Renaissance Tarot (Jones / Lyle) - 7 of Wands

Sulis

A man holding a large wand stands in front of 6 others. The 6 wands are arranged in 3 X shapes stacked one on top of the other.

The 'defence' element of the 7 of Wands usually looms very large for me but not so much with this card.
I see the sevens as challenges, often ones that we set ourselves, inner challenges that can almost be like initiations.
The sixes are a good place to be, no need to leave them really but with the sevens you get in your chariot and you leave what you've already built, you take a chance and you try to turn the bumps in the road into stepping stones.

The guy on the card has got his achievements and the success of the six stacked up behind him and he's just in the process of adding another one in the form of the wand he's picking up.
I think that you could also see him as not just holding the stick as a defense, he could also be forging ahead with it.
 

Attachments

  • 7 of Wands.jpg
    7 of Wands.jpg
    77.1 KB · Views: 264

Papageno

I see both the traditional "defensive" posture of this card as well as building on the success of the previous 6/wands.
it speaks to me of necessity - protecting what you've already accomplished and on the other hand it also underscores the message: don't rest on your laurels.

both views are defensive in their own way, but for me this card is banging the table about "necessity".
you have to guard against competition (external influences) but it also illustrates the dangers of resting on your laurels (complacency from within).

the 7/wands is a half finished job. if we lose momentum, we risk losing the opportunity to advance. everything achived by the 6/wands may be for naught.

edited:

this also highlights the tenuous nature of the 6's.
the achievments of the 6's, whether we're talking about the wands or coins are only small victories. winning a battle but not the war.
the 7's says we must strengthen that position and advance.
building and nurturing. in this way we open the road to other possibilities and opportinities.
 

Sulis

papageno said:
I see both the traditional "defensive" posture of this card as well as building on the success of the previous 6/wands.
Yes I see both as well and I like that because with a lot of 7 of Wands depictions there is no sense of building on the success of the 6, just defensiveness.

I like your 'don't rest on your laurels' analogy.
I love these little sayings that we all seem to come up with for cards - much better than single keywords.
 

Enchanted

I may just be stuck with traditional meanings but I still did see defensiveness in this card.

I saw it as the figure not realising that certain things were behind him, they were done with, that battle had been fought and perhaps being overly defensive when he needn't be.

Old attacks, old battles that had been fought and won were rearing the ugly head to create a defensive attitude. I saw it as he could actually put down the wand, in this situation he didn't need it.

But maybe that is just what I see today. :D

Sometimes I see it as the don't back down card. Hold your ground, fight for your rights.
 

Sulis

Enchanted said:
But maybe that is just what I see today. :D

Exactly - that's one of the things I love about Tarot, the meanings of the cards change with each reading.
These cards are so minimal that they seem to offer more possibilities :)
 

WooMonkey

I saw this figure as using the 7th wand to defend his possession of the other 6. Nobody else's getting their hands on these--back off! The book suggests that this represents the "last battle" before achieving success; don't give up or all could be lost.
 

Little Baron

Wonderful.

I had never really considered the '6' so much, but this deck has a wonderful way of introducing the new number, without losing touch of the previous.

So yes, I can see it as protecting what is already there; maintaining a position.

It could be protecting your work, through copyright. It might be defending a reputation you have built up. It might be caution against mood swings, reminding you to not jump down peoples throats and return to your harmonious '6' mood, lol. Because of passion, it might be controlling urges or concentrating on one thing before moving on to the next [thinking of the Chariot a bit there, when merged with the suit].

LB