Seven of Swords Keywords: Deception, Trickery, Impulsiveness

Seven of Swords Tarot Card Description

A very well-dressed man slinks away from a camp of brightly coloured tents carrying five swords in his arms. He looks back over his left shoulder at the camp, seeming to check if he has been noticed. Two more swords are standing upright in the ground. In the distance we see a small group of people surrounded by smoke. They seem to be engaged in a battle in the distance. Despite the battle, the tents are open and peaceful, and there seems to be no-one about. Bright yellow dominates the whole card.

What the Seven of Swords Means in a Tarot Reading

Fittingly, the Seven of Swords looks like a deceptively simple card to interpret when we first see it. However, it has many layers of meaning and your interpretation will rely heavily on the context of the question asked, your intuition, and the meanings you ascribe to the surrounding cards.

Are you taking something that isn’t yours to take? Or perhaps someone is taking something from you? Deceitful behaviour and trickery surround you when the Seven of Swords appears in a reading. There’s a feeling from the card that this deceit isn’t terribly serious, however. There’s a certain sense of light-heartedness here, but nonetheless you’re trying to get away with something that you know you ought not to do. Or perhaps you’re the victim of this behaviour, in which case you need to stay alert and observe closely what’s happening around you.

You may have done something you’re not proud of and now you’re trying to distance yourself from it. This can also be impulsive behaviour with little regard for consequences.

There’s also a sense here of thinking on your feet and of spontaneity. This can often be a good thing, but again the consequences of your actions haven’t been considered. This can lead to what Waite calls a ‘plan that may fail’, and to Case and Gray’s interpretation of the Seven of Swords as ‘partial success’.

There’s also a very strong sense from this card that you’re someone who doesn’t fit in. You’re not like the people around you. Perhaps you don’t fit in at work, or in school, or maybe you’re the black sheep of your family. You feel different, you know you’re different, and you’ve decided to do things your own way. You don’t want to follow the crowd and you’re pretty sure they don’t notice you anyway.

Being a Swords card means that the Seven of Swords can sometimes relate to words and communication. You may use clever words to get what you want. Watch out also for other people’s clever turn of words. What are they trying to convince you of? Do your own research before you commit to anything.

Remember, if you are caught up in something that you’re doubtful about, or you’re involved in something deceitful, it isn’t too late to change your mind. The outcome isn’t certain and there’s nothing to stop you changing course. What is likely, however, is that if you remain committed to this path of the Seven of Swords, the outcome won’t be all that you hope for.

Seven of Swords Love and Relationships Tarot Meaning

Again, lies and deception are in the air when the Seven of Swords comes up. Are you being honest and upfront with your partner or have you something to hide? Or maybe your partner is hiding something from you. Do you and your partner really know each other?

Maybe everything is fine, but you just can’t help feeling suspicious of your partner. Suspicions and accusations quickly ruin a relationship, so it’s important that this is dealt with quickly.

Perhaps your relationship has led to you being ostracized by friends and family. This is something you’ll need to unpack for yourself. How important is this relationship to you? Are you being true to yourself? Is there some truth to the suspicions that your friends and family may have about your partner or are their opinions really just prejudices and biases. These are difficult questions to answer truthfully. Your family and friends may truly believe that they’re acting in your best interests even when they’re not. On the other hand, it’s worth considering carefully whether they might actually be right on this occasion. Take your time reaching conclusions about all of this.

Seven of Swords Career Tarot Meaning

Individuality and originality will be important in your career. It may be that you take a different path to your peers and colleagues, and that this will lead to successful outcomes for you. You should be aware, however, that any shortcuts you take will possibly only lead you to limited success.

Or perhaps you feel like an outsider in your workplace; like you just don’t fit in.

And, of course, all of the other card meanings also apply in a career reading. Perhaps someone is in your workplace is being deceitful; maybe taking credit for work they haven’t done. Or could this be you perhaps? The thing to bear in mind is that you need to be aware and watchful when the Seven of Swords appears in a reading.