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Clarity and master-plans are overrated
A few lucky souls have crystal-clear clarity about their path. They can describe their purpose and goals with vivid details. They are sure of where they want to go, and they’ve mapped out a detailed plan to get them there.
Many of us, though, don’t have this type of gleaming assurance.
Many of us have an inkling as to what our true desires and gifts may be. But we can’t yet see how to take our vague ideas and form a bigger picture. The road ahead of us is mired in fog. We are not sure where we are going, so we’re not sure how to get there.
From the time we are kids, we are asked “what do you want to be when you grow up?” And then when we get older, we are told that to manifest a happy life, we have to have a perfect understanding of what we want. Our society places importance on planning and certainty. We envy those who seem to have it all figured out.
We wonder what’s wrong with us. We ask for signs. We read books. We meditate. We medicate. We soul-search. We eat chocolate. We wonder and wander. We begin to feel heavy-hearted because we’ve floated this far through life and still don’t have an unobscured vision of where we’re going.
A shift in perspective: having certainty isn’t necessary.
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What if we let ourselves explore the cloudiness that surrounds us one step at a time? What if we accept the mystery instead of fixating on solving it? What if we embrace our drifting? We aren’t always meant to see our entire course charted out before us.
We all have access to a complex inner guidance system. Sometimes it shines a bright beacon that pierces through blocks. Other times it seems dim, and only shows us how to shuffle our feet in a vague direction. But it is never, ever, ever, EVER extinguished. Even if you’re only getting fuzzy signals, tune in. Guidance is there, even if it’s not as specific as we may wish.
An elaborate master plan isn’t always necessary. It’s okay not to know exactly what you want. It’s okay to be unsure of precisely where you’re going. It’s okay that the edges seem frayed and fuzzy. It’s okay to only have the next week (or day, or five minutes) planned out.
We only need to see the next right step – no matter how minuscule that step may be. We only need enough illumination to see what lies directly in front of us. Once we move into that space, we can see the next small space that lies beyond. You know what you need to know.
Your path unfolds in ever-increasing patches of luminosity.
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Happy Fish Classics (best of the blog, year one)
Since I launched my blog in March 2014, I have posted over 100 times. Wowza! I’ve scrawled about creativity, resistance to creativity, spirituality, existential angst, cats, business and of course…tarot. This week, I rummaged through all this material and composed a list of ten favorites. I hope you will enjoy digging into the Happy Fish highlight reel (first year edition)!
Divine Dissatisfaction :: If you are always nursing a creative ache, you might be living with the gift of divine dissatisfaction. In this post, I talk about the beauty of being simultaneously grateful for where you are while always yearning for what comes next.
Creating When You Feel Like Crap :: “But I don’t feel like it. But I’m tired. But…” If you’re like me, you’ve used these excuses once or twice (or, like, a thousand times) when you didn’t feel like working on a creative project. Here’s a no-frills response to that attitude straight from the tarot cards.
5 Steps to Desire Mapping with Tarot :: Danielle LaPorte gifted us a revolutionary concept: figure out how you want to feel, and then do the things that make you feel that way. In this post, I discussed how tarot can be used as part of the desire mapping process.
Growth Is a Spiral Process, Not a Straight Line :: Wouldn’t it be easy if growth was a tidy and narrow process? If you moved integrated lessons completely and then moved cleanly onto the next phase? The real thing looks a lot more erratic.
Frolicking Through the Major Arcana – A Map of Sorts ::
This post sweeps you into a bird’s eye view of the Major Arcana and how they illustrate human growth and spiritual development. I spent a frick-load of time on this one and I’m proud of the result!
The Loneliness of Being Human :: In this melancholy meets hopeful post, I talk about the paradoxical experience of being completely alone while also being completely connected to All That Is.
Resistance and the War of Art :: Resistance is a powerful force that wants to keep you locked in the status quo. Resistance abhors change and it will pull out all kinds of devilish tricks to keep you still. This posts delves into the mysteries of Resistance and what we can do about it.
