Seven of Wands Tarot Card Meaning

For much of human history, people have used various means of fortune-telling such as tarot cards as a method to predict the direction their lives might take depending on their actions and external influences. One tool used to make predictions is tarot. A reader pulls one or more tarot cards from a special deck to seek hidden knowledge.

Read on to learn more about changes you might need to make or the direction your life might take if you draw the Seven of Wands during a tarot reading:

Seven of Wands Upright

Seven of Wands Tarot Card Meanings (Upright): The Seven of Wands tarot card description typically features a figure, historically a man (or a woman in modern decks), standing atop a hill or cliff. They hold a long stick with green leaves, known as a wand, against six other sticks below them. The figure might wear two different types of shoes on their feet. This person points their wand downward against others unseen below except for the six wands pointing upward.

The scene is commonly interpreted as one of sudden defense. The figure wears two different shoes because they weren’t entirely dressed when they, their property and territory, or even their beliefs, dreams, statements, or successes came under attack. The shoes can also mean that the figure has an unstable position. The figure might feel that they must defend or safeguard what belongs to them at any cost. They might also feel that they’re no longer lucky or receiving favor from a higher power.

All tarot card readings involve a variety of potential interpretations depending on a card’s upright or reversed position and a knowledge seeker’s background:

In the upright position, the Seven of Wands can mean:

• Assertiveness
• Being under attack
• Challenges or competition
• Holding your own
• Perseverance, stamina, or relentlessness
• Protecting against attack
• Standing up for yourself
• Taking control or a superior position

In the reversed position, the Seven of Wands can mean:

• Acting timidly
• Admitting defeat
• Burnout or exhaustion
• Caught in a scandal
• Giving in or up
• Failure to defend or protect
• Feeling overwhelmed or lacking self-belief
• Loss of authority or control
• Overbearing or overconfident behavior
• Power struggle
• Wastefulness
• Weakness

If the Seven of Wands appears in a tarot reading, you’ve attained great things. Now, it’s time to prepare yourself mentally and physically against attack. The Seven of Wands minor arcana card warns that you might need to defend yourself or anything that belongs to you against people who covet what you own, loathe your intelligence, popularity, position in the world or success, or hate your opinions.

It advises you to remember to believe in yourself, stay confident and continue to improve in any way possible. It also notes that you must persist, establish boundaries with others, defend your position and stay determined to succeed.

Love – Upright

In a love tarot reading the Seven of Wands minor arcana card warns that you might have to fight for love. You and your partner might argue or deal with communication problems or crossed schedules that keep you apart more than normal.

If dating, you might have to fight to gain the attention of someone you like or you started dating because of communication problems or competition. You might have to make sound arguments against family or friends who don’t like your existing or potential partner or actively attempt to pull you both apart.

Career – Upright

This Seven of Wands appears to warn of one or more obstacles or open or hidden foes at school or work. You might have to invest in better internet security or make strategic partnerships. The card can also refer to a blocked, delayed, or undermined project. A competing or difficult classmate or coworker might speak badly about you behind your back or sabotage your work.

If you’re about to give a public speech, it might require you to prepare for hecklers and verbal or physical opposition to your point of view. You must hold your ground so that you don’t lose faith in your beliefs or yourself. If you’ve recently dealt with an attack, the Seven of Wands prompts you to make better plans against future threats.

Financial – Upright

If you see the Seven of Wands minor arcana card in a tarot reading, it represents that you’re financially secure or even wealthy, but the Seven of Wands reminds you that you can lose everything if you don’t take precautions. You might have to invest in a home security system or hire a financial adviser, insurance agent or lawyer to protect your property and assets.

This is a sign to rethink your investment strategies or choose a new bank or credit card that offers cashback or better financial services. If you’re a student, it might mean that you should save more money. If you’re still working, you might have to review your company’s stock options or retirement package.

Health – Upright

If you’re dealing with a new or ongoing health problem, the Seven of Wands upright in a tarot reading reminds you that you must not give up fighting or stop pushing yourself to find a cure or treatment that alleviates your suffering no matter how badly you feel or any obstacles. It promises you that you have the strength of will to meet this challenge. You might also have to work to control health problems or improve overall physical fitness.

Seven of Wands Reversed

Seven of Wands Tarot Card Meanings (Reversed): If you draw a Seven of Wands reversed in a tarot reading, you’re currently or about to face severe loss or deep self-doubt after making yourself vulnerable in some way. You might believe that nothing ever goes right, you have too many people or events against you or your efforts haven’t been worth it. A period like this often comes after you’ve exhausted yourself in an emotional and verbal or physical defensive position.

The Seven of Wands reversed can also indicate that you no longer have faith in the people around you. You might think that everyone challenges your actions and beliefs or lack confidence that you know what you’re doing, especially your loved ones, coworkers, or people you admire or mentor. You might feel overwhelmed, inadequate or insecure because of the constant negativity and ready to give up.

Seven of Wands reversed tells you to fight your own negative inner voice. If you’ve spent a lot of time avoiding conflict, it reminds you that you might have to face others and obstacles head-on instead of compromising your position. If you’ve fought a long time, then it asks you to choose a different path. You might stop pursuing a love interest or break ties with people who make you unhappy.

It warns that you must never change yourself to meet the “ideal” that others want you to become unless you have dangerous traits that you might have to change. If your losses resulted from bad habits, such as acting too defensively, gambling or overconfidently believing you can never fail, you need to reassess your actions and make positive changes.

Love – Reversed

The Seven of Wands reversed in a tarot spread warns that you’ve taken or you’re about to take the wrong romance-related path. You might be thinking of giving up on love with a specific person or entirely. As with the upright position, it notes that you need to fight for any worthwhile relationship.

That said, this tarot card also warns of failure and the acceptance of failure. You might not be able to fix communication problems, for example, or prevent a breakup caused by external forces. If you’re still dating, it emphasizes that you might be too pushy and stalker-like in your endeavors and need to accept the loss of a potential partner if they don’t return your interest.

Career – Reversed

The reversed card in tarot spread often indicates a failure to protect a career or reputation. You’ve likely undermined one or both in some way. For example, your coworkers might dislike you because you bragged about your successes. You might have taken on too many responsibilities and failed to meet an important deadline. You might have undermined your sense of self or lied to your coworkers or employer. You might have failed to protect your position from jealous competitors. You need to accept the loss and use it as a teachable moment. The reversed Seven of Wands tarot card warns that you can prevent future harm by recognizing and fixing negative aspects of yourself and preparing for potential competitive threats.

Financial – Reversed

The Seven of Wands reversed in terms of your finances alerts you of a money-related failure. For example, you might have recently spent too much money and failed to meet financial obligations. It reminds you that this type of failure happened for a reason. You need to reassess how you protect your financial state at any given time and take steps to protect against a future repeat of this or other types of financial losses.

Health – Reversed

Seven of Wands in a reversed position usually speaks about giving up when ill. You might have stopped seeking help with an illness because you feel you don’t have enough energy, willpower, or money. The card prompts you to immediately seek additional aid from family, friends, and the medical community. You might also have allowed your health to become badly undermined or failed to control a serious illness. You need to actively seek out medical assistance to prevent it from worsening further.

Seven of Wands Summary

Seven of Wands suggests you act confidently, courageously, and with determination and persistence whenever faced with attacks, challenges, and obstacles. The suffering won’t last as long as you perform an honest assessment of your situation and your actions, beliefs and personality and make improvements to prepare against future attacks.