The Seven of Swords, in the astrological correspondence system
I follow, is linked to the Moon in Aquarius - as well as to the final ten days
of Aquarius (10th-19th February this year). We’re still looking at Fixed Air, but now we
add some water through Cancer’s rulership of the Moon.
So if this is the sign of the unconventional and the
unorthodox, the reformer and revolutionary, how is it affected by the
Moon? Well, the Moon is about emotional
needs and about the way we react to things automatically, instinctively. So an Aquarian Moon could react
unpredictably, perhaps, and with a sense of detachment. Being free to express ideas, especially ones
that don’t conform to the ‘norm’, and to be innovative might give this Moon a
sense of security.
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Seven of Swords (trimmed):
© Sharman-Burke/Caselli Tarot
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But how does this fit with the Seven of Swords? This card is
often linked to being stealthy – one of my tarot friends, Alison Cross, calls it the ‘Sneaky Pete’
card. Some say it’s about making a sly
escape, but I like Juliet Sharman-Burke’s description – “tact rather than
aggression”. There’s something about
thinking things through and making plans for the future (Aquarius) but taking
great care with those plans. Remember the Moon is ruled by Cancer, so there’s
likely to be an element of protectiveness involved – possibly to the point of
being underhanded. Aquarius brings the
detachment, the clarity of vision, so that any protectiveness or nurturing
quality to the action is not going be based on emotional needs. We often warn against being too free and open
about what we intend to do when we see this card – that’s the Moon’s caution
acting on an Aquarian desire to spread knowledge within the community.
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Seven of Swords (trimmed):
© Shadowscapes Tarot
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The Shadowscapes Tarot shows us that stealthiness by a
figure hiding behind a mask, having just managed to steal a sword from the swan
that guards them. He thinks he hasn’t been seen but in fact the swan has one
eye open and knows exactly what’s going on.
Here we can see the Moon in the idea of deception (the Moon card in the tarot is about illusion and
deception, among other things). A life
lived in stealth and in deception suggests a lack of faith in the world, and
that this is the only way to get what you need.
Which brings us to negative thoughts...
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Seven of Swords (trimmed):
© Thoth Tarot
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In the Thoth Tarot, the word that Crowley chose for the card
is ‘futility’ – a daunting card to be faced with, I often feel. As with many of the cards in this deck, I feel
it’s coming from the other direction – but yet still brings us to the same
point (oh, sorry – no pun intended!). The
six smaller swords each bear a glyph on their hilts, representing six of the
planets. Each of those smaller swords is
meant to represent thoughts which stand in our way – negative thoughts. For
instance, Mars could symbolize feeling too tired, or that there’s not enough
time – while Neptune could reflect a sense of not really knowing what you want,
that it’s all an illusion. Meanwhile, the Sun and Moon – the conscious and
unconscious – are at opposite ends of the seventh and largest sword; the Sun
glyph on its hilt, pointing towards the Moon at the top of the card. The
message? Not to let a sense of it all being ‘futile’ stand in your way – by
doing so, you’re actually trying to escape taking responsibility for your
actions – hence the stealthy appearance of the guy in the more traditional
images!
Beginner’s Guide to
the Tarot created by Juliet Sharman-Burke, illustrated
by Giovanni Caselli, published by Connections
Shadowscapes Tarot created by
Stephanie Pui-Mun Law and Barbara Moore, published by Llewellyn
Thoth Tarot created by Aleister Crowley, illustrated by
Lady Frieda Harris, published by U.S. Games Systems, Inc.