Four Tips on Going Pro as a Tarot Reader :: I’m often approached by other brave souls thinking of “going pro” as a tarot reader. In this post I shared some advice ‘n tips for traveling this wild road.
Cheers to the first of what I hope will be many years of writing and sharing. Thank you for reading – it means more to me than you know.
(PS: I invite you to continue visiting regularly, new posts go up every Tuesday).
Peace, love and happy fish,
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My first year in business: 8 lessons reeled in
One year ago, I sat at my computer with a belly full of fire, enthusiasm, and uncertainty as Happy Fish Tarot went live. There were nerves. There was a shitload of fear. But those were trumped by the magical feeling that I was doing it anyway. That I was coming alive. That I was actively putting myself out there, taking a chance, and creating what I felt called to create.
Throughout the course of this past year, I’ve felt like a hero embarking into a wilderness full of thrills and free-falls and everything in-between. I’ve been presented with countless challenges and gifts (and I know this is just the beginning). It’s been a crash course in business, of course, but the business has also required me to learn deep lessons about myself.
In no particular order, here are eight lessons I’ve learned during my first year in the heart-centered entrepreneurial wild west. I offer these tidbits up in hopes that they might provide fuel if you’re also working to blaze your own trail. Full steam ahead!
1. Trust the pace of your expansion.
It is easy to lose sight of your true purpose if you are trying to dictate when and how your results come. I’m learning that growing a business is much like growing a garden. You plant a seed and tend to it. You can’t force it to blossom overnight. It might not grow at the same pace as the neighbor’s garden. Steeping yourself in the funky energy of impatience will only clog things up even further. Do what it takes to stay rooted in the belief that you are expanding at the right pace for you.
2. Everyone will want to tell you what to do. You get to choose when to listen.
Rather they have a business or not, chances are you have no shortage of people in your life who are keen on telling you what they think you should do. Some of this advice will actually be good. Some of it will be well intended, but won’t resonate with who you are and the type of business you want to run. Some of it will be straight-up stupid. You don’t need to stubbornly refuse to listen to any input, but you don’t have to take on board everything that is offered. Your business is an extension of your soul – do what feels right to you.
3. You WILL be tested.
Your endurance. Your grit. Your dedication. Your integrity. Your compassion. All of these will be tried. Your business is a gift from the Universe. Your business is in the world to serve others, but it’s also here to teach you about what you’re made of. This really is your hero’s journey, and it isn’t always going to be smooth sailing. You can find guidance and support from others on a similar path, but you will ultimately be called to face these challenges for yourself.
4. The term “heart-centered entrepreneur” is not contradictory.
It is okay to want to serve the world and get paid. It is okay to seek an energetic exchange, in the form of money, for the good you do. Open your heart to giving AND receiving. Consciousness and cash can coexist. You’re allowed to want to make a living doing your own thing. It is perfectly feasible to start a business and keep your integrity, too.
5. Give freely of what feels good to give.
If you’re running an online business, you probably do a lot of blogging, social media updates, and emailing. When it comes to your content, give what feels good to give. Talk about the things that are fresh in your mind. Be excited about what you are doing! Create free content for your people just because you want to. Write about what matters to you. People can sense it if you half-ass a blog post or a Facebook update. The things that are pertinent and hot on your mind always make the best creations.
6. Experiment, experiment, experiment.
The coolest thing about steering your own ship is you can try lots of things. You might launch a new series on your blog and find that you get bored of it quickly. That’s okay! It doesn’t have to be set in stone. Think of everything as an experiment. Tinker around to see what types of services you enjoy offering, and what your clients resonate with. Play with different social media sites to see which ones you enjoy. Try things. Lots of things. Experiment. Over and over.
