Seven of Swords and The World

Happy New Year to you all!

Before I even shuffled these cards, I had a deep knowing we would be seeing a swords card this week. The swords symbolise our thoughts and mind set and, at New Year especially, we spend a lot of time thinking. We think about the year ahead of us, we make resolutions of how we want to change, we dream about where we want to go, we imagine our perfect job, perfect partner, our perfect fit, healthy body. And then we think of all the practical ways that we can make these dreams and ambitions a reality. 

This ideal world we create for ourselves is decided before we have even finished taking the Christmas decorations down! No wonder so many of us feel a little blue in January– as we count in the New Year we have already given ourselves an exhausting challenge and a huge mountain to climb. 

These two cards together sum this yearly routine up perfectly. The World is right there for us to see, the card shows a beautiful maiden with the perfect body, dancing her own tune and celebrating the successful completion of all that she desired. The four characters in the corner of the card represent signs of the zodiac and the four elements, suggesting that a whole year has passed in order for her to achieve her goals. 

The fact that this card has come out in our first 2022 reading, suggests that there is absolutely nothing wrong with aiming for whatever we want in life. We deserve to be happy and our souls (which live quietly within our human bodies), are aware that we can achieve anything we want. We are encouraged to dream and told that we can manifest anything that our mind imagines.

I feel a ‘but’ coming! And, here it is…the seven of swords is the party pooper in our New Year optimism and hopefulness. If ever there was a card that summed up the word ‘but’ perfectly it is the Seven of Swords.

The dark clouds and crows circling around this angel in the card are keeping him crouched on the floor unsure of how to move forward. Each of the five crows has a sword they are carrying in their claws, and with each of these comes a doubt. Doubts can crawl into our minds in the wee small hours as we lie awake wondering how we are going to make our plans a reality. They can also come in via other people’s opinions and well-meant advice. They can appear when you have a lack of self-esteem or confidence. Or doubts can be presented as facts because history or learned behaviour has shown that so far your dreams have not materialised, so therefore it is believed that they never will. 

If The World card is your vision of the perfect life you desire, then the Seven of Swords is the obstacle that needs to be overcome to obtain it. And, more often than not, the obstacle is our own mind. 

Our mind can be our biggest ally or our biggest foe. Take a moment to look around at the world you see before you. EVERYTHING that has been created by humans in this world began as a thought in someone’s mind. Humans have created many wonderful things (and many dangerous and destructive things too). And, although we are now living in a world that is very different to the one we knew a few years ago, I do believe that the collective mind wishes that the world be a better, safer and healthier place. Imagine what would happen if we all worked together to make that a reality? When you imagine a better world does your mind allow you to see it as a possiblity or does it come up with a million reasons why it will never happen? Do you allow the dark clouds and crows to change your dream or do you ignore them and strive purposefully towards the supportive beings shown in the brighter clouds of The World card?

This week we are half way through a Venus Retrograde period and another Mercury Retrograde period begins. These are times when we are called on to look at aspects of our lives and challenge our thought processes and beliefs in order to evolve. The focus, therefore, is on our own minds and challenging how we let them dictate our lives. We can use our minds to create positive changes or they can control us and keep us small and in fear. 

Have a good look at these two cards and ask yourself which one you would like to have as your theme for the year? I know which one I am going to choose. 

I will choose The World card and I am going to push myself to dream big, aim for the stars and believe that anything is possible when I put my mind to it. Does anyone want to join me?

Don’t forget, the New Year is also a wonderful time to treat yourself to a tarot reading, so, if you would like one please do get in touch.

Wishing you a year where your dreams come true. 

x

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