Seven of Swords Tarot Card Meaning
Six of Swords |
Seven of Swords |
Eight of Swords |
General Meaning
The Seven of Swords card represents cunning and intrigue. It suggests that either you are using these qualities to achieve your goals, or someone else is being deceitful towards you, causing harm and plotting something unfavorable.
Card Motto
Danger awaits on the straight road — why not take a detour instead?
by Marta Winter
Core Card Meanings Seven of Swords
Description and Symbols of the Card Seven of Swords
This Tarot card depicts the scene of a thief or spy skillfully stealing swords from a military camp. The thief sneaks away with their loot, wearing a sly grin—mission accomplished! In the background of the Seven of Swords, tents can be seen, and the area is deserted, indicating that the cunning figure has managed to escape unnoticed.
Meaning in Upright Position
In a Tarot spread, the Seven of Swords can be interpreted both as a warning to be cautious of deception and as advice to employ clever strategies in your affairs without revealing all your cards.
When the Seven of Swords appears upright, it often suggests that there may be a secret adversary in your circle, someone who is plotting against you, spreading rumors, weaving intrigues, and causing mischief. Or could it be a thief eyeing your belongings? Your task is to identify this person, expose them, and protect your home, money, and possessions.
Additionally, the Seven of Swords may appear when you need advice about your own behavior. Could you be too straightforward? In this case, the card recommends using cunning and diplomacy instead of a direct approach. Adapt to circumstances and outwit your opponents.
However, it's important not to overdo it or stoop to outright deceit. Engaging in dishonest tactics or shady dealings to achieve your goals can lead to a tarnished reputation—often a path to disgrace and downfall.
Key Meanings of the Upright Seven of Swords
- Deception, falsehood, betrayal, cowardice, lack of courage, hypocrisy, desire to profit at others' expense.
- A secret adversary, enemy, dishonest person.
- Illegal actions, theft, fraud.
- Cleverness, a sharp mind, indirect maneuvering, diplomacy, hidden information, ambiguity.
- Obstacles in business, complications, unforeseen circumstances.
- Gossip, negligence, slander, arrogance, infidelity, broken trust.
Reversed Position
The reversed Tarot card, Seven of Swords, suggests that you may face difficulties and obstacles due to a lack of information, deceit, and gossip. However, you handle them skillfully, preventing any significant harm.
Continue to exercise caution and avoid trusting unverified rumors. Steer clear of open conflicts and confrontations. When signing documents, check every detail carefully — the Seven of Swords card indicates a high risk of deception. If needed, consult an experienced lawyer. Don't leave your back unprotected; stay alert!
Another interpretation of the reversed Seven of Swords is the return of what was lost, vindication, rehabilitation, and restoration of reputation and good name. If you've been unfairly judged, suffered from slander or malicious plots, or lost property due to fraud, the reversed Seven of Swords promises a restoration of trust and justice, with the return of all that was lost.
Key Meanings of the Reversed Seven of Swords Card
- Caution, thoughtful actions, foresight.
- Return of debts or stolen property, triumph of justice.
- Good advice, protection, security, support.
- Vindication, restoration of reputation and trust.
Meaning in Love Readings
In love readings, the upright Seven of Swords card suggests deceit, cunning, and some insincerity in relationships. However, this doesn't just point to dishonesty or infidelity within a couple. It can also indicate the tricks a lover might use to win over the object of their affection.
So why not take a moment to assess your strengths and weaknesses and come up with a few strategies for charming and captivating that seemingly unattainable "opponent"? It's a perfect time for a brief yet intense romance built on communication and shared interests.
When reversed, the meaning of the card shifts to its opposite, indicating that achieving your desires through cunning is not possible.
When Asking About a Suitor or Loved One
In a reading about a suitor or partner, the upright card indicates that your chosen one is a true heart-stealer! When interacting with the opposite sex, they are charming, skillful, adventurous, and capable of taking the most unexpected, even risky, actions!
The reversed card suggests that in love, your chosen one is a person of honor. They play by the rules and sometimes suffer from the actions of more cunning and agile rivals.
Reading for Money, Career
In business readings, the Seven of Swords suggests crafting a clever plan to achieve success. Direct and honest methods might not be effective right now, so you may need to rely on strategy and persuasion to win over colleagues or management, secure a higher position, or achieve significant profits.
Cunning, agility, resourcefulness, and sharp wit will help you navigate challenges and reach success. There might be a lot of hustle and work-related stress, but with the right approach, a rewarding outcome awaits you.
When reversed, the card's meaning shifts to indicate the exposure of deceitful actions and the possibility of avoiding fraud.