7. Hang out with like-minded people.
Starting a business launched some major evolutions in who I am as a human being. Not everyone ‘gets’ the fervor that comes with being a driven, passionate business owner. Not everyone gets what a big effing deal it is to you. Not everyone knows what it is like to feel like you are on your own strange, mystical hero’s journey. It can get lonely out here. Finding a crew who relates to your path is essential.
8. “It’s not about you, it’s about the people you’re serving.”
Running a soul-centered online business requires an open-heart. This means you have to get comfortable showing up and sharing. Boundaries are, of course, crucial. You must share in a way that still feels safe. But I believe what people crave the most these days is genuine connection. You serve people when you are able to be vulnerable. The blogs and videos that required me to push past my ego have been the ones that resonated the most with other people.
I’m still working on getting fully comfortable with being the face of my business. My ego tries to create a barrier between “me” and my work. This is why it is easier for me to write than to film videos. This is why it is easier for me to use the name “Happy Fish Tarot” instead of my own name. My ego thinks that if I don’t have that barrier, I’m making everything about me. However, I’m learning that I need to continue to get comfortable with putting myself out there. Not out of vanity, but because I am required to show up fully in order to give fully. As Nathalie Lussier says, “it’s not about you, it’s about the people you’re serving.”
Honorable mention:
One of the most surprising things I’ve learned this year is how much I enjoy talking about business. In fact, I still have a giant list of lessons I considered including in this post! This is something I’ll likely talk about more in the future, especially if it’s something you are interested in (leave a comment and let me know). For now, I’m gonna conclude by singing Happy Birthday to Happy Fish Tarot – I love ya to the moon and back, baby.
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Ten of Wands :: Wild Unknown Tarot
I’ve written interpretations for every card in the Wild Unknown Tarot. As the box of the deck states, there are no rights or wrongs. These are simply my perspectives on the tarot card meanings. I hope you find them useful!
Click here for a directory of all posts in my Wild Unknown series.
Creator’s Keywords: burden, the hard road
Carrie’s Keywords: overextending, energetic clutter
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Ten of Wands Tarot Card Meanings in the Wild Unknown
The card is dominated by a black lined background which reminds me of heavy rain. The dreariness is so thick that you can hardly see the dark wands scattered about. It’s hard to find the way forward when all you can see is a cluttered bundle of wands.
This card brings back to mind the cross-purposes we saw in the Five of Wands. But in the five, the wands still seemed to have a fighting spirit. In the ten, the wands look almost as though they have given up, they lay about in utter disarray. They’ve reached a dead end, they’re overextended.
The suit of wands is about enthusiasm, instinct, personal energy and movement. Tens are about taking the suit to its logical conclusion. Thus in the Ten of Wands, we see a depiction of burn out. What was once excitement has become too much of a good thing. There is no focus, the excitement has essentially imploded upon itself.
This card reminds you that enthusiasm is not the only necessary ingredient! The fiery energy of wands can lead to taking on more projects, tasks, and plot lines than you can reasonably follow through with. When you reach this maximum capacity, everything becomes slowed and burdened. It is now necessary to prioritize and declutter so you can get on with the good stuff.
Ten of Wands Tarot Card Meanings in General
With the first person perspective of The Spacious Tarot you really get the sense of carrying all those wands. There’s still some vigor left in the background (the red haze) but pressing on is a lot to navigate. The Waite-Smith tarot version shows a person hunched over, trying to walk forward with a huge bundle of wands in their hands. However, all those wands obscure the person’s vision, so it seems as though they are not making much progress!
In some instances, the wands represent energies you consciously chose to bring into your experience. Being a multi-passionate person is great… until you find you have so many hobbies and interests and projects that you’re not actually getting anywhere with any of them.
But this card can also show those experiences in which everything in life just seems to happen at once. You might feel like you’re putting out metaphoric fires right and left, and this can be quite exhausting. In such instances, this card can be a sort of warning sign, reminding you to take breaks, to delegate responsibilities, to not expect yourself to do EVERYTHING.
