Tarot Talk
Time to head back to the Minor Arcana; let’s talk about the Seven of Wands this month. This card is similar in a lot of ways to the Nine of Wands (which we will discuss next month), but there are major differences as well. Before we begin to compare two cards, we must first get to know each card as an individual; let’s get started.
As stated above, the Seven of Wands is a Minor Arcana card, so we know right away that the message offered by this card will most likely be more immediate in nature, or will most likely be connected to more day-to-day issues. We should remember however that every message, no matter how insignificant or mundane on the surface, can also possibly be a symptom of a deeper or wider issue; nothing in the Minor Arcana is in any way minor in nature.
The image on the Seven of Wands can give us valuable information regarding the message of this card. The traditional image of the Seven of Wands shows a man holding a Wand across his body in an aggressive manner. This man is usually shown standing on top of a hill or a wall, and there are six Wands arranged below him, presumably held by six adversaries. The man appears strong and in good health, very much able to hold his position. He seems confident in his own judgment, and confident in his ability to maintain possession of the high place he is defending, even though he appears outnumbered.
The easiest way to get a decent understanding of a Minor Arcana card is to examine its number, or in the case of Court Cards, its rank, and to examine its suit. In this case, we are dealing with the number 7, and the suit of Wands. These two ingredients could actually give us enough information about this one card to offer a useful interpretation.
In the Tarot, the number 7 tells of that period of time when effort and growth are running out of gas, and degeneration or a period of ebbing is approaching. A perfect illustration of this concept is the way it looks when we toss a ball in a high arc; at first, the ball soars upward with power. Soon enough, the upward motion slows, then ceases, and the ball travels parallel to the ground for a bit. Then, inertia begins to affect the trajectory of the ball, and it begins its descent to the ground. The Tarot Seven cards describe possible effects during that period when the ball is traveling parallel to the ground; not enough power to continue growth, but enough to keep degeneration on the sidelines. Often, the Seven cards tell of some pause or assessment that happens as growth (created by the Motion of the Fives and the Harmony of the Sixes) begins to approach the end of its lifespan.
All of the Tarot Sevens offer this pause or slowing of activity. We have the pause to assess the readiness for harvest of the fruits of our labors (Pentacles), we have the pause that comes with a choice between many seemingly beautiful and desirable offerings, each fraught with hidden peril (Cups), and we have the pause that comes when our minds and our intellects perceive the approach of a change that we believe may not be beneficial (Swords). In the Seven of Wands, we have the realization of something achieved and the fortitude to stay with that achievement and defend it.
The suit of Wands corresponds with the playing card suit of Clubs, the cardinal direction of South, and the element of Fire. In its natural state, the element of Fire is hot and dry. It tends to bring spontaneous change or impulsive, energetic effects. Fire is passionate in nature, and transforms everything in our world. Fire can sanitize or cleanse, and it can destroy everything in its path; Fire can warm us and keep us safe, or it can kill us.
The cards of the suit of Wands teach us about Fiery attributes: creativity, ambition, growth, passion and actions, and how their presence or absence can affect our lives. The suit of Wands represents our ability to experience joy and passion (including sexual passion) and strong feelings and effects, and the Wands cards can represent our creativity, our ability to be artistic or to be drawn to beautiful things. Fire often represents Spirit or the Divine Will, and Wands cards also can present the possibility of some interaction with Spirit or the Divine.
Astrology is another available tool that can offer further information about our card. The Seven of Wands corresponds to Mars (action, spontaneity, aggression, drive) when it is in the sign of Leo (“I am,” passionate, dramatic, natural leader, egotistical, selfish).
Mars is the Roman god of war and bloodshed whose traditional symbols are the spear (or Wand) and the shield. The planet Mars orbits the Sun in 687 days, spending about 57.25 days in each sign of the zodiac. It is also the first planet that orbits outside of Earth’s orbit, making it the first planet that does not set along with the Sun. Astrologically, Mars is associated with confidence and self-assertion, aggression, sexuality, energy, strength, ambition and impulsiveness. Mars governs sports, competitions and physical activities in general. In medicine, Mars presides over the genitals, the muscular system, the gonads and adrenal glands, and was associated with fever, accidents, trauma, pain and surgery.
