7 and 9 of Wands, 7 of Swords

Hi Tarot Doctor, I always have trouble grasping the meaning of the seven of wands , the nine of wands and the seven of swords. Could please explain them to me . Many thanks Eunice.

Hi Eunice,

Thanks for the question!

A lot of people struggle with the 7 and 9 of Wands as visually they are quite similar - that is, they both show someone in a defensive position. But a significant difference between the two images is the position of the wands.

 

In the 7, the wands are in front of the person, effectively blocking his path. For whatever reason, he’s coming under fire and he’s clearly outnumbered. I think of the 7 of Wands as a test of your convictions. Wands are all about what we do – the actions we take, the efforts we make, the goals we pursue – and the 7 raises questions about our level of commitment. How strongly do you believe in your idea? How much do you want to achieve your goal? How fiercely will you fight for this relationship?

To give a concrete example, say you came up with a brilliant ad campaign at work but your boss doesn’t get it, the head of marketing thinks it’s way too ambitious for the budget and your colleagues are trying to pick holes in it because they’re annoyed they didn’t think of it first. You’re trying to stand up for your idea and they’re all trying to shoot you down. It’s at this point that your belief in your idea is really put to the test. If you don’t believe in it, those jabbing wands are just going to knock you down. But if you’re really committed to getting the ad campaign out there, there’s a much better chance it could succeed. Of course, as this example demonstrates, the 7 of Wands also puts your project to the test. If there are any holes in your idea or if it isn’t good enough, here’s where it will fall down.

In the 9 of Wands, the wands are behind the person. They can be seen as representing his achievements so far and he stands in front of them protectively, as if he’s on guard duty. You could come up with any number of theories about what he’s guarding – whether he’s keeping the bad guys out or keeping them in – but the specifics aren’t really important. What’s important is what he’s having to do. Keeping watch over something requires continued vigilance and effort. If you were to draw this card as advice, it’s telling you to take nothing for granted, to do what you need to do to maintain what you’ve got. Even if you’re at the top of your game and everything’s going great, it probably took a lot of work to get there and this card is a reminder that you should sustain that effort to stay where you are. Or to put it another way, you can’t expect to stay afloat if you’re not prepared to keep paddling.

Being on your guard also means being cautious. It raises such questions as, are you as safe and secure in your current situation as you think you are? Are you doing enough to keep your job or to keep that important client (and if so, is enough good enough – should you actually be doing more than you need to, to keep the competition at bay?)

Of course, the interpretation of any card always depends on the position it falls in. For example, if the 9 of Wands were to appear as “Situation”, followed by, say, the Wheel of Fortune as “Advice”, I might read that as saying I was being too cautious and too guarded, perhaps that I’m afraid of getting hurt, and that I should allow events to unfold naturally and go with the flow.

Okay, finally, we come to the 7 of Swords and here we see someone apparently sneaking off with 5 swords.

Is he stealing or is he taking what belongs to him? Again, the specifics aren’t important (it could be either, depending on the situation!) What matters is how he’s going about it. He’s clearly trying not to be seen and he’s looking back over his shoulder as he leaves. For whatever reason, he’s felt it necessary to take indirect action. Perhaps he’s already tried the direct route by asking for his swords back and it didn’t work. So he’s had to find another solution.

Swords are associated with thought and also conflict. In the 7, we’re seeing an example of how brains can be just as mighty in a conflict as brawn. This card is all about strategy, planning, and tactics. If you can’t defeat the enemy by traditional means, you’re just going to have to outsmart them.

As a descriptive card, it can suggest that someone isn’t being entirely upfront – they may be keeping something from you or working on a secret project. As advice, it’s telling you to work smarter, not harder. You need to find a creative solution to your problem. It can also simply signify working alone and keeping your plans to yourself – not to be sneaky, but maybe just because the time isn’t right to reveal them yet.

Anyway, I hope this helps a bit.