In a reading
The Ten of Wands may be an indicator that there’s some energetic clutter taking up space in your life. It may now be necessary to tie up loose ends and let go of things that no longer light you up. Reaffirm your priorities and, as they say, be careful about biting off more than you can chew.
Don’t put too much pressure on yourself, especially if you feel like you’re fighting an uphill battle. Manage your expectations of yourself and others. It may also be necessary to adapt a broader perspective. Instead of fixating on all the clutter in your view right now, take a step back and look at the bigger picture. An unobscured view could do you wonders!
Hi, I'm Carrie!
I'm a tarot reader and mentor. My purpose is to encourage your expansion. If you're new, start here.
All site content © Carrie Mallon LLC 2017
I am part of Amazon's associate program. If you purchase items linked in this site I will receive a small kick-back.
Unity & Duality {Tarot & the Human Experience}
You know what I love about tarot? It relates to ALL aspects of the human experience. Of course, tarot speaks to sweeping spiritual themes, but it also illuminates our mundane daily routines. In this series, I’ll talk about various ways tarot ties into the human experience. I hope this will help you deepen your relationship to the cards – and to yourself.
In the beginning there is card zero, The Fool. The energy of the fool is boundless, free form, eternal. That’s a pretty awesome concept, but if that energy stayed undirected, we’d never have stars or planets or trees or bodies or brains! We wouldn’t have spirit and flesh, birth and death. In the tarot, life as we know it starts to sprout forth with cards one and two: The Magician and the High Priestess.
In ’78 Degrees of Wisdom’ Rachel Pollack says that as one and two are the first ‘true’ numbers, they symbolically form the concept of opposites. The Magician is associated with light, action, maleness, yang and the conscious mind. The High Priestess is associated with dark, receptivity, femaleness, yin and the unconscious mind, just to name a few opposites these cards evoke.
These opposites are reunited in the world, card 21. Rachel Pollack points out that even the numbers 2 (High Priestess) and 1 (The Magician) are both present in the World. The World shows the concepts of unity and non-duality. We’ve all heard the phrases “we are all one,” and “separation is an illusion” and “unity is the aim.” The World is a dynamic representation of these concepts.
But even if we have a spiritual understanding of unity, we navigate our lives through contrast. We have moments where we fell the consciousness of the World, where we feel integrated and whole and connected with all that is. But amidst these moments of spiritual unification, we also have moments of experiencing separation. This separation can be healthy, it can help us understand ourselves. But it can lead to depression and isolation if we dwell ONLY in separation consciousness. We need to see the big picture that the World shows.
All is separate AND united. Separation and unity are both truisms in the human experience. This understanding is expressed in different belief systems in different ways. In Taoism, the concept of the Yin-Yang shows opposites which are actually part of an interconnected whole.
We understand by compartmentalizing. But at the same time, we are united to a whole. We are like drops in the ocean: you are an individual drop, but you’re also a part of the whole ocean.
Watch the video above for more of my thoughts on how The Magician, The High Priestess, and the World set the stage for a conversation about unity and duality.
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Nine of Wands :: Wild Unknown Tarot
I’ve written interpretations for every card in the Wild Unknown Tarot. As the box of the deck states, there are no rights or wrongs. These are simply my perspectives on the tarot card meanings. I hope you find them useful!
Click here for a directory of all posts in my Wild Unknown series.
Creator’s Keywords: inner strength, stamina
Carrie’s Keywords: protection, stamina
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Nine of Wands Tarot Card Meanings in the Wild Unknown
A stack of wands starts at the bottom of the card, narrowing as it leads upwards. Each wand gets smaller than the last, giving the effect of a stairway or a narrowing tunnel. The wands are unruly, branches jutting about. A yellow crescent moon is suspended at the pinnacle.
The wands are noticeably thicker here than in any of the previous cards in the suit. In fact, they look almost like logs! They are sturdy, they are solid and fixed. These are wands that are built to survive a stomping.
