40 days
of shadow work
facing the darkness /
to live in the light
to live in the light
Peace family! I hope this finds you well :) Today's card is the Seven of Swords (Moon in Aquarius), brought to you by the High Priestess (Moon) & Aquarius (Star). Folks haaaaate this card! If you've ever gotten a tarot reading (or watched one on YouTube), you know this is the liar / thief/ sneak / cheat/ doo-doo head card. It's kind of appalling that this card has such a dickhead reputation because its parents are simply lovely. The High Priestess (Moon) represents our intuition based on lifetimes of experiences. Aquarius (Star) is the transparency & vulnerability of healing after trauma. When you combine these two energies in the Seven of Swords, you have someone who can't help but expect the worst (& gives zero fucks about saying so), because their experiences thus far have been so terribly... terrible.
Let's look at the card literally: First, can we agree this man is a great performer? I say that because he wears such a peaceful, happy expression, but you just KNOW the way he handles things must hurt. He's holding onto nearly every sharp sword (sharp word) he's received, refusing to release the blades (release the blame). Behind him are painted tents (pain, intense); he's trying to sneak away but he's not stealthy (not healthy). See those dark figures in the bottom left of the picture? They are coming for this man. He smiles but he is hunted on his path (haunted by the past). Yet he attempts to escape from the shadows that lurk (escape from shadow work). Maybe he's drunk...? Maybe he means to walk upright but he's dealing with an unconscious swoon (unconscious wounds) ? There is so much gold behind his back (gone on behind his back). Despite the betrayal, he keeps his cutting swords (cutting words) to himself. If he says anything, it's gentle words (chin to sword). He doesn't like to make a scene (no seeing), which is paradoxical af bc he's putting on a whole show. However he's not invincible ; he gets that this trick hurts (gets triggered). He looks innocent enough but when he lets them fall, his swords (words) cut deep. He never owns up to it though; he only says I was just playing. When this happens, it calls attention to the fact his painted tents (pain intense) have open rooms (open wounds). For every room (wound) aired out, there is still another one hidden behind. He can't heal (katana/heel). It seems that for every step he takes forward, he takes a step back. He can't get a good grip, can't handle it. I mean he could... but he'd have to hold steel (hold still) , open his eyes & face the plain (pain) & the light. What's the point of running from your shadows anyway, if your eyes remain closed? Aren't you just keeping yourself in the very dark you're afraid of? Here's my Seven of Swords story: I went to the same high school as many of my friends from grammar school, including my best friend since the first grade. Although we had been super close up until that point, we began to grow apart. Our differences were magnified by the fact that we gravitated toward different friend groups. We had friends in common still, but we weren't in the same clique anymore. I was relatively popular up until junior year, when I cheated on my boyfriend with his best friend (refer to the five of cups story); after that I became kind of infamous & I became very aware of people talking about me behind my back, including my friend from the first grade. I felt like I deserved it though, so I let it ride. Meanwhile a mutual friend of ours confided in me that she was bisexual, & that the "boyfriend," she often referred to was actually a woman. Not long afterwards, my childhood friend had a sleepover birthday party & I went. I was kind of uncomfortable because the girls there were acquaintances of mine but friends of hers, & it didn't feel like a safe space. Once again, its just that feeling of being talked about. Finally one of the girls there came out & asked me why I'd hurt my ex-boyfriend the way I had. The question caught me off guard & instead of considering whether I owed them any answers (I did not) I found myself explaining my choices & defending my decisions to a room full of girls who were not my friends. When I could tell I hadn't convinced them that I was right to follow my heart (nor had I convinced myself...), I switched topics. I think I was trying to explain that we all do things we could be judged for & maybe they shouldn't be so freaking judgmental, but I just blurted out that the one girl who actually was my friend & had confided in me & was not at the party, was bisexual. I tossed her secret to the wolves to get those bitches off me. On Monday at school, my best friend from the first grade told our mutual friend that I had outed her. I tried to explain why I did it, & that I didn't mean anything malicious (just playing!) but our mutual friend has never been my friend since, & I've never been friends with my friend from first grade since, either. We're all cool or cordial or whatever, but that's it. I guess I'm trying to say that hurt people hurt people, & I was the hurt person who lashed out in the worst possible way. If I could have just processed my own disappointment in myself for how I handled the boyfriend situation, I wouldn't have projected my guilt by seeking anyone's approval & trading the gossip about me for gossip about someone else. What are y'alls Seven of Swords?
18 Comments
SH
12/1/2020 06:04:08 pm
(transparency & vulnerability) healing after trauma.
