Alright, let’s talk about the Seven of Swords. For the longest time, whenever this card popped up in a reading, either for me or someone else, my gut reaction was always a bit negative. You know, the sneaky guy, theft, deception – that kind of stuff. It just looked shifty, didn’t it? Those swords he’s carrying off, leaving some behind… it felt like bad news bears.
So, my first step was always just acknowledging that initial “uh oh” feeling. But sticking with just that didn’t feel right after a while. Tarot’s usually more nuanced than just “good card, bad card”. I started really looking at it during my daily draws and practice readings. I’d pull it, sit with it, and try to think beyond the obvious.
I remember pulling it for myself when I was in a work situation that was getting really draining. Not exactly toxic, but just… soul-crushing. I wasn’t planning on staging some big dramatic exit or confronting anyone. My plan was more about quietly finding something new, getting my ducks in a row, and then just slipping away without a fuss. When the Seven of Swords showed up then, it clicked differently. It wasn’t about hurting anyone; it felt more like strategy, like needing to handle things solo and maybe keep my plans close to my chest for a bit. It felt like that idea of saving yourself, you know? Sometimes you gotta look out for number one, and it doesn’t have to be malicious.
Digging Deeper Than Just ‘Sneaky’
That experience got me thinking. I started noticing it in readings for others, too. Sometimes, yeah, it pointed to outright dishonesty or someone trying to get away with something. Can’t deny that face of the card. But other times, it was more subtle:
- Thinking you can handle everything alone when you should probably ask for help.
- Trying to avoid a difficult conversation or situation instead of facing it.
- Mental gymnastics – trying to outsmart a problem instead of dealing with it directly.
- Impending burnout because someone’s trying to juggle too much secretly.
It became less about literal theft and more about mental states, strategies (good or bad), and sometimes just plain avoidance. It’s like trying to carry too many things at once and hoping nobody notices you might drop them.
And then there’s the reversed meaning. I didn’t pay much attention to reversals at first, kept things simple. But eventually, I started looking into them. The online stuff, like seeing it as a chance to come clean after dishonesty, kind of resonated. I saw it come up reversed once when someone was agonizing over whether to confess something they’d lied about in their relationship. The card showing up felt like a nudge, suggesting that maybe putting the swords down, facing the music, was the way forward. It pointed towards a chance for things to heal, even if it was tough.
So, my practice with this card went from seeing a simple “bad guy” to understanding a whole spectrum of actions and motivations. It’s about strategy, sometimes necessary secrecy for self-preservation, sometimes harmful deceit, sometimes avoidance, and sometimes, when reversed, the difficult path of owning up to things. It’s definitely one of those cards that keeps you on your toes and reminds you to look at the whole picture, not just the initial dodgy vibe.