The rest of the card is lined with vertical black lines which ascend into peaks of blue and purple. It is rare to see vertical lines in the Wild Unknown. They add to the solid, protective feel of the card; providing a steady energy. Blue and purple are colors of knowledge and spirituality, suggesting that this protection serves a higher purpose. I sometimes associate this card with energetic protection. Guarding your inner energy from outer intrusion is an art.
The wands here could be viewed as a staircase, ascending towards the moon. Or they could be a sort of fortress surrounding the moon. Are the wands trying to entice someone to climb their way up to the moon, or are they trying to protect the moon from intruders? Either way, they seem to serve as an enduring support system.
Nine of Wands Tarot Card Meanings in General
There is an old proverb which says “fall down seven times, get up eight.” In some ways the Nine of Wands is an echo of that sentiment. In the Waite-Smith tarot, this card shows a human figure standing in front of a makeshift fence. He has a bandage around his forehead, and his body posture is tense. He looks like he’s already been through some interesting ordeals, and now he braces himself for what is to come. Meanwhile The Spacious Tarot shows a delicate rose protected by thorns and wands.
Although no tarot card is entirely “positive” or “negative,” the Nine of Wands is particularly ambivalent. Sometimes this card shows the benefits of energy protection, the good that comes from watching out for what matters to you. But sometimes this card shows the way that being on-guard can be exhausting. As such, this card is often a reminder to check in with your own energy. You may sense that you need to buckle down and keep pressing forward – or you may find it is time to redirect your energy.
In a reading
Sometimes you will see this card when you are being called to draw on your reserves of stamina. Remember that you are strong. You are capable of handing whatever life throws your way. At the same time, it is also important to protect your energy.
Continuing on even when life has knocked you down is admirable, but it can also lead to weariness. As the saying goes, you’re not sprinting, you’re running a marathon. This means you need to ensure that you persevere for the long haul. Know that you do not need to be super human. Do what you can, but make sure your energy is fortified and protected all the while.
Hi, I'm Carrie!
I'm a tarot reader and mentor. My purpose is to encourage your expansion. If you're new, start here.
All site content © Carrie Mallon LLC 2017
I am part of Amazon's associate program. If you purchase items linked in this site I will receive a small kick-back.
The Accessible Magic of Words & Conversations
Words are the most accessible form of magic. A cunningly construed sentence can carve holes in your heart and release your tears. An artful articulation can expand pathways and evoke vivid imaginings. Words can awaken your body, tickle your senses, and drastically morph your energy.
I drew the reversed Knight of Swords as my theme for this month, and OI how on-point it is! And so I’ve been thinking about my conversation consciousness. What is the intention behind the words I speak to others? Am I trying to describe my truth, or do I just want to be “right” and receive a satisfying dose of smugness? Am I discussing another’s behavior out of genuine concern, or am I seeking the cheap thrill of petty gossip? Maybe I’m falling somewhere in between the extremes.
It is alluring to shift onto autopilot with our words. We speak without thinking. We say one thing but subconsciously mean something else. Sometimes we can only see shadows of what we want to express, the thoughts are not clearly formed. The sentiments are so deeply buried in the layers of our minds that we can only talk aimlessly, flitting about words that never convey anything real. We walk away feeling flustered and unsatisfied.
I want to take ownership for the energy that I bring to my words, my conversations. It is true that ultimately, you are not responsible for anyone’s emotions aside from your own (and even those can seem pretty out of your control sometimes). But it is also true that you have an awareness of the magic you’re working with your words. Part of you can intuit the emotional responses your words will elicit in others.
The more you concentrate on this awareness, the stronger it will grow. You will become more attuned with what you are truly trying to say, and why you are truly trying to say it.
Words are like any superpower: the more you explore the magic, the more you will understand it.
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Listen to yourself. Fish for the deeper intentions behind what you are saying. Follow the tendrils until you reach the root. Even as you deliberately practice conscious communication, know that occasionally you will fuck up royally. Don’t use this as an excuse to turn your words against yourself. Redirect. Say what you mean to say.