Tarot Doctor
xx

The Sun

Dear Tarot Doctor, I ended things with my boyfriend yesterday but then I did a reading last night and the card I drew for him was The Sun. In the book it says it means “joy, happiness, success”. Does that mean I shouldn’t have broken up with him? Thanks, Alys.

Dear Alys,

Thank you for your question!

First, I don’t know you or your boyfriend so I’m not qualified to say whether you should have broken up. I assume you had (good) reasons for ending it with your boyfriend, in which case you shouldn’t let a pack of cards change your mind. However, there’s nothing wrong with spending some time evaluating what went wrong.

Second, there’s more than one way to read the Sun card (as there is for every tarot card). For example, two possible meanings immediately spring to mind:

1) Like the real sun, your boyfriend always wanted to be the centre of attention. That might have made you feel like you weren’t important in the relationship.
OR 
2) Your boyfriend was too intense and full-on and didn’t give you any space. The sun’s wonderful, but if there’s no shade anywhere it can be difficult to take. Similarly, a boyfriend who’s constantly calling, asking how you are, and wanting to be with you can drive you mad – even if he’s just doing so because he really, really likes you.

I’ve deliberately plumped for more negative interpretations there, just to show the range of meaning the Sun can have. Which meaning is correct? Whichever rings true for you. You were there, after all.

Anyway, I hope that helps.

Love,

Tarot Doctor

2 of Pentacles

Adrienne asks: Hi, can you help me to understand the 2 of Pentacles please?

Hi, thanks for the question. Actually, the 2 of Pentacles always used to give me problems too! There seems to be a big difference between understanding book meanings and actually “getting” a card well enough to feel comfortable interpreting it in readings. So, I’ll do my best to help you “get” it.

Imagine somebody surfing. They have to keep their feet firmly on the surfboard and they have to keep their balance. But they also have to stay flexible, to let their muscles relax and move in sync with the motion of the waves. If they’re too stiff, they won’t be able to go with the flow – their body will fight against the natural movement of the ocean. And if they’re too loose, they’ll just fall off. It’s this easy, relaxed attitude that the 2 of Pentacles is all about.

When you watch someone surfing, it looks so easy but there’s actually a lot going on to make that happen. A surfer uses their brain – to gauge wave strength, direction, and to keep their balance – as well as their body. Think of all the subtle muscle adjustments that are going on all the time. It takes a lot of practice to get in sync with the water, just like it takes a lot of practice before you can make riding a bike look easy. You have to be constantly aware of what’s coming up and yet you also have to relax and let your body take over.

A good phrase to bear in mind when the 2 of Pentacles comes up is “bend, not break”. That’s really the essence of the card. Stay relaxed and keep in sync with your environment or whatever’s going on around you – that way you won’t be bowled over by it but can move with it and harness its energy.

I hope that helps.

Two Queens

Deanres21 asks: Hello, I’m so happy that I can come to the Tarot Doctor, I have only been learning the Tarot a few months and I still don’t understand when I get the Wands and Sword Queens in a reading. As I know that each of these have Fire and Air elements but when I ask a general question these usually pop up in my reading and I must add I’m a male and single.

Hi, thanks for the question Deanres. I can’t tell you why those Queens keep appearing in your readings or what they’re trying to tell you, but I can hopefully give you some tips to help you figure them out next time they turn up.

Let’s take a look at them.  Here are the Queen of Wands and the Queen of Swords side by side. The deck shown is the International Icon Tarot which closely models the popular Rider Waite Smith Tarot. Don’t worry though if your deck doesn’t look like this. The important thing is to always use the images you see before you – that is, your cards.

The Queen of Wands sits facing us, holding a wand and a sunflower. Her body language is open and welcoming and the card is warm and friendly. There’s even a cat at her feet – how homely!

The Queen of Swords is turned to the side, not facing us. She holds an upright sword in one hand and the other hand is pointing in the direction she’s looking. She’s pictured rising above the clouds, with lots of clear blue air around her. The card is cool and fresh. 

