5/7 of swords and the trojan horse

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 08 Nov 2004, and now archived in the Forum Library.

temperlyne	08 Nov 2004
I'm having some difficulties keeping the 5 and 7 of swords separated. I'm trying to find the essential meaning in every card and discovered I couldn't see a clear differance between these two. I associate the 5 of swords with ones own weaknesses. either the resourcefull use of them or giving in to them in a bad way. The 7 of swords I see as a card of wit. Outsmarting your opponant. Both cards to me have something to do with unfair play. One of my problems is finding a way to represent the meanings of the cards in a nontraditional way. I like using mythological/legendary referances but to which card would the trojan horse apply? I feel it should be one of them but wich one? It is a very smart solution but not a very fair one. Any input on the differences is very welkom.

Keslynn	08 Nov 2004
I've actually gotten the 5 of Swords a lot for graduate students. To me, it's less about one's own weaknesses and more about conflict going on around you. Sure you can be defeated, but there's that other person on the card who could be read as victorious. It's conflict with your choice of how you come out of it. To win, it can mean unfair play, sure, but it can also mean that you're just smarter or know how to argue better. The 7 of Swords usually comes up for clients when they're healing from a situation or when they're facing a decision that's not easy. I read it as planning feverishly but keeping it to yourself. Once again, there is the possibility of unfair play and stealing, but I also think it can just mean keeping things to yourself for now. I don't know if any of that helped at all. As for the Trojan horse, I would say that the plan itself would be the 7 of Swords. After having followed through with the plan and destroyed Troy, that would most likely be the 5 of Swords (though for the poor Trojans, I bet it was the Tower). :) Kes

ros	08 Nov 2004
just extra input 5 Swords is the "struggle" for personal courage in a situation to overcome the challenge. 7 Swords is the "strategy" to defend oneself in a situation to overcome the challenge. 5- the struggle for courage 7- the strategy of confidence

RedMaple	08 Nov 2004
I usually read 5 Swords as painful conflict. I usually read 7 Swords as deceit, treachery. (But recently I did a reading in which the 7 of Swords came up as stealing in a Robin Hood kind of way, stealing back what rightfully belonged to the greater community...)

temperlyne	09 Nov 2004
Thanks for the imput. I did some thinking on both these cards and they seem much clearer to me now. translating the cards to mythology again; the 5 of swords would fit to aeneas flight of troy. He avoids confrontation knowing this it is not his time and place to shine, him awaits a different destiny. The 7 of swords would be more like the battle of wits between oedipus and the sfinx. Or at least thats how I look at the cards now.

RedMaple	09 Nov 2004
If I had to choose, I would say the 7 of Swords would be the Trojan Horse. It is treachery, but as you say, very clever (all swords deal with the intellect). The 9 of Swords would be the Trojan women, grieving for the city and their children. The 9 of Swords is the nightmare card, and often refers to grieving for others. If I had to place the encounter with the sphinx, I think it would be the Page of Swords. He or she has the mental quickness to answer the sphinx, as well as the innocence of youth's bravery to face the monster in the first place.

The 5/7 of swords and the trojan horse thread was originally posted on 08 Nov 2004 in the Using Tarot Cards board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Using Tarot Cards, or read more archived threads.