"Bondage is the life of personality, and for bondage the personal self will fight with tireless resourcefulness and the most stubborn cunning." - Aldous Huxley
Element of air power: The Seven of Swords shows the energy of betrayal and deception. When you get this card, it may imply that you may be driven to act out in a covert manner to avoid a situation, or that someone else in your life is having difficulty getting away with something.
Perhaps you feel forced to act sneaky, hoping that you will not be discovered. This could happen when you have to think on your feet and do something that is somewhat shrewd and out of character.
If it is an incident that you tried to avoid but now have to face, you may feel that instead of dealing with it, you would rather it go unnoticed and just resolve itself over time. You may neglect it, leaving it to grow and get worse. While you might be thinking that you have gotten away unnoticed, you discover that the situation has cornered you and you are found out as you are trying to escape.
There are instances when we are forced to be sneaky or cunning, hoping that we will not be discovered. When we are found out, we have to face the consequences or the reality of the things that we also may not have wanted to see about the situation.
At times of imbalance: While all the energy points out that you are feeling stuck in a situation where you may get trapped or feel you are trapped, it also projects the sense that the self can make us feel guilty too. When there is guilt and shame, it is important to realize that this is part of the energy that can also make you feel you are being singled out.
Medicine: The Seven of Swords also suggests a need to change your approach. The tactics you've been using are not working. This card can either stand for a cunning victory attained by deception and trickery or it can stand for a kind of renewal of conscience. You or someone in your circle may be deciding to unburden themselves from their guilt, and come clean about some piece of manipulation they have been involved in.
Trust has been broken, but with a confession, you may be on the road to repairing it. There is a desire here to try and do things in a different way, one that is collaborative rather than independent.
There are instances when the Seven of Swords may indicate the willingness to go solo. You may have the urge to explore and discover some things on your own. This can be an effective approach if you want to assert your independence and bypass group agreement.
Mantra: I am at peace within my own Self.