Reading for a Person
When drawing the Seven of Swords in an upright position, it often represents a person with unique moral standards. They prefer taking indirect routes and are willing to compromise certain principles to ultimately achieve their goals.
In a reversed position, this card signifies someone who is clever and adventurous, with a knack for navigating complex situations. They are adept at strategizing and taking preemptive actions.
Reading for Advice
In its upright position, the card advises you to stay vigilant: you might have to face hidden forces, intrigues, or secret adversaries.
When appearing reversed in a spread, the card encourages you to dare a clever strategy that will let you tackle multiple challenges at once. Remember, when you can't push straight through, there are often secret paths around obstacles.
Reading for Outcome
If the card appears upright, the forecast for your situation is uncertain. You might face obstacles in the form of gossip, intrigue, and cunning maneuvers by adversaries.
In the reversed position, the outlook for your situation is quite favorable. You can achieve your goals by employing unconventional and clever strategies.
Meanings In Combination with All Tarot Cards
Major Arcana Combinations
With 0 card, The Fool – A sharp-tongued trickster, a freeloader, a lover of easy profits.
With 1 card, The Magician — Cunning in affairs, politics, shirking from work, easy money.
With 2 card, The High Priestess — Crafty scheme, virtuoso strategy, anticipation of substantial profits.
In combination with 3 card, The Empress — Feminine guile, the art of deception, malicious gossip.
With 4 card, The Emperor — Shrewd consultant, profitable plan, brief chance to strike it rich.
With 5 card, The Hierophant — Stealing someone's idea, outsmarting a competitor, benefitting from a high position.
With 6 card, The Lovers — Successful maneuver based on hidden information, promising direction, concealed profits.
With 7 card, The Chariot — Additional opportunities, profiting through acquaintances, useful information.
With 8 card, Strength — Forced departure or move, calculating profits or losses, accidentally learning useful information.
With 9 card, The Hermit — Ability to claim what's yours, those wishing to piggyback on success, hangers-on.
With 10 card, Wheel of Fortune — Unexpected profit, clever trick, pulling the wool over someone's eyes.
With 11 card, Justice — Uncertain about what action to take, loophole in the law, ambiguous interpretation.
With 12 card, The Hanged Man — Loss of profitability, bankruptcy or significant financial loss, living on the bare minimum.
With 13 card, Death — Expectations not meeting reality, going into hiding, scandal for unseemly reasons.
With 14 card, Temperance — Everyone staying in their own lane, termination of contract or separation, being deceived about a lover's intentions.
With 15 card, The Devil — Unfulfilled hopes, vain efforts, always the last to know.
With 16 card, The Tower — Complete disillusionment, looting, someone profiting from misfortune.
With 17 card, The Star — Accidental success, false guidance, unreliable information.
With 18 card, The Moon — Danger of being caught, being in the know, complex machinations.
With 19 card, The Sun — Bad reputation, inappropriate boasting or bravado, exaggerating one's merits.
With 20 card, Judgment — False accusation or planted evidence, tampering with facts, the guise of a swindler.
With 21 card, The World — Managing to escape trouble, avoiding conflict or disputes, sticking to one's guns.
Wands Suit Combinations
With the Ace of Wands - Secrecy, advancing by any means, complex nature, unscrupulousness.
With the Two of Wands - A fallback option, a backup plan, taking precautions just in case.
With the Three of Wands - A clever approach, concealing the whole truth, petty deceit, making a deal with one's conscience.
With the Four of Wands - Worldly cunning, obtaining privileges or subsidies, manipulation with property or theft.
With the Five of Wands - A circumventive maneuver, a diplomatic approach, manipulating opponents.
With the Six of Wands - A devious path, involvement in borderline criminal business, a cunning move.
With the Seven of Wands - Changing opinions or positions, fading into the background, eluding capture.
With the Eight of Wands - Being crafty, plotting a scam, deceit or falsehood.
With the Nine of Wands - Suspecting a trick, exposing fraudsters, hidden awareness or a habit of keeping one's lips sealed.
With the Ten of Wands - A guilty conscience, the burden of guilt, profiting from others' misfortunes.
With the Page of Wands - A guilty conscience, the burden of guilt, profiting from others' misfortunes.
With the Knight of Wands - Quick thinking, creativity, seeking alternative paths or loopholes.
With the Queen of Wands - Discovering unexpected advantages, inventiveness, talent for dubious schemes.
With the King of Wands - Unlawful methods, useful experience or knowledge, a leverage for pressure.
Swords Suit Combinations
The Ace of Swords — Stealing others' ideas, learning from others' experiences, cleverness, and manipulation.
The Two of Swords — Deftly avoiding conflicts, ignoring something or someone, making empty promises.
