Seven of Wands
Cranky, headachy, tired, frustrated, sullen…
This has been my day. Little did I know, when I pulled the Seven of Wands this morning, that I would be raising my staff at the world all day today.
Much has been made, in various forums I’ve read through, of the mismatched shoes. Is this an indication that he dressed hurriedly to meet unexpected challenges? Is it a lack of sense? Does it represent uneven and unreliable foundations? Should he go home and change his shoes, hoping that the hordes will take a tea break and wait for him to return?
I have no idea. But when I see this card, I always notice the feet first, and wonder what they might indicate regarding his fate. He is obviously overwhelmed, yet determined. He hasn’t given up, in spite of a slight wardrobe problem. Wardrobe. Now that makes me think this is all an act. A melodramatic chapter in a cheesy play, featuring a bad actor on a flimsy stage.
And so…
I don’t know, really. But I do know that I can relate to this image. We all can, and have, at some point or other in our lives. I suppose the best thing to do, is put on whatever shoes we can find, grab our weapon of choice, and face the challenges head-on. Sometimes you just have to put up a good fight, and hope for the best.
Into the Flow
One day in the past week or so I drew for my morning reading the Four of Pentacles, the Page of Swords and the Seven of Pentacles.
I was not happy to see the Four of Pentacles. This is a very limiting and claustrophobic card for me. It gives me the sense of being tied down by material things or a stubborn sense of duty to the point of martydom. How can you fly free when you are held down by money worries, or a sense of “doing what is required of you”. You can see the bitter-looking old man here, hanging on to what he has. Unaware and uncaring about the open sky, the birds in flight, the breezes and the life going on outside his self-imposed walls. This card makes me think of stale air in a closed room.
Fortunately the next card gave me a deep breath of fresh air. The Page is outside of boundaries in the open air, running to a goal on which she has fixed her eyes. She’s almost flying. Her feet have wings on them, and are not touching the ground. She wears feathers and streamers in her hair to accentuate the illusion of flight. Nothing is holding her back. At her hip is the spyglass she no doubt used to find the point in the distance toward which she now runs. Her sword is held high. She is positive she has found what she seeks and will reach it without fail.
My circumstances have such that I have been worried about losing what little I have. Financial troubles have caused stress and have made me feel like the old man holding onto what he has. The problem with that sort of outlook is that this does not allow any energy to flow. You may keep what you have, but you also will not allow any more to flow to you.
The Page exhorts me to let go and run toward what I seek. By not clinging to what I have, I can then free my energies to do the work of bringing more into my life. Swords represent thoughts, and this seems to represent very positive thinking. The Page does not doubt her success and neither should I. Neither should anyone. I love the spyglass. It seems to represent farsightedness – keeping one’s attention fixed on the goals ahead, instead of getting mired in the troubles of the present moment.
The final card shows the result of working toward a goal. Reaping what we have sown. Rather than sitting in a fortress holding onto what little he might have, this gentleman has gone to some trouble to turn what he had into more. Only by planting tiny seeds and cultivating them, can we reap a bountiful harvest.
Both first and last cards are Pentacles, relating to material things. The center card is Swords relating to mental power, in this case the mental power needed to break out of the cycle of hanging on to things and stopping the flow. The reading is about my financial situation. The Page is telling me to let go and run toward my goals, rather than worry about whether or not I will succeed and lose everything. If I would not end up like the old man in the fortress, I will have to get out in the open and take chances. But also be confident that I will succeed. You do create your reality. I must stay positive and persist.