Mind your words, mind your magic.
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Eight of Wands :: Wild Unknown Tarot
I’ve written interpretations for every card in the Wild Unknown Tarot. As the box of the deck states, there are no rights or wrongs. These are simply my perspectives on the tarot card meanings. I hope you find them useful!
Click here for a directory of all posts in my Wild Unknown series.
Creator’s Keywords: news, change, action
Carrie’s Keywords: aligned action, coincidence
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Eight of Wands Tarot Card Meanings in the Wild Unknown
Eight wands are sprawled out in a circle like spokes on a wheel engaged in a sacred dance. A rainbow bolt strikes down from above, merging with the top wand. This dramatic, concentrated rainbow is the only surge of color on the card.
The rainbow hues seems to imbue the wand with a quickening, an energy, a message. It is reminiscent of the bolt of color entering the Hierophant’s key. Both of these cards seem to show a concentrated, otherworldly knowledge. The Eight of Wands shows the moment in which this knowledge presents itself. But if you’re not looking out for it, you might miss it.
The Eight of Wands makes me think about the concept of synchronicity. This is a term coined by Carl Jung to describe coinciding events which we interpret as meaningful but are not causally related. As these eight wands moved in their pivotal dance, the rainbow energy just so happened to descend and merge itself with this particular wand at this particular time. These two events could be entirely unrelated, but we perceive these coincidences as ripe with significance.
The Eight of Wands often suggests incoming messages, a quick arrival of news, or sudden action. This card can show a ‘Eureka!’ moment, where we have a sudden burst of energy to take the next step. This card reminds us that change is constant, but we can always choose to take our own action and find purpose in the seemingly random events of our lives.
Eight of Wands Tarot Card Meanings in General
The Eight of Wands evokes the phrase “strike while the iron is hot.” There are moments in your life when everything aligns for you to take a certain aligned action. If you hesitate, if you doubt your instincts, you might miss that opportunity. There is a magic that can only happen when you are in tune to the rhythms of life. If you step into that dance and act when you are called to act, a power is unleashed.
Traditionally, this card has also been associated with completion. Many depictions of this card show the eight wands all pointing in the same direction (including The Spacious Tarot above), signifying that they are close to a destination. In this view there can be a sense of resolution in this card. If you’ve been at something for quite a while, this may be a sign that all of your efforts are tying together to wrap something up.
In a reading
If you have a gut-level, instinctive knowing of what action you need to take, the Eight of Wands is a confirmation to take that action. Let yourself be tapped into the energies of the universe, and make your move when the timing is aligned!
This card can also be an invitation to look for meaningful coincidences in your experience. It is likely that these coincidences are not random at all – they are little winks from the universe, giving you the nudges you need to keep moving in the right direction.
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The Tarot Reader’s Daily Companion
Hi, I'm Carrie!
I'm a tarot reader and mentor. My purpose is to encourage your expansion. If you're new, start here.
All site content © Carrie Mallon LLC 2017
I am part of Amazon's associate program. If you purchase items linked in this site I will receive a small kick-back.
You suck and that’s awesome!
I want everything I create to be solid. Well-crafted. Insightful. Potent. And I do create some things that I’m proud of. But I create a lot of things that could be better. I create a lot of things that kind of…suck.
Today I had the urge to delete every video on my YouTube channel. Why? Because I re-watched one and I thought it sucked. The video was awkward. Clumsy. Uncomfortable.
But I did not delete the video. Instead, I looked at myself in the mirror and said:
“You suck and that’s awesome!”
(click to tweet this)
There are two main factors to consider when you think you suck. First, you never suck as much as you suppose. Your inner critic is likely being a mega-jerk. Second, sucking is awesome! Sucking means you’re DOING SOMETHING.
Many people are so terrified of sucking that they don’t try. They don’t make the videos, they don’t write the songs, they don’t start the business, they don’t pursue the dream.
I’m not going to delete my videos. They are road markers on my path. I am already better than I was when I began.
