The 7s

In my opinion (I guess it should go without saying that it's my opinion--whose blog is this, anyway?), all the 7s in the Minor Arcana represent decision points.  In order to make decisions, we need to first be able to accurately assess our situation and the options available to us.  Thus, depending on context, there can be an aspect of reality vs. fantasy when the 7s come up, where you are called upon to be very self-analytical and honest with yourself.  Let's look at each of the 7s in detail.

The most common interpretation of the 7 of Swords is deception and even outright theft.  That used to confuse the heck out of me, because I would get it when there was no possible question of lying or thievery in the situation. For example, I knew I wasn't lying or stealing--no, not even to myself--and no one else was involved. I didn't get much help from the picture, either. In the Rider-Waite image, we have an awkward-looking guy carrying swords. In the background, tents on the one hand and some distant people on the other. It's not unreasonable to assume that he's tiptoeing off with everyone's swords while they are busy, looking over his shoulder to make sure of a clean getaway. But it's not the only possible interpretation. I mean, if he's looking over his shoulder, why are his eyes closed? Why is he leaving two swords behind?  While having my cards read by someone else, I noticed that she was interpreting this card as a surprise, and so in time I came around to the idea that this card can sometimes be a trickster, like Loki in the Norse sagas or Raven or Coyote in Native American folklore.  These characters cause chaos and disruption and are generally totally unpredictable, but they aren't evil per se.  But what if you had asked something like, "What should I do to avoid conflict with my boss?"  We can probably take it for granted that you shouldn't lie to or steal from the boss, that usually leads to more conflict.  Acting unpredictable would probably be equally unproductive.  But if we accept that this trickster isn't always what it first appears, we can consider other possibilities.  Since 7s in general put us in a decision-making situation, we must be making a decision about something governed by the Swords: thoughts, ideas, reason, challenges, information. I believe this card can force us to evaluate different sources of knowledge and decide which one is most accurate, which we are going to rely upon. And you can see how that could tie in with deception--because some sources of information won't be accurate, they will, in effect, deceive you without there being any need for some other person skulking around the situation trying to trick you. In fact, of all the 7s, I think the 7 of Swords best represents decision itself, because without rationally weighing what information is trustworthy, we can't make any of the decisions required by the other 7s.

The 7 of Cups shows us a surfeit of riches. Our cups, as it were, run over. These cups represent satisfaction and fulfillment; here we are presented with a variety of things we really want (or think we want), and occasionally we can have them all. But more often we have to choose among many desirable options. It is easy to become overwhelmed by all the choices, even paralyzed with uncertainty. An important point here is that the cups are all floating on a cloud, which shows that they are, as yet, immaterial.  They currently exist in the realm of imagination, inspiration, potential, and fantasy.  Accordingly, some Tarot readers see in this card illusion, delusion, or temptation and debauchery. I don't favor any of these readings. Imagining the reality you desire is the first step to manifesting it, and is a long way from illusion or delusion.  And there is nothing sinful or wrong about getting things you desire, it's all about why you desire them and what you do with them once you've got them.  But there's no question the 7 of Cups reminds us to be very conscious of what we are attracting into our reality and our awareness; if you don't see good things in your cups, you can choose to change that. 

In the 7 of Pentacles, one pauses for a moment to reflect on the action called for at this juncture. Practical action is the domain of the pentacles. The decision called for is a pragmatic one:  What you have been working toward is on the verge of readiness--should you harvest it now, or wait a while to let it ripen further? Act, or not act?  Remember that sometimes, not doing anything is a way of doing something.  There's no hurrying the harvest, but you must be ready for the moment of opportunity when it comes.  There can also be an element of looking back over the results of previous action taken, in order to better evaluate the present situation, and some interpreters very much favor this reading.  This meaning would be reinforced if one also received Judgement.

Finally, wands represent passions and values. In the 7 of Wands, you must decide what matters most to you, which usually comes rather spontaneously since this card represents the need to defend it. You've got to stand up for yourself and what you believe in. It is often when there is a threat to our self-image that we realize what really defines us, what really matters to us, and realize that we are ready and willing to fight for that.  As always with the 7s, you'll need to be observant and honest about how dangerous these perceived threats really are, and thus how fiercely you may have to fight.