Seven of Wands Tarot Card Meaning & Interpretations

Defensiveness is the obvious main theme in the Seven of Wands but we must remember that there are other defensive cards in the Tarot deck. To help better understand the deeper meaning of the Seven of Wands it's worth reviewing and comparing all these defensive cards.

The Knight of Cups and the Knight Of Pentacles are defenders of the heart and wealth respectively. Both hold forward the emblem of their element as a possible peace offering. The Chariot's defensiveness is more subtle but this card is also a 7 and represents an unchallengeable defensive position due to high ranking status. To get to him you need to defeat his army of the four elements first. Finally we get to the Knight of Wands who is fighting to control his steed's eagerness to charge. It makes no sense to have two cards for defence in the same suit. The Wand's Knight therefore focuses on defending against bad decisions, reckless energy and forces that could result in heading in a wrong direction. The element of Fire is about passion, energy and drive which, if uncontrolled, can be damaging and dangerous.

The Seven of Wands is depicted in the Rider Waite Smith deck as a plainly dressed man holding a wand as if he were using it as a quarterstaff (a traditional European pole weapon). It's worth noting that for a defensive character he wears no armour but he is positioned on the high ground from which it is easier to defend from. The six remaining wands are upright in front of him. The artist, Pamela Coleman Smith, has illustrated this card in a way that leaves the role of these six wands ambiguous. Are they held by attackers, who are below the picture frame and out of site, trying to knock this man down? Or are they a defensive barrier which he has made in front of him as a make shift fortification?

The direction our character faces is an important point to note as the artist could have made him face right or east, symbolising the future, in preparedness for oncoming assaults. Instead she has him facing us which puts the card's time focus in the present moment. This detail may suggest an alternative scenario for the six wands being held by attackers. They may be passing by our character heading from the right (future) to the left (past). Look at the preceding card in this suit, the 6 Of Wands, and imagine this group marching by led by the man on the horse. The message from the Seven of Wands could be to hold one's ground and allow the threat to pass by. You have the high ground and no action is needed on your part if you stand firm.

The Page Of Swords has many visual similarities in the Rider Waite Smith deck. Both stand on raised ground brandishing a weapon, but wearing no armour, dressed in plain, simple tunics. The obvious differences are their weapons, which symbolise their elemental domains, and a lack of any visible threat to the Page of Swords. The more subtle difference is the direction in which they each face. The Page's body is pointing right towards the future but his head is turned looking back, at the past, over his right shoulder. This difference should emphasise that the Seven of Wands deals with immediate and real challenges, threats or attacks. The Page of Swords deals with imaginary future threats due to past experiences which may, or may not, repeat in the future.

The 7 of Wands, Rods or Batons can represent standing firm and unmovable in the face of an immediate challenge or threat. The element here is Fire which relates to home, community, work and creativity. The aspects of the number 7 in numerology are contemplation, reflection, thought before action, rest, withdrawal, introspection and research. As with all 7's the 7 of Wands advises planning and preparation before any action.

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THE PICTORIAL KEY TO THE TAROT

By Arthur Edward Waite (1911)

A young man on a craggy eminence brandishing a staff; six other staves are raised towards him from below. Divinatory Meanings: It is a card of valour, for, on the surface, six are attacking one, who has, however, the vantage position. On the intellectual plane, it signifies discussion, wordy strife; in business--negotiations, war of trade, barter, competition. It is further a card of success, for the combatant is on the top and his enemies may be unable to reach him. Reversed: Perplexity, embarrassments, anxiety. It is also a caution against indecision.

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