Seven of Wands

Seven of Wands - Tarot Card Description

A man stands on top of a hill battling six wands below him.

Seven of Wands - Tarot Card Meanings

The Seven of Wands, like the Five, again presents a struggle after the initial experience of satisfaction and fulfillment. In this case, the character in the card stands at the top of a hill and is challenged from below by opponents seeking to achieve the success and status of the victor. In a sense, this "King of the hill" game is part of the game of life; the creative, successful individual must continually struggle to maintain his or her position at the "top." If your vision and creative effort is fulfilled to the point where there is public acclaim or acceptance of your success then you must expect competition and challenge, for others may also desire the same things as you.

This card indicates a challenge which may appear to put a block before the continued success of a venture or creative effort, but which can be overcome by confidence and continual self-improvement. The challenge may again be from within or without, yet regardless of the source, it can be overcome with effort and clarity of purpose.

Courage. You need to know what courage really means. Go forward in spite of your fears. Defend the things you love. Do not compromise your position. You may need to go it alone. Come out from behind your defenses and act.

Determination, stand by what you value, face up to situation, work problems one by one, defend yourself. Defiance, time of adversity. Stand your ground, do not give in. Be stubborn. The exhilaration of defending yourself. Expect to win, and probably will. Need to feel the adrenaline.

Now the Sevens are all about attaining higher wisdom-through a process of testing, internal examination, and choice. You will find a challenge in each of these cards-and you will need to use different techniques to meet and overcome that challenge. Remember-each card in the Tarot talks about, among other things, a process. Taken together, these processes describe the ways in which we conduct our lives, constructively and destructively.

The Seven of Wands is all about struggle. It's about standing up for who we are and what we are. In a sense, this is one of the "boundary" cards, because, when you see it, you know that things have reached a point beyond which you do not want to go. Negotiation is over, here. In order to maintain your personal integrity, you are going to have to be firm. If you're lucky, you can just be firm quietly, and those around you will respect your stance. If not, though, you might have to "fight" for what you believe or want or need. This can take several forms, of course, from a firm statement to an all-out "war." But what is at stake is your own self-image. We all have a line beyond which we will not go, and this is it.

On the negative side, this card can manifest in one of two ways. It can indicate an unwillingness to stand up for yourself. The eternal martyr can be found here. But it can also indicate bickering. At its worst, it is one of the most confrontational cards in the deck-because the energy that drives it is pure unadulterated childish ego. Fighting just to fight. It's the person who wakes up angry and gets worse.

If you're doing a relationship spread, you don't want to see this card with the Three of Swords. I can almost guarantee you that this combination indicates discord of the worst kind. See, the Three of Swords can indicate expressing thoughts which are based on a misunderstanding. And it can indicate quarrelling.

Back to the positive. If you are willing to sometimes draw your line in the sand, and say "This is who I am, this is what I require." Then you will only have to do it once-and if you are ever driven to that point, you will know something very valuable about yourself.

Ability to hold ones own against diversity. Stiff competition. Victory depends on energy and courage. The querent has the position of advantage.

The Seven of Wands means that, though there may be obstacles opposing your interests, you will have success. No challenge will be strong enough to hinder the advancement of you or your ideas. Want a clear cut direction or 'yes' or 'no' answer and/or a commitment on the part of another. You will get more satisfaction through self-improvement than in trying to change external conditions.

This card is about being caught unprepared. You are feeling shaken and vulnerable. You have the feelings of falling behind, and not being up to the challenge. Perhaps you want to cave in and give up the fight. This card shows a lack of confidence, courage, and conviction. You are feeling threatened, and have become easily manipulated and taken advantage of.

This card describes a situation in which you fail to defend your position due to a lack of willpower. You are feeling outnumbered, victimized and helpless.

Seven of Wands - Reversed Tarot Card Meanings

Threat will pass you by. Don't let others take advantage of you. Patience in the face of threats. Querent may be threatened.