07. Seven of Swords
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Number: 7
Card Title: Seven of Swords
Esoteric Title: Lord of Unstable Effort
Numerical Keywords: 7: Passion, Karma, Instinct
Numerical Attributions: Venus, Green, World, Above
Intelligence: Concealed or Occult Intelligence
Element: Air (hot, wet)
Elemental Keywords: Mind, Ideas, Cutting
Elemental Attributions: East, Spring, Sunrise
Astrological Attribution: Moon in Aquarius
Dates & Timing: February 9 to February 18
Qabalistic World: Netzach of Yetzirah
Translation of World: The Victory of Formation
Suit Color: Swords- Yellow
Keywords: Partial Success, Journey by Land, Confidences Betrayed, Trickery, Element of Chaos
Ill-Dignified:Good Advice, Return, Regain, Triumph over Trickery, Learn to Trust
Interpretation: Change is in the air. Yielding when victory is within grasp. The law of cause and effect. Disguise. The Trickster. Coyote.
Reversed Interpretation: Return of Stolen Property. Return of unfaithful or unworthy lover who wishes to make restitution. Thief returns what was stolen. An apology is forthcoming.
Rider-Waite Imagery
The suit of swords is related to the element of air. It concerns matters of thoughts, ideas and the mind.
The Pictorial Key to the Tarot by Arthur Edward Waite (1911)
A man in the act of carrying away five swords rapidly; the two others of the card remain stuck in the ground. A camp is close at hand. Divinatory Meanings: Design, attempt, wish, hope, confidence; also quarrelling, a plan that may fail, annoyance. The design is uncertain in its import, because the significations are widely at variance with each other. Reversed: Good advice, counsel, instruction, slander, babbling.
4 Some Additional Meanings of the Lesser Arcana
Seven.–Dark girl; a good card; it promises a country life after a competence has been secured. Reversed: Good advice, probably neglected.
The Recurrence of Cards in Dealing
In the Natural Position: 4 Sevens = intrigue; 3 Sevens = infirmity; 2 Sevens = news.
Reversed: 4 Sevens = quarrellers; 3 Sevens = joy; 2 Sevens = women of no repute.
The Tarot of the Bohemians by Papus; tr. A. P Morton, [1896]
Signification of the Four Series of Minor Arcana in the Divining Tarot
SWORDS. Transformation. Hatred. War.
SEVEN. Success assured to the enemy.
The Tarot by S.L. MacGregor Mathers [1888]
Meanings of the Cards
57. Seven of Swords.–Hope, Confidence, Desire, Attempt, Wish; R. Wise Advice, Good Counsel, Wisdom, Prudence, Circumspection.
Additional Remarks: The following additional remarks may be serviceable to the to the inexperienced Cartomancer. They are chiefly taken from Etteilla.
57. Seven of Swords.–R. The cards which come next will show whether it will be good to follow the advice given or not. Also, the preceding cards will show from whom, and why, the advice comes.
Three Books of Occult Philosophy by Henry Cornelius Agrippa
Aquarius III
A black and angry man; and the signification of this is in expressing insolence; and impudence.
Picatrix the Goal of the Wise by Ghayat Al-akim
Book "T" The Tarot
XLI. The Lord of Unstable Effort:
Seven of Swords
TWO Angelic Radiating Hands as before, each holding three swords. A third hand holds up a single sword in the centre. The points of all the swords "just touch" each other, the central sword not altogether dividing them.
The Rose of the previous symbols of this suit is held up by the same hand which holds the central sword: as if the victory were at its disposal. Symbols of Moon and Aquarius.
Partial success. Yielding when victory is within grasp, as if the last reserves of strength were used up. Inclination to lose when on the point of gaining, through not continuing the effort. Love of abundance, fascinated by display, given to compliments, affronts and insolences, and to spy upon others. Inclined to betray confidences, not always intentionally. Rather vacillatory and unreliable.
Netzach of HB:V (Journey by land: in character untrustworthy).
Herein rule the Great Angels HB:HHHAL and HB:Ma’aKAL.
Often the General signification of the Majority of a particular suit and of the particular signification of the either 3 of 4 cards of a sort in a reading:
- Majority of Swords Trouble, sadness, sickness, death.
- 4 Sevens Disappointments.
- 3 Sevens Treaties and compacts.