The Sun sign of Leo is connected with the Lion, the king of the jungle, our Sun, the center of our solar system, and the element of Fire; it is a fixed sign. In Astrology, Fixed Signs are associated with stabilization, determination, depth and persistence. This means that Leos are powerful and willful in all they do, often achieving more than expected. Of course, they can also be inflexible, rigid, stubborn, opinionated and single-minded.
The planet Mars when it is located in the sun sign of Leo brings to us a drive for significance. These energies manifest a strong need to create in some way, and to live a life that not only has meaning, but significant meaning! When Mars is in Leo, passions run high, and so do desire and staying power. Though risk-taking may be alluring, at the end of the day a strong sense of reason will most likely prevail. Ambitions will be well-defined, and actions will be infused with authority and power. Add some personal magnetism to the mix, and our goals will be achieved.
The negative side of Mars in Leo is an inability to deal with small-mindedness or disloyalty. This might be a time when it is easy to get fired up when we feel humiliated, or to defend high principles with passion, perhaps a bit too much passion or passion set fire in an impulsive manner. The ego is usually laced into these situations too, along with self-righteousness, pride, and irritability.
The Tree of Life offers us further insight into the Seven of Wands. All of the Sevens of the Tarot Minor Arcana correspond with the Sephira of Netzach (which means “Victory”). Netzach is the seventh Sephira, at the bottom of the Pillar of Force (the masculine side of the Tree). When you think about the concept of Victory, you will realize that it tends to bring a bit of inertia into the picture. Often, when we succeed (or think that we have succeeded), we cease focusing on the reason for the conflict and focus instead on maintaining the status quo.
To me, the Seven of Wands shows us what happens when we are exposed to situations that are competitive. In order to win the day, we must feel confident in our ability to judge a situation and allow our enthusiasm to fuel our actions. We must choose our stance carefully and then own that stance, and stick to that stance until the end. We must be brave and determined and creative, and maybe even willing to take a calculated risk in order to succeed. We must also be willing to defend our position against all who would doubt us or distract us.
This card tells us that after some assessment, we have chosen what is right for us and we are confident enough in that choice to defend it. We are passionate about what we’ve chosen to own and defend, and not only will we keep control using every means available to us but we will get great enjoyment out of outwitting our opponents in order to stay in control.
The Seven of Wands tells us that we have the skills and abilities necessary to be victorious; we are able to keep our eyes on multiple distractions and pressures with ease and still remain in control. We understand that the competition at hand allows us the opportunity to test our staying power and our ability to function effectively under pressure. The image on the Shadowscapes Tarot Seven of Wands illustrates this perfectly! It shows a vixen defending her kits from a predator, taking a stand in which she believes strongly, and protecting her young, the next generation, from danger.
When the Seven of Wands is reversed, a warning is being presented. Are we perhaps taking a stand in a no-win situation? Or perhaps we are attempting to do it all ourselves when accessing a team willing to help would make the process easier and more likely to succeed. Or perhaps we are afraid to take that stand at all, and are choosing to be passive, to surrender at the 11th hour after working hard toward achieving a particular goal. One of the interpretations of the reversed Seven of Wands offered by Crowley in the Thoth Tarot is the achievement of victories in small ways that consume energy and offer distractions from the true conflict. “Many a man has given up when he might have won had he stuck it out, and he learned too late when the sun went down how close he was to the golden crown.” True words, and applicable to the reversed Seven of Wands!
We sometimes fear competition but the Seven of Wands encourages us to take the risk and step out of our comfort zone. We should assess the situation always, and once we determine that taking a stand is appropriate, the Seven of Wands gives us valuable advice: stand up for what we believe in, and go after what we want!