The Three of Swords — Betrayal or facing betrayal, skillful justifications for unpleasant behavior, making light of a situation or creating a believable story.
The Four of Swords — Pretending to be calm and confident, wearing a mask or acting illogically to deceive others, having a hidden agenda.
The Five of Swords — Outsmarting and shifting blame onto others, benefiting from others' losses, working on one's own agenda and staying unnoticed.
The Six of Swords — A deceptive maneuver, using deception as a cover, going away for a while or pretending.
The Eight of Swords — Self-assurance, seeking justifications, suppressing conscience, trapping oneself, frustration.
The Nine of Swords — Concealing emotions, a mask of indifference, not trusting others, hiding from loved ones.
The Ten of Swords — Outplaying a formidable enemy, a long-planned action succeeded, eliminating a competitor, a fake bankruptcy or complaints about a hard life.
The Page of Swords — Gathering information, secret connections, an informant or a planted spy, working in the shadows.
The Knight of Swords — A planned, bold action, a treacherous attack, a strike from an unexpected direction, it's not what it seems.
The Queen of Swords — Moral degradation, hypocrisy, and flattery, using power for personal interests.
The King of Swords — Corruption, using compromising material, illegal activities, or a charismatic outlaw.
Seven of Swords and Swords Suit Combinations
The Ace of Cups — Concealing feelings or intentions, hidden meanings, playing games with love or relationships, valuing convenience over attachment.
The Two of Cups — Broken promises, lack of sincerity, hypocrisy, or a marriage of convenience.
The Three of Cups — Hidden interests, using friends for personal gain, beneficial connections and alternative paths.
The Four of Cups — Rejecting a shameful proposal, being principled, idealism, and non-acceptance of established norms.
The Five of Cups — Getting less than expected, falling for deception or fraud, conscience causing unrest.
The Six of Cups — Materialism in perceiving the world, childhood complexes, feeling unloved during childhood.
The Seven of Cups — Sudden luck, gaining valuable knowledge, inventing an unusual scheme.
The Eight of Cups — Unscrupulousness, being the first to break off a relationship, caring for one's own benefit.
The Nine of Cups — Exploiting one's popularity, exaggerating or diminishing a problem, caring only about oneself and one's image.
The Ten of Cups — Taking advantage of trust for personal interests, relying on family reputation, obtaining useful information from loved ones.
The Page of Cups — Tempting work or earning schemes, deceitful proposals, attempting to use someone.
The Knight of Cups — An unfaithful admirer, a mercenary person, a liar, or a deceitful seducer.
The Queen of Cups — Envious of someone's free-spirited nature, taking advantage of others' emotions, gossiping or scheming.
The King of Cups — A clever trick, gaining more than expected, being able to play both sides.
Pentacles Suit Combinations
The Ace of Pentacles — Acquiring money or capital, a trophy, illegal business, or an illicit scheme for enrichment.
The Two of Pentacles — Concealing financial difficulties, a crafty manipulator or a player who takes advantage of trust, an extortionist.
The Three of Pentacles — Seizing a profitable business, bankrupting a young company, obstructing progress, encountering a dishonest person.
The Four of Pentacles — Theft, extortion, forgery, or following advice leading to loss of savings, squeezing out the last bit.
The Five of Pentacles — Illegal schemes involving property, black-market realtors, an unfair deal.
The Six of Pentacles — Deliberately downplaying one's wealth, hiding income, seeking assistance and compassion.
The Seven of Pentacles — Losing a significant sum, unwise investments, giving money to scammers.
The Eight of Pentacles — Innovating, inventiveness, production optimization, a talented individual.
The Nine of Pentacles — A swindler, skilled at confusing their interlocutor, a born manipulator.
The Ten of Pentacles — Appropriating family wealth, playing on family sentiments, deception within the family.
The Page of Pentacles — Exploiting the trust of loved ones, a clever scheme for obtaining education, buying diplomas or exam results, an unqualified employee.
The Knight of Pentacles — Taking advantage of others' efforts to become wealthy, organizational talent.
The Queen of Pentacles — Accumulating production resources, cunning schemes to increase profitability, not missing opportunities for personal gain.
The King of Pentacles — Grabbing a large piece of the pie, a highly profitable investment, acquiring real estate at a bargain price, a clever and wealthy man.
Example Interpretation In a Daily Spread
A Card Has Fallen for You Seven of Swords? This Signifies:
Today, circumstances may present you with the opportunity to act using less than honest and straightforward methods to achieve your goals. Bribery, cunning, intrigue, deceit, financial maneuvers, spreading rumors and gossip—today, all of these might prove effective and yield the desired outcome. However, the card of the day warns that the gain may come with a catch: in the future, it could irreparably damage your reputation. Is it worth taking such risks?