By Sarah Taylor
Three cards, one central to the WTR last week, all of them working their energies through our lives simultaneously rather than in succession; this is an ‘everything-all-at-once’ reading.
The card on the left is the Seven of Swords, or Futility. It is also referred to as The Lord of Unstable Effort. Here, one sword — representing the Ace — is beset by six swords that seem to hold it captive with the tips of their blades. The Ace is straight, whereas the others are curved: only one holds integrity, aligned as it is from above (the world of Spirit) to below (the physical world). Where the point of each of the six blades touches the Ace, there is a jolt of electricity, as if the central blade is being discharged of its energy, which then weakens its ability to act from a position of alignment.
M. M. Meleen writes:
Since the sephira Netzach [from the Kabbalah Tree of Life; Netzach is associated with the Seven of Swords] means Victory, there is some hope if one overcomes inertia and puts forth effort. The problem here is vacillation, and the theme of many against one. …
[It is] a form of mental impotence. An unconscious self-protective mechanism is triggered — if one gives up, then by rights they did not really lose. … This card warns against insincerity, especially towards oneself, as the amoral mind is not capable of deep insights. There is no time for hesitation and inconstancy if the goal is victory.