One thing you’ll often hear said about Queens is that they “express” or “embody” the essence of their suit. What does that mean exactly? Well, it means that if you believe Wands represent fire, passion, creativity and action then the Queen of Wands is fiery, passionate, creative and active. In that sense, Queens are quite straightforward but of course that isn’t the whole story. Those are just keywords after all and it’s trying to remember keywords during a reading that can make a lot of readers come unstuck.

One good way to get inside the head of a Queen is to imagine you’ve been invited into her home. Try to picture what the place looks like, what she’s doing there, how she treats you as a guest. Use the image on your card to feed your imagination. So, for example, I imagine this Queen of Wands’ home to be sunny and warm, with yellows and oranges and comfy throw cushions and big bright flowers everywhere. There’s a cat sunning itself on the windowsill and a half-finished painting on an easel in the corner. The Queen herself is a great conversationalist, talking about artists and traveling and parties and life. It’s a place where I feel free to relax, explore and create.

The Queen of Swords’ house is cool and white. She keeps the windows open to let the fresh air in and so she can hear the birds. There’s a desk by a window where she’s writing but she’s very private about it, she won’t show me what she’s working on. There are doors to other rooms but they’re all closed. She likes to know my thoughts on things – politics, literature, science – and she’s sharp and witty. The Queen of Swords’ home is a place where I feel challenged and expected to keep up. It’s not as comfortable as the Queen of Wands’ house but that’s okay because it fulfils a different purpose. I feel I can learn a lot from this Queen and I enjoy her direct manner. I feel I know where I stand with her.

Those are some of my thoughts – yours can differ entirely. And all this is very well but how does it help in a reading? Well, the idea is that the better you get to know your cards the less you have to struggle to work out what they’re telling you in a spread. There are generally two type of spread positions: descriptive (e.g. situation, problem, outcome, etc. ) and advice. When a Queen turns up in a descriptive position, try describing the image on the card and use that as your starting point. If it’s a general reading with no specific question, assume the Queen represents you. If a Queen turns up in a position of advice, then ask yourself what that Queen would do in your situation – or perhaps, what she would advise you to do.

I hope that gives you something to work with. The main thing to remember is be patient. You can’t get every card straight away but they all do fall into place eventually!

The Knight of Wands vs the Knight of Swords

Emma asks: What’s the difference between the Knight of Wands and the Knight of Swords? They seem the same to me.

Hi Emma, thanks for being the first to ask a question! It’s true the Knight of Wands and the Knight of Swords have many things in common. For example, in the International Icon Tarot, both ride horses, both face left, both carry the symbol of their suit and both are leaping into action. But let’s take a closer look…

Check out the Knight of Wands. See how his horse rears up on its hind legs? See how its mane resembles flames? This knight wants to make sure he gets noticed. Sure, he’s going to rescue the damsel in distress but only after the paparazzi get a shot of the brave hero setting out on another dangerous mission. The Knight of Wands can’t do anything under the radar – it’s just not his style (and style is of great importance to the Knight of Wands). 

Now look at the Knight of Swords. While the Knight of Wands is still adjusting the collar on his leather jacket, the Knight of Swords has charged off, brandishing his sword, probably yelling “aaaargh” or something equally warrior-like. He’s moving at top speed, galloping down a hill, clouds zipping past. He’s off to set things straight –  right the wrongs, slay the dragon, rescue the girl (or guy), then his work here is done. 

A good question to ask any of the knights is “what motivates you?” For the Knight of Wands, it’s glory. Wands are the suit of fire and fire isn’t shy. He likes to make a spectacle – it’s good for his self-esteem and other people get a kick out watching him too. The Knight of Swords, on the other hand, is motivated by honour. He has to do what’s right. He couldn’t live with himself if he didn’t act knowing that evil is out there doing evil things. So, all the knights are on a quest but what makes them different is why. Once you’ve figured that out (and it may vary from deck to deck so don’t forget to study your particular cards), you should find them easier to understand.

I hope that helps.