If you allow yourself to suck at something, you’re making space for yourself to be a beginner. You’ve got to start somewhere. You’ve got to learn through experience. You have to make some things that aren’t fantastic. It’s an inevitable truth:
You’re going to create some sucky stuff long before you create anything awesome.
(click to tweet this)
You have inborn strengths, you have natural talents. But rarely does anyone come along who makes pivotal, ingenious creative works without honing their skills first.
And honing your skills requires creating things. Things that are not always great. Things that may slightly suck.
If you think you suck, do not be stilled. Continue to create. Listen to this two minute pep talk from Ira Glass. Remind yourself why you are doing this. Be where you are. Dedicate to your craft, seek those who encourage you and learn to be your own supporter.
You are doing much better than you give yourself credit for. You are awesome for trying. You are a brave creator, and the world needs you.
“You will do foolish things, but do them with enthusiasm.” – Colette
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Seven of Wands :: Wild Unknown Tarot
I’ve written interpretations for every card in the Wild Unknown Tarot. As the box of the deck states, there are no rights or wrongs. These are simply my perspectives on the tarot card meanings. I hope you find them useful!
Click here for a directory of all posts in my Wild Unknown series.
Creator’s Keywords: courage against odds
Carrie’s Keywords: conviction, defiance
Begin or deepen your tarot studies with
Foundational Tarot, my free video course!
Join the email list for instant access.
Seven of Wands Tarot Card Meanings in the Wild Unknown
One wand stands ablaze above its companions. The flame radiates a white light, piercing through the surrounding darkness. The six remaining wands lean away from the central wand. They seem taken aback by this sudden display of pyrotechnics. The only colors in the card are the orange and red of the flame, the colors of primal and instinctive energy.
There are times to rise above adversity peacefully with your head held high, as we saw in the previous card. But this card reminds us that there are also times when you need to let loose a surge of adrenaline. Sometimes you’ve got to ignite your fighting spirit. Sometimes you’ve got to stand up fiercely, defy the status quo and declare what you will (and will NOT) stand for.
We all have our limits with how much we’ll put up with. The Seven of Wands wants you to learn not to take any shit. Don’t be silenced. Don’t give up. Don’t sit quietly by doing what everyone else is doing. Be brave and bright, be engulfed by your true power!
However, it’s also important not to light up like a fire cracker only to have your adrenaline rapidly fizzle out. The Seven of Wands shows a sort of fight or flight mentality. It’s a quick burst of conviction – just monitor your energy carefully to make sure you don’t crash and burn.
Seven of Wands Tarot Card Meanings in General
At it’s best, the Seven of Wands is associated with a healthy stubbornness. Doing meaningful things requires conviction. The imagery for my deck, the Spacious Tarot, has some similarities to the Wild Unknown. The Seven of Wands shows a sort of spiritual ‘whack a mole’ game where things keep coming up and you need to maintain the presence and passion to deal with them. In the Waite-Smith tarot version, a person stands in a defensive posture. He holds one wand and is fending off six others.
Perhaps this level of adrenaline is necessary for now, but as mentioned above, the energy of this card is not always sustainable. Part of your self-discovery is trusting when it is time to burst forward and defy all hurdles… but also trusting when your energy is better spent elsewhere.
In a reading
Sometimes this card asks you to consider the age old question: what’s really worth fighting for? There are times when you are tasked with simply going with the flow of life, but the Seven of Wands reminds you that sometimes you need to go against the grain and be assertive!
In her book Learning the Tarot, Joan Bunning mentions that this card can indicate either attacking OR defending. Both of these can be wise expenditures of energy when they are truly in alignment. Your task is to determine how to use these energies effectively and with integrity.
Hi, I'm Carrie!
I'm a tarot reader and mentor. My purpose is to encourage your expansion. If you're new, start here.
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Carrie Mallon
Header art from The Spacious Tarot illustrated by Annie Ruygt
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