Defeat the haters

We’ve talked a lot about ‘battles’ in the wands suit – because life can sometimes feel like a fight. We are called on all the time to speak out, to stand up for ourselves, to overcome this inner voice or that external force of oppression.

The Seven of Wands is an activist’s card. It’s that image that shows up to say ‘your truth belongs to you. Hold it high.’ For some of us this may be an actual fight for survival in a society that won’t accept our existence. For others, it is about standing tall and getting our message out there so it can be heard – again, this can feel like a fight.

In some decks, we see a physical battle. A person standing alone, their single wand held high, fighting a sea of faceless others. This is how it can feel sometimes, when we are called to defend our truths. Other decks represent it differently. Charissa Drengsen’s Steampunk Tarot shows women gossiping about another from behind parasols. Kim Krans’ Wild Unknown Tarot shows a single, burning flame, casting other wands into the dark.

All of these are images of empowerment for the ‘lonely’ one, the ‘other’. They celebrate otherness and critique the ‘haters’ that threaten it. The Seven of Wands is firmly on the side of the single, personal truth, even if it is a minority view. It asks each of us to be proud of who we are, to own our truths and our experiences, and yes, if necessary, to fight.

It’s important to feel the joy in this card, even though it is again one of conflict. At it’s heart, it celebrates your power, your light, your difference. It wants that light to shine, bold and bright, for all to see.

In a reading…

A little like the Five of Wands, you may feel really attacked right now, or called to stand up for yourself. Unlike that card, however, here the fight is worth it. The Seven of Wands seeks to embolden you and remind you that you are strong, powerful, brilliant…and right!

As an activist card, this points to any situation where you have to stand up for your beliefs. This includes standing up for others. If you enjoy power and privilege, use that strength to lift others, or offer space on your platform for others to step up and join you. There is a loneliness in this card because it is focused on your power and difference as an individual, but within this is the question of what you can do with that power. Focus on that.

Regardless of the presence of an ‘real’ fight, this is about celebrating who you are and being unafraid to show it. We live in a society that prizes conformity, that offers us very narrow ideas of what a ‘good’ or ‘successful’ person looks like. Many of us are left out of those spaces the very moment we are conceived! Others move through life, gradually realising that this mould is not for them. Be proud of what makes you different, what makes you you. Don’t hide it away, but bring it forth to make the world more beautiful, more colourful. And ultimately, to ensure that you yourself are free.