a symbol of fertility, and
as a denizen of the watery abyss that brings rain and flood,
regulating the cycles of agriculture. As a fertility symbol,
it was widely associated with sexuality in ancient civilizations.
Red: (in the King's cloak and on his crown)
Refers to the passionate nature of Cups.
Ear Flaps: The King's Cap of Maintenance --
also signifies intuition and psychic power as the sense of
hearing turned inward. Together with the King's direct
and intense gaze, it implies that little escapes his observation,
either inner or outer.
Stone Platform: Suggests that as King, his knowledge,
experience and authority are a steady foundation in the
