Seven of Swords Tarot Card Meaning

UPRIGHT

betrayal, insolence, unwise attempt, false hope

REVERSED

counsel, helpful advice, instruction

Visual Description of the Seven of Swords:

Similar to the Five of Swords, the Seven of Swords shows a man stealing swords. He takes five from a military encampment, leaving two behind. Unlike the Five of Swords, in this card the swords that are left behind are standing upright, indicating that they were still in use and not discarded on the battlefield. The man is smug in his cheeky attempt to sabotage the army, but he is leaving the trained soldiers some weapons which they will surely use against him.

Divinatory Meaning of the Seven of Swords:

Upright Meaning of the Seven of Swords Tarot Card:

The querent is being unwise in their actions. They think they are gaining, but they have left a lot of room for error. As a result they have a false hope that things will turn out for the best. In reality they have betrayed not only themselves, but those they have wronged and their insolence won’t pay off in the long run.

“You might think you’ve done the right thing and that everything is set for the future, but by being greedy and sneaky you haven’t thought your plan through carefully enough. You overlooked some crucial factors and those are exactly what will betray you. Sure, when you were coming up with the idea you thought nothing could go wrong, and you might still be clinging to this hope. Unfortunately, things aren’t going to turn out that way.

In order to save yourself from complete disaster you need to re-strategize. Was the original plan not a bit too easy..? Did you think it would be like stealing candy from a baby…? In reality the situation is not that simple and you may just have kicked a hornets’ nest so be prepared.”

There is still a small chance that the querent can save the situation if they act fast and with more wisdom than in their previous attempt. Although they should strategize quickly they must ensure they do an efficient job of it.

Reversed Meaning of the Seven of Swords Tarot Card:

Reversed the Seven of Swords shows the better qualities of this situation. Instead of blundering ahead on their own the querent is searching for advice from external sources. This will help them to avoid an unwise decision and to set their hopes on an improbable outcome.

“You are making a wise choice by going to others for guidance or help in a situation you’re not quite comfortable handling on your own. It’s better to get different perspectives about this and follow some good sound advice. You can always decide whether it’s in your best interest to follow the advice you’re getting, but rather have it and not need it than be left wanting.

You may even be wondering if you should ask for advice. The answer is, even if you don’t think you need it, rather get some input into your problem and see what doors open to you. Saying no to some well chosen words at this stage will only work out to your detriment.”

If the querent is struggling with a problem and looking for help the person who will offer them help will make themselves known soon. This may be an older person or someone who understands the problem the querent has and has solved it in their own experince. On the other hand the querent needs to remember not to be too stubborn when taking advice from others, but at the same time following advice from others blindly is also not in their best interest.