As a reminder, the suit of swords is driven by masculineenergy and channels the power of the intellect and mind, including all the concepts, knowledge, and beliefs that it holds. Scholars and academics have connected the suit of swords to the classical element of air, and most of the cards from that suit embody the symbolic attributes of this element, one way or another.
The Seven of Swords Tarot Card Keywords
Upright: taking value elsewhere, moving skills and knowledge to a better situation
Reversed: cunning, theft, deception, dishonesty, and stealth
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Modern Representations
If the Seven of Swords were an animal, it would be a fox. Imbued with energy of cunning, stealth, and survival tactics, the meaning of this minor arcana card definitely communicates self-preservation. As a consequence, when drawing this card within a tarot spread or reading, it is rather important to determine whether the Querent or subject of the tarot reading will be the one taking the swords, which are his to a better buyer, or if they are being stolen?!
The Mythic Tarot (1986/2008)
The Haindl Tarot (1990)
Osho Zen Tarot (1995)
Law of Attraction Tarot (2011)
Spellcaster Tarot (2016)
Ostara Tarot (2017)
Upright Seven of Swords Meaning
The main character in the Seven of Swords tarot card (in the Rider-Waite deck and most derivatives) sneaks away hurriedly from a camp. He carries five swords in his hand. Two more swords lie planted on the ground next to him.
He presumably steals these swords from the nearby camp. He looks over his shoulder to check if anyone sees him.
The core meaning of the Seven of Swords is not necessarily negative, though it can be amoral. In modern readings, the action can represent taking one’s knowledge and skills elsewhere to be valued and appreciated properly.
Traditionally, the action shown in the card may involve betrayal by colleagues or friends quite unexpectedly. In the long run, such a revelation, while painful at the moment, may prove beneficial because you see someone for who they truly are.
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A more neutral and less morally ambiguous reading of the Seven of Swords might be that of making plans to overcome adversity through cunning instead of brute force or military might, using mind over matter to overcome unfavorable odds.
In a Question about Love and Relationship
You might prefer not to see the Seven of Swords in any reading, especially one about love. It can represent deceit but also the need to leave and seek a new relationship. This does not require betrayal. You can admit or accept that you do not love each other the same way anymore.
An affair is the most common lie. However, the Seven of Swords covers more than just dishonesty. If a third party is involved, someone might be sowing discord in the relationship. They could do this by spreading lies about one person to the other.
In a Question about Career and Work
Career encompasses school and education if that is your current stage. It includes work that is necessary but not part of your career path, as well as your actual career path. Regardless of your current stage, the Seven of Swords represents taking your knowledge and skills somewhere they will be valued.
If you are a student, this card represents a need to change schools or look for a new advisor in your field. Your study efforts are not getting the recognition and appreciation you deserve. It is time to take your interests elsewhere.
If you are doing necessary work that is not a career, brush up your resume and test the market. You may discover you are worth much more than you are currently getting paid. Look beyond your current situation.
If you are in your career, the Seven of Swords represents a need to look for new clients and new vistas for your expertise or products. Consider moving into new markets outside your normal territory. You may realize that your business needs a bigger audience. This requires you to “pick up your swords” and leave your current circumstances.
A reversed Seven of Swords in a tarot reading tends to deal with the more deceptive aspects of the card’s meaning. It is both a warning and a lesson in humility, when the betrayer is betrayed, and when a cunning plan fails because the other party has outwitted the perpetrator.
On a more personal level, a reversed Seven of Swords could represent someone deliberately keeping secrets from someone they care for, usually with subsequent negative consequences for that person.
If the act of thievery (or any other action that might break the law) was literal, drawing a reversed Seven of Swords might represent getting caught by the authorities and having to deal with the (usually unpleasant) consequences.
In a Question about Love and Relationship
Reversed, this card indicates that some form of betrayal may be afoot. You may, in fact, be the betrayer. Instead of acting above board, reversed this card indicates the keeping of secrets or making plans “in the shadows” because you or the other person is not actually happy in the relationship.
When this card appears reversed in a question about school, work, or career, then you should take a much closer look at what you have been promised and what is actually delivered. Reversed, this card indicates deception, falsification, and embezzling. You might want to do an audit of your company, look at all the salaries in and around your job, or see if your professors are inflating or suppressing grades for personal or professional gain that does not reflect fairness or merit.