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Tee
12/1/2020 08:33:55 pm
Well, I just talked about this on the previous card (4 of pentacles). I have a secret that prevents me from being more open with men. I friendzone them instead of admitting that I'm attracted to them. It's how I avoid rejection. I finally told one guy once he was married. I was kicking myself because he told me I should've told him then. The only reason he finally moved on was because he thought I wasn't interested in him. He was pretty hurt that I never told him. Had I been more transparent back then, maybe I wouldn't be here now trying to figure out how to be my authentic self in public.
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LMP
12/1/2020 09:41:43 pm
Ugh.
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Cheryl
12/1/2020 11:46:55 pm
The thing that stands out for me on this one is the need to justify my behavior to others, when in fact, my mistakes and my triumphs are mine. I have been on the receiving end of hurtful comments which folks (often men) try to deflect with “just playing” which usually ends in them learning that “I am no playing” I take it all very seriously for better or for worse.
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Ruth
12/13/2020 08:25:22 am
I felt this. The whole "it's just a joke, lighten up" crap is so often used to hide behind sexist behavior. Oh snap. GASLIGHTING. This card can also be seen as the gaslighting card. Others gaslighting you, and then you gaslighting yourself, why? Because our minds get so polluted by the gaslighting of others that we learn to do it to ourselves.
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Kelsey
12/2/2020 12:12:29 am
My Seven of Swords story is not so much a moment of "Just playin'!" but rather a lashing out with the energy of "I'm not playin' anymore!"
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C
12/2/2020 06:12:31 pm
YEARS ago my best friend & I lived together. During that time, we were building a business together. At the same time I was working & going to school.
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Ericka
12/2/2020 08:06:26 pm
All I know is, this is the EXACT card that came out when the guy I mentioned in my previous post who had decided to go marry his ex fiancé (after 4 months of my time invested in him) and lie to me about her being pregnant as the reason they were back together. Whole time I’m thinking she is lying about it to get back with him, and HE was the one making up the pregnancy story. 🤦🏾♀️ I tend to want to see the best in people, even when they show me what they are about. I was the one that thought I could change them, Glad I can see better now.
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Becks
12/3/2020 09:53:04 pm
I haven't replied in a few days but I'm learning so much and this card brought up old and new swords. I get called "crazy" or "throwed off" allot. I'm not bothered by it but I absorb everything like a sponge, so this card made me realize I'm holding (probably allot more than 7) swords and I'm the fool on the card smiling eyes closed cutting myself with mine and other folks swords. My relationships in life for the most part have been abusive in multiple ways my kids father was the worst though and he would do/say allot of things and then say stuff like " I didn't mean it I was just doing too much" or " you tripping I was playing" he got his own set of swords and used to rationalize his poor behavior with excuses. Now I'm making excuses for the man; m still in love with but just passed away he wouldn't let me help him carry his an
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Becks
12/3/2020 09:58:53 pm
My bad pushed the wrong button I wish he would have maybe he'd still be here I am learning that ppl will give the funny/crazy/strong ones things to carry because they don't want carry any all the while they're in their own shadows but not acknowledging their darkness so they try to dim your light because it's blinding them
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Oubria Tronshaw
12/3/2020 10:33:06 pm
May he RIP and the tightest hugs to you.
Becks
12/5/2020 03:35:20 pm
Thank you so much and I truly need and receive the positive energy and those tight higs
Tanasia
12/5/2020 10:48:08 pm
I would say that this card represents all the times I used to justify sleeping with my ex while still trying to be in my current relationship. I would say...essentially I'm single...he has a wife...until we get something solid, I'm doing what I want. Nah. I chose this relationship, and I've also chosen to cut off my ex cold turkey and remain on the straight and narrow. I love him. Period.
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SL
12/6/2020 01:56:57 pm
I’ll be honest. This card stumped me. I read this post over and over until it finally clicked. When Oubria asked the question, “What's the point of running from your shadows anyway, if your eyes remain closed? Aren't you just keeping yourself in the very dark you're afraid of?”, I realized that I have down-played so many hurts that I have experienced in life.
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Oubria Tronshaw
12/6/2020 02:19:30 pm
I really appreciate your comment because I keep thinking about this card & how a big part of it is "keeping your sword (word) to yourself." & I didn't feel like I portrayed that well enough. I think that's what you can focus on to pull you through to completing your project regardless of the fear of failure; as long as you keep your word to yourself & do what you promised yourself you would do, it doesn't matter how "successful," it is bc the true victory is the fact that you showed up for YOU. (Kept your swords/word). Thank you so much for sharing, it really helped. :)
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SL
12/21/2020 12:32:59 pm
Thanks so much for the added insight. I will keep my word!
Ruth
12/13/2020 08:19:06 am
When I saw this 7S I was like NOOOOOOOOOOO. Because this is shadow work which means it's the SELF-deception card, and I'm like DAMMIT.
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Dela
12/17/2020 01:35:47 pm
Playing